Protein During Pregnancy

Source: http://www.pregnancy-calendars.net/protein.aspx

Protein During PregnancyProtein plays an extremely important part in your pregnancy and the development of your baby. The amino acids which make up protein also form the basic building blocks of your body's cells — which in turn also form the building blocks of your baby’s body too.

During the second and third trimester is when you should make sure your protein levels are where they should be, especially as this is when your baby will be growing it’s fastest and that means placing more demand on you for all his/her essential nutrients.
How much protein do you need during pregnancy?

It is recommended that during your pregnancy you should be consuming around 70 grams of protein per day, which is only about 25 grams more than what you would have needed prior to your pregnancy. The good news is that the average woman in America eats more than the recommended amount everyday and so you are probably already getting enough protein.

If you don’t eat meat, which is one of the main sources of protein – but definitely not the only, you will need to be sure that you are getting your protein requirements from other sources
Good sources of protein

There are many different sources of protein, so you shouldn’t really get bored with what you are eating. Foods such as beans, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, tofu, and yogurt, just to name a few. A good way to ensure that your protein intake is sufficient is to eat three or four servings of protein a day.

Each food portion listed below is the equivalent of one serving, which is about 20 grams of protein:

Beans, Nuts & Legumes
1 cup firm tofu or 1 1/4 cup soft tofu
5 or 6 tablespoons peanut butter
3 oz. peanuts
1 1/2 cups cooked beans such as: chickpeas, kidney beans, baked beans, pinto beans, refried beans, lentils or black beans
three 8-oz. glasses soy milk

Dairy
2/3 cup cottage cheese
2 cups yogurt
3 oz. Swiss, cheddar or most other cheeses
2 oz. Parmesan cheese
3 large eggs
two and a half 8-oz. glasses milk

Meat and fish
3 oz. chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, or veal
3 oz. salmon, trout, or tilapia
17 large shrimp or 1 1/2 cups baby shrimp
3 1/2 oz. lobster meat
3 1/2 oz. crab meat
3 oz. canned clams

Take Note: Not all fish is considered safe to consume during your pregnancy. Some predator fish contain methylmercury, a metal believed to be harmful in high doses to the growing brains of fetuses and young children. These fish include:

Shark
Swordfish
King mackerel
Tilefish
Tuna

Eating Fish During Pregnancy

Eating Fish During PregnancyCan I eat fish during my pregnancy? Yes you can, although there are some fish which you will want to steer clear of altogether. Why would you want to steer clear of eating fish during pregnancy? They are loaded with all the good nutrients, such as:

Protein
Vitamin D
Omega-3 fatty acids

All of the above are essential for your baby's development. However, there is a down side to fish as well. Almost every kind of fish – including shellfish - contains trace amounts of methylmercury. Methylmercury is a compound which is known to be harmful in high doses to an unborn developing nervous system.

Generally it is the larger predator fish which accumulate the highest levels of methylmercury.
How much fish can I eat during my pregnancy?

In March 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new guidelines for how women who are trying to conceive, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children can limit their exposure to mercury in fish. They now recommend that you eat no more than 6-12 ounces a week of canned "light" tuna and other cooked fish. Other fish which is safe to be consumed twice a week include:

Salmon in all forms, except from the Great Lakes
Farmed trout
Sardines
Herrings
Pilchards
Flounder and sole
Farmed cat fish, stripped bass and tilapia
Cod
Haddock
Mahi mahi
Perch
Crab, shrimp, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, crayfish

Of course, there are some fish which you should completely avoid altogether.

Shark
Swordfish
King mackerel
Tilefish (golden or white snapper)
Tuna steak (fresh or frozen)
Spanish mackerel
Marlin
Grouper
Large and small mouth Bass
Walleye
Northern Pike
Lake Whitefish
Salmon from the Great Lakes
Bowfin
Gar
Toxic species such as pufferfish (fugu), blowfish and sea squab

These fish are at the top of the food chain – and that usually means that they contain the highest levels of mercury.

There are of course many other tasty fish which are safer to eat. Salmon, rainbow trout, and canned mackerel, all contain low levels of mercury and are high in healthy fats. The FDA considers these fish safe for pregnant women to eat twice a week.