| Nutrient | Maternal Need | Fetal Need | Food Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein—75 gm/day | Maternal tissue growth: uterus, breasts, blood volume, storage | Rapid fetal growth | Milk and milk products; animal meats—muscle, organs; grains, legumes; eggs |
| Calories—2,500/day | Increased basal metabolic rate (BMR) | Primary energy source for growth of fetus | Carbohydrates: 4 kcal/gm Proteins: 4 kcal/gm Fats: 9 kcal/gm |
| Minerals—1,200 mg/day ( calcium and phosphorus ) | Increase in maternal Ca++ metabolism | Skeleton and tooth formation | Milk and milk products, especially natural cheese* |
| Iron—30 mg/day | Increase in red blood cell (RBC) mass | Liver storage (especially in third trimester) | Organ meats—liver, animal meat; egg yolk; whole or enriched grains; green leafy vegetables; nuts |
| Prevent anemia | |||
| Decrease infection risk | |||
| Vitamins | |||
| A | Tissue growth | Cell development—tissue and bone growth and tooth bud formation | Butter, cream, fortified margarine; green and yellow vegetables |
| B | Coenzyme in many metabolic processes | Coenzyme in many metabolic processes | Animal meats, organ meats; milk and cheese; beans, peas, nuts; enriched grains |
| C | Tissue formation and integrity | Tissue formation and integrity | Citrus fruits, berries, melons, papaya, kiwi, strawberries; peppers; green, leafy vegetables; broccoli, brussels sprouts, snow pea pods; potatoes |
| Increase iron absorption | |||
| D | Absorption of Ca++, phosphorus | Mineralization of bone tissue and tooth buds | Fortified milk and margarine |
| E | Tissue growth; cell wall integrity; RBC integrity | Tissue growth; cell integrity; RBC integrity | Widely distributed: meat, milk, eggs, grains, leafy vegetables, vegetable oils |
| Folic acid | Meet increased metabolic demands in pregnancy | Meet increased metabolic demands, including production of cell nucleus material | Liver; deep-green, leafy vegetables; asparagus; avocado |
| Production of blood products | Prevent neural tube defects | ||
* Natural cheese contains less lactose; therefore, it is a good source for those with lactose intolerance.
Tofu (soybean cake) is also high in calcium and contain no lactose.