Stay-healthy menu planner
Moderately active? Aim for around 2000 calories a day and eat a variety of healthy foods each day to set yourself up for a healthy pregnancy.
How many calories do I need?
Every woman is different and if you’re at a healthy weight and engage in regular physical activity, eating around the same number of calories each day will help with weight maintenance. If you need to gain weight, increasing the number of calories you consume each day by around 250 may help you slowly and steadily gain weight. If you need to lose weight, decreasing your calorie intake by 250 per day (along with moderate exercise) may help you achieve a healthy weight. Always talk to your healthcare provider about specific diet and exercise changes.
The plan below provides approximately 2000 calories per day, which may be a good target for healthy, moderately active women thinking about getting pregnant.
Sources
Canada's Food Guide: Healthy Eating Recommendations. https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/ Published 2020. Accessed April 2021.
Institute of Medicine Food & Nutrition Board 2006. Dietary Reference Intake: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. In: Otten, J.J., Hellwig, J.P. & Meyers, L.D. (Eds.). Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences.
Related articles
What’s your blood sugar number?
The key question to ask if you’re being tested for, or monitoring, gestational diabetes.
2 mins to read
Pregnancy and dietary considerations
Pregnancy is exciting, exhilarating and totally different for every woman.
4 mins to read
Why fatherhood begins before conception
Did you know? Your partner’s diet and lifestyle can play a vital role in conceiving your future baby.
2 mins to read
Food choices for a healthy pregnancy nutrition
Eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much food, but it should mean making your food work twice as hard.
5 mins to read
Feed your future family
Eating well before you conceive can help your future baby have the best possible start in life. Here’s how to get some of the essential vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy pregnancy.
4 mins to read
Did you know?
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy can influence baby's lifelong health
1 min to read
Pregnancy weight gain
There are many things you can do to prepare for the delivery of a healthy baby. One of the most important things is eating right to gain the extra weight you’ll need to support another life.
1 min to read
Your baby-ready diet
Learn how to enjoy a variety of healthy foods each day to give your pregnancy – and your baby-to-be – a healthy start!
1 min to read
Tips to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy
Did you know? If you’re thinking about starting a family, making small changes to your diet and lifestyle now can have a big impact on your baby-to-be in the future.
2 mins to read
How to protect your baby before conception
Did you know? There are steps you can take to protect your baby-to-be from problems during pregnancy and beyond.
1 min to read
7 simple food swaps to consider before you get pregnant
Eating well now can have a positive impact on your pregnancy, as well as a lasting effect on your baby’s health.
4 mins to read
Did you know?
A mom-to-be does not need to eat for two
1 min to read
Tips to help with breastfeeding problems
Breastfeeding is a learned process—by mom and baby—and you may face some challenges in the first few months of breastfeeding.
4 mins to read
Planning to breastfeed?
Practical action steps to take before, during, and after birth
5 mins to read
The 11 baby-ready questions you need to ask
Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss your plans to become pregnant, then fill out this preconception checklist and take it with you.
2 mins to read
The benefits of breastfeeding
Breastmilk has everything your little one needs to grow*—and offers benefits for you, too.
3 mins to read
Newborn taste preferences | Did you know?
Babies’ taste preferences start before they are born
1 min to read
How your baby develops
Pregnancy is an exciting time, full of changes and anticipation.
3 mins to read
