Nutrition advice often feels like it’s coming in from all angles during pregnancy. Everyone from your doctor to your Great Aunt has an opinion on what you should, or shouldn’t, be eating. With all this advice coming from a variety of sources, it’s inevitable that there are some myths in the mix. This infographic takes aim at some of the most common myths about nutrition and food safety during pregnancy.

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Vegetarians can meet their protein, vitamin, and
mineral needs from a variety of sources during
pregnancy… no meat required. Yogurt, soy
products, nuts, and eggs are just a few of the
vegetarian protein sources available.
You can balance your food safety and nutrition
needs, even when eating away from home. Stick to
made-to-order food. Also, if you're craving deli
meat, ask the server to heat it up until it is
steaming. This will help make sure the food is safe
for you and you baby.
Only four types of fish should be avoided during
pregnancy due to their mercury content (tilefish,
shark, swordfish, and king mackerel). The 2015
Dietary Guidelines encourages pregnant and
breastfeeding women to eat a 2-3 meals (8-12
ounces) of seafood each week.
While it's important to know how much caffeine
you're consuming, you don’t need to pass on the
lattes during pregnancy. Health organizations
agree that up to 200 mg/day is safe during
pregnancy. That is equal to about two 8-ounce
cups of coffee or four cups of tea per day.
For the first trimester, no extra calories are
required to feed a growing baby. Calorie needs
increase in the 2nd trimester, but only by about
340 calories per day. In the 3rd trimester, aim for
about 500 extra calories per day.
Learn more at www.FoodInsight.org
Follow us on @FoodInsight and @FACTSFollowers
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