Is it Safe to Go Carb-Free During Pregnancy?

If fish does not top your list of pregnancy favorites, there are other ways to get this important fat. Walnuts, flax seed, and flax seed oil as well as canola and soy oils all contain Omega-3s.

Sprinkling your salads with olive oil, slicing avocados on your sandwich, and cooking with corn or canola oils rather than butter, margarine, or shortening will give your baby the unsaturated fat she needs, while keeping your heart healthy.

Steer clear of foods made with coconut or palm oil. These tropical-sounding fats are no day at the beach. Consuming too many of these hydrogenated trans-fats puts you at risk for developing certain cancers and heart disease.

Eating for Two

The belief that pregnant women should double their caloric intake is about as outdated as telling a child that he or she was found in a pumpkin patch. On average, pregnant women need only 300 to 500 extra calories a day (think in terms of a banana and a glass of milk).

What eating for two really means is being responsible for your unborn baby's nutritional needs as well as your own. The best way to do this is to avoid the diet wars and stick to a balanced diet of lean proteins, healthy fat, and, yes, carbohydrates.

Eating moderate amounts of nutritious carbohydrates, rather than eliminating them altogether, will promote your health and that of your child long after the nine months of pregnancy are over.