For some people, the phrase “eating for two” is pretty much a synonym for pregnancy. Eating for two, as in eating double the amount, has no scientific basis at all. But it is not at all uncommon for pregnant women to notice an increase in appetite. For some, this happens early on in the first trimester, while others don’t feel up to eating much in early pregnancy due to morning sickness, but do have a larger appetite in the second and third trimesters. Should you give in, and eat as much as you like, or is there any reason to limit calories while you are expecting a baby?
Women who have a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) when they conceive do not need to pay special attention to the amount of calories they are consuming. It is said that pregnant women need an average of 300 more calories a day than their non-pregnant sisters. That’s not a lot – a couple of slices of toast with butter in the morning does the trick!
For the majority of women, eating as much as you want while you are pregnant is a great approach. What is more important than the amounts of food you consume is what you are actually eating. Make sure that you are getting foods from all major food groups and try snacking on fruits or vegetables when you get cravings. Pregnancy should not be an excuse to feast on fast food whenever you feel like it, but you should not be denying yourself healthy foods just because you are worried about excessive weight gain, either. An increase of appetite signals that your baby is growing, and your body needs more fuel to keep up with all the work.