Servings
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Twins or triplets
Meat, chicken, fish and eggs (and vegetable alternatives to these) are categorised into the 3rd largest group in the 'food group triangle'. These foods provide much of the protein your body needs to build healthy new muscle tissue and body cells. Eating adequate protein contributes to the woman producing healthy eggs to conceive a baby, and to the man producing healthy sperm to fertilise the woman's egg. Protein is also important during pregnancy, to help the growth and development of your baby.
Meat, chicken, fish and eggs provide a range of essential vitamins and minerals including iron and vitamins B12, B6, zinc, niacin and thiamine. The iron and B group vitamins help your body to produce 'oxygen-carrying' red blood cells (called 'haemoglobin'). Your body needs to have sufficient levels of haemoglobin to prevent anaemia (or 'low iron'). This is discussed in depth in iron supplements.
If your diet is vegetarian or vegan, there are many vegetable alternatives (as well as some food products with vitamin additives such as certain brands of soy milk) that can ensure you have an adequate intake of protein, iron and vitamin B12. This is particularly important once you are pregnant, as these are required to nurture your baby as they grow and develop in the uterus, and support a healthy pregnancy. You can read more in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Servings. The recommended daily intake of protein is 0.75 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, a man weighing about 80 kilograms (or 176 pounds) would need about 60 grams per day, and a non-pregnant woman weighing 60 kilograms (or 132 pounds) would need about 45 grams per day.
One serving of meat, chicken, fish and eggs will typically provide about 7 to 8 grams of protein. However, protein can also be obtained from breads, cereals, grains (1 serving = 3 grams), dairy foods (1 serving = 8 grams) and some vegetables (1 serving = 2 grams). Therefore, a typical meal will have about 20 grams or more of protein, and it is not hard to gain the needed 50 to 60 grams per day.
NOTE: It is easy to have too much protein and most people living in western countries will tend to have too much (rather than too little) protein. Be aware that while adequate protein is essential, too much protein can cause poor health, and in some cases be dangerous. This is particularly so when considering supplementing with such things as amino acids (the 'building blocks' of protein). Supplementing with protein or amino acids during pregnancy is definitely NOT recommended (unless prescribed by your doctor).