How to Design Your Pregnancy Diet Plan to Minimize Weight Gain

Nobody wants to gain more weight than necessary while they’re pregnant. But going on a calorie-restrictive diet to lose weight is a definite no, no. The best way to minimize weight gain and stay healthy is to follow a pregnancy diet plan that combines nutritious eating with regular exercise.

Avoid Processed Foods to Prevent Excess Weight Gain

Although store shelves are packed with premade, prepackaged and microwavable processed foods, stay away from them. These foods are not healthy, and they do more harm than good. One of the problems with processed foods is that they contain sugar and other ingredients that can cause excess weight gain during pregnancy.

The sugar in processed foods can also increase your risk of gestational diabetes, and cause complications during birth. Many women who suffer from gestational diabetes during pregnancy go on to develop type 2 diabetes years down the line.

In addition to sugar, processed foods contain salt, preservatives and tons of chemical additives that contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain types of cancer.

Your unborn baby relies on everything you eat to give him the iron, protein, calcium, vitamin B, omega-3, folic acid and other nutrients he needs to develop properly in utero. When processed foods are manufactured, the nutritional value is lost.

When you eat processed foods, the only thing your body gets is a bunch of salt, sugar, chemical additives and empty calories. Some examples of the types of things to avoid during pregnancy include:

• bologna and other lunch meats
• spam, Vienna sausages, Hash and other canned meats
• hot dogs
• fish sticks
• frozen pizzas
• microwavable meals
• store-bought baked goods
• white and wheat bread
• canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
• cheese

Instead of these items, fill your pregnancy diet with a variety of wholesome, natural foods.

Protein and carbohydrate-rich foods keep you full longer and helps prevent excess food consumption. The protein in your diet should come from healthy sources like fish, lean meats and poultry. Your carbohydrates should come from fruits, veggies and beans - not from refined foods like bread, white rice and crackers.

Snack on Healthy Foods to Prevent Too Much Weight Gain

Being overly hungry will cause you to overeat during mealtimes. Snacking on low calorie foods throughout the day will keep hunger in check, and keep you from eating more than you need during lunch and dinner.

Instead of munching on doughnuts, crackers and breadsticks, keep healthy foods like raw nuts, carrot sticks, cut fruit, celery and nut butters readily available.

If you are going to be away from home, keep healthy snacks in your purse so you won’t be tempted to stop at the vending machine. Even the so-called, "healthy" snacks in vending machines are full of sugar, salt, chemicals and preservatives.

Exercise to Prevent Excess Weight Gain during Pregnancy

Exercise keeps you from packing on unnecessary pounds while you’re expecting. Staying active also helps you keep your energy levels up, prepares your body for childbirth and helps to reduce some of the discomfort of pregnancy.

Unless you have a medical condition or your doctor advises against it, doing 30-minutes or more of low-impact exercise is usually okay when you are pregnant. Some appropriate exercises might include walking, swimming, and stretching. All pregnancies are different, so talk to your health care provider before starting an exercise program.

While it’s normal to put on weight during pregnancy, you don’t want to gain any more than necessary. Eliminating processed foods from your diet, snacking on healthy foods throughout the day, and getting enough exercise can keep excess weight gain at bay.