Pregnancy Rule #1

There are literally hundreds of pregnancy rules. [Although they're more like guidelines.] The first one is:

Stay away from cravings: Eat healthy!


I'm not typically someone you would want to take eating advice from, I stuff my face from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I do try to be healthy, but I find myself breaking rule #1 often. I don't look at labels. [Except juice, high fructose corn syrup is the enemy!] However, I will make a guide on this post and try to follow it. I already do some of this already, I just need to stick to it better.

[You can find meal planners all over the internet, here's one of the many that I'm using.]

Keep in mind that this is tailored to my liking, you can change anything up and use it as your own!

Grain: 6 to 8 ounces a day.
2 bagels a day [One in the morning, and one before bed.]
1 sandwich [Two slices of bread is two ounces. Eat after lunch/before dinner or after dinner as a snack.]
1 bowl of pasta [Lunch. 1/2 cup of pasta is one ounce, a whole bowl should top off your 6 to 8 ounces.]

Fruits: 2 cups a day.
Make sure you vary in the colors of fruit you eat, and try to eat fresh fruits over the canned kind. I eat my fruits as a snack during the day.
Grapes [One cup.]
Bananas [I think one would = one cup. eat two just in case!]
Any kind of fruit will do, but grapes and bananas are my favorite! Sadly I'm allergic to strawberries, or they would be on the list too.

Vegetables: 2 1/2 to 3 cups a day.
Like the fruit, for maximum nutrition make sure you vary the colors. This one is tough for me, vegetables are not my friend.
Carrots [One cup. With dinner or lunch.]
Corn [Half cup. With dinner.]
Lettuce [Half cup. On your after lunch/before dinner or after dinner sandwich.]
Potatoes [Half or Full cup with dinner, or make fresh french fries with lunch.]

Meats and Beans: 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 a day.
Choose lean meats and limit your fish intake to 12 ounces a week, any more than that can introduce your baby to harmful amounts of mercury. My grandma makes my dinner every day. We are living with her right now and if we were not with her I wouldn't be eating as healthy as I am. That's a story for another time though. [Don't worry, it's not an eating disorder story!]
Ham [A few small lunch meat pieces on my sandwich. Make sure you nuke it in the microwave first!]
Chicken
Beef
Turkey
Pork

Milk, Yogurt, Cheese: 3 cups a day.
A cup of dairy equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese, and 2 ounces of processed cheese. Low-fat varieties give you all of the nutrition without the extra fat. 
Milk [1 cup a day.]
Yogurt [I eat one small container a day, its probably about half a cup. I eat the kind with fruit pieces mixed in.]
Cheese [1 1/2 cup a day. the type depends on what else I'm eating. I eat cheese on my sandwiches, and with my bagels, and sometimes with potatoes depending on how they are made.]

Oils: 6 to 8 teaspoons a day.
I don't even know what to do with this one. The best sources are canola oil, olive oil, safflower oil, fatty fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives. I can't stand the taste of olives, but my grandma does cook with olive oil sometimes. I guess I'll start eating nuts!

This isn't on the list, but it should be. Make sure you drink lots and lots of water! Six 8 ounce glasses a day at least!

That sure is a lot to take in! Does anyone have any advice on how to kick my junk food habit? Any recipes for healthy snacks?