Pregnancy diet questions: what needs to change what can stay the same? - Brain Tumors Message Board

lostshowfan86 · 02-19-2009, 03:29 PM

First of all I don't know how to cook unless it comes out of a box or a bag with step by step directions and don't plan to learn to cook from scratch because I don't have time and hate to cook
(We are doing good about not eating fast food every day....neither one of use knew how to cook when we got married)

When I get pregnant what kind of changes in my diet will I have to make.

What needs to change? What needs cut out? And what needs to be added?

Here is basically what I currently like to eat: (ofcourse this is not everyday)

Breakfast:
I usually don't eat anything but when I do I will have either: Blueberry Muffin or Pancakes.

Lunch:
Ham Sandwich
Salami Sandwich
Pizza Rolls (or Pizza Pocket)
Or a Stouffers meal (usually a mac and cheese meal)
Soups (either vegetable or chicken noodle)
Ramen Noodles

Dinner:
Hamburgers
Pizza (usually with sasauge and Pepperoni)
Steak and Potato
chicken and mashed potatoes
Sub sandwich
Hamburger mac and cheese
Bean Burrito meal (consists of wraps, refried beans, cheese, sour cream)
We also have Taco Bell once a week (its my favorite meal and can't go without it. I normally get a mexican pizza with two soft tacos it comes in a meal)

Vegetables:
Broccoli
Corn
Peas
Celery and baby carrots (with Ranch Dressing)

Fruit:
Banana

Beverages:
Milk
Caffeine Free Pepsi
Grape Soda (which is also caffiene free)
Water
Grape juice
Apple Juice

Snacks:
Cheerios, Pretzels, and the occasional potato chip

Seafood:
None I do not eat anything that is seafood

I'm not a big fan of fruit either.

Mostly breads, crackers, noodles. Mostly bland things.

I love Mashed Potatos and Gravy.

so what things will have to change what wil need to be cut out?

I forgot to add: I love spicy food (though it gives me awful indigestion....we eat these little Chedder Pepper poppers....)

I just don't know what to expect.......and I want to start making changes now if need be

Please don't say talk to your Ob doc about it because I only see that doc once a year until I get Pregnant

I wanted to add I'm in pretty good health. I'm 5'5" and weigh 144 (though I would like to lose about 10 pounds

(oh and I am on a prenatal vitamin)

Blastoff9600 · 02-20-2009, 05:42 AM

There are several good books available that you can read. Right now I say your sodium intake is through the roof and it needs to be cut down. You really should increase your veggie and fruit intake. Look at the food pyramid.
As for cooking from scratch isnt that bad or time consuming. There are a lot of sites and books that have great healthy foods made from scratch that can be done in under 30 minutes. Some things can also be done over the weekend and frozen to be reheated later.
I wasnt much of a cook when I got married but that changed especially when we had our first son and I saw how bad most the foods we were eating were bad for our kids. I'm not saying the boxed and bagged foods are totally bad but for a
pregnant woman and for a growing child they arent the greatest things for them.
Check out some of hte pregnancy diet books to see what they suggest for healthy diets. Not in the sense to lose weight but to eat right.

Marie84 · 02-20-2009, 06:59 AM

This is my favorite topic! I cant tell you what my doctor told me, and what I have studied for many years.
First off, when you eat things out of a box, they are usually filled with things that you dont want. I have started ONLY eating things out of a box that are organic (so mainly only mac and cheese once every two weeks). Keeping it organic will limit the amount of "junk" you eat. Even though Hamburger Helper has noodles and meat and whatever, if you read the box you will find that it is LOADED with preservatives and salt salt salt. None of this is good. Ramen noodles (which I love) have a ton of MSG (I check everything I buy for MSG). So I boil wheat noodles in chicken broth (you can buy it) to have a healthier ramen noodle. Soups also always have MSG, BUT I found one that didnt..I cant remember the name, Nature Select or something. It only has natural ingredients. Campbells always has MSG and lots of other junk. Things in a can always have MSG. So I have to make from scratch things that I want like that, for example, I would love some spagettios! but cant have em.
You def. should eat breakfast, and eat something that will last you. We eat a cup of all grain cereal with fruit on top, my husband eats two nutrigrain waffles, and I sometimes eat a piece of bread and an egg. It depends on my mood. YOu can find quick meals, just read your box! If you dont recognize what it is and cant pronounce it, then you probably shouldnt eat it. You can get organic poptarts at Walmart which are really good. YOu can also get organic snacks.
If you dont like fruit, then drinking 100% fruit juice will be good for you. But dont drink anything with simple sugars. By that I mean, candy, sodas (even if they are diet), and junk sugar. My doc told me that you need to get your sugars from good things like vegetables and fruits. Also try to stay away from fake sugars, there are debates on whether or not they are harmful to pregnancy...so its safest just to stay away.

YOu can make things that dont come in a box, you would be amazed what you can do with a chicken breast and some bread. Bake it, make a sandwich, bake it, eat it with rice. Cook it with onions make a gravy...just because you make it from scratch doesnt mean that it will take a lot of time. And if you do take a little extra time when it comes to shopping and stuff, I promise you you will feel so much better in the end.
Things to avoid:
MSG (has been known to cause brain tumors in monkeys, dont know about humans but best to be safe)
High Frutose Corn Syrup (factory made, no good)
Trans fat (REALLLY bad)
Partially Hydrogenated anything (this makes the oil very bad for you heart)
Fake sugar
Tons of salt
Fake anything...

I dont know how much money you have to spend on foods, but if you go to an Organic store you will know real fast what you should eat and what you shouldnt eat..because they dont carry stuff that is no good...
Anyways, sorrry it was so long, this is my favorite thing to talk about.
Oh, start taking a prenatal vitamin!

lostshowfan86 · 02-21-2009, 04:45 PM

Once again I have no desire to cook....and I don't care to learn I have more important things to do with my time....I hate fruit and I am now just learning to eat vegetables (was just diagnosed with IBS)....the whole organic thing no thank you...it doesn't taste good and I think its a phase. I ate spaghetti os and chicken noodle soup and i was jus fine. I am a very busy person and always on the go so if I'm not eating out I'm grabbing something quick and popping it in the microwave. I wanted to add I'm not a huge fan of chicken....I normally pick up popcorn chicken at walmart, I have a normal blood pressue and I am perfectly healthy (except for the irratable bowel)

What I am asking is I know there are some meats and things pregnant woman aren't supposed to eat so what meats do I need to cut out...and I know I need to cut back on the salt but other than that.....and I don't eat fish that isn't a problem

don't tell me to cook because that isn't what I asked....

I am a very picky eater and up to a few weeks ago I wouldn't even touch vegetables.

Up until a two years ago I wouldn't eat more than one meal a day......I have to force myself to eat more than one meal a day/

I just don't think about eating. I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing.

I don't have time to cook and I'm not someone who is going to spend more than 5 or 6 minutes in the kitchen I hate the kitchen and I don't cook

Oh and I've been on prenatal vitamins since july.....we aren't exactly trying just not preventing

lostshowfan86 · 02-21-2009, 04:59 PM

Forget I asked