are you food-smart?


Congratulations! You’re pregnant. Now what? Do you get to eat everything in sight? Can certain foods harm your unborn baby? We designed a quiz (with help from nutritionist Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D.) to test your prenatal-nutrition knowledge. It will help you find out what you and your baby need to stay healthy for the next nine months.

1 Your body will require additional calories to build that baby. But how many — and when?
A. Show restraint. An extra 100 calories a day beginning in the second trimester is all most women need.
B. You’re eating for two. Add 300 calories a day as soon as you discover you’re pregnant.
C. Add 300 calories a day starting in your second trimester.
D. You need 500 extra calories a day throughout pregnancy. Woohoo! Bring on the pecan pie!

2 A woman of normal weight should expect to gain how much during her pregnancy?
A. Fewer than 25 pounds.
B. 25 to 35 pounds.
C. 30 to 40 pounds.
D. Up to 45 pounds.

Consuming 400 micrograms of folate (or folic acid) every day before you get pregnant helps prevent certain types of birth defects. Which of the following meets this daily requirement?
A. One daily prenatal vitamin (but you should check the label just to make sure).
B. 1 1/4 cups cooked lentils.
C. One large spinach salad, five spears of broccoli, one medium orange and one cup of cooked fava beans.
D. Four cups of orange juice.
E. Any of the above.

To get enough calcium (which helps to build your baby’s bones and teeth), you should:
A. Double your usual calcium intake.
B. Drink at least five glasses of 1 percent or nonfat milk each day.
C. Eat your weight in oyster shells.
D. Consume the same amount of calcium you did before getting pregnant.

5  Drinking adequate amounts of fluid daily will help your pregnant body build blood volume and ward off such diverse problems as water retention, preterm labor, constipation, urinary tract infections and dehydration. But how much is enough?
A. Four 8-ounce glasses of water, three glasses of milk and a glass of juice.
B. Six glasses of water, plus four cups of milk.
C. Eight glasses of water, plus two cups of milk, and four or more glasses of fruit juice.
D. Just forget the glasses and go for an Olympic-size pool and a 9-foot straw.

6  You may not be able to prevent your mother-in-law from coming overfor an extended visit after the baby is born, but you can ward off constipation and hemorrhoids by eating adequate amounts of fiber. Which of the following will get you at least halfway to your recommended 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day?