Protein and its impact on your pregnancy
Protein is an important nutrient in pregnancy and for growth. Organs and muscles are made of protein. When protein levels fall below 60 grams per day, some people may be at a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications and smaller-than-average babies.
Goals for protein intake during pregnancy differ based on your other activities that require food energy. If you exercise, make sure you replace your spent energy with food and snacks. A quarter of your plate should be from protein, about 80 to 100 grams per day. For example, 3 eggs contain 18 g of protein.
Protein can be found in:
- beans
- lentils
- fish
- meat
- dairy
- eggs
- soy or tofu products
- quinoa
- protein bars