Eating for Two

Barbara's Fills the Need for Healthful Cereals & Snacks During Pregnancy

The phrase "Eating for two" is appealing to us on many levels – the intimacy of shared space with baby and the freedom to indulge for starters – but nutrition and pregnancy experts encourage us to add a little more science to the way we think about maternity diets.

Eating a varied, healthy diet is vital for maternal health and fetal development and can affect everything from the mother's mood and postpartum recovery to baby's brain and organ development. Non-nutritive calories from highly processed and junk foods do not provide mother and baby with what they need and may lead to extra weight gain for mom.

In a maternity food plan, it's important to eat at regular intervals and to make calories count with daily servings of protein, Vitamin C, calcium, fruit and vegetables, iron-rich foods, fats, and of course, whole grains and complex carbohydrates.

Barbara's whole grain cereals and crackers, including Shredded Oats, Wheatines, Puffins® - Honey Rice, Whole Wheat Fig Bars, and Organic Weetabix can help by providing a welcome combination of good nutrition and taste - whether at breakfast or as a wholesome snack to settle a queasy stomach or satisfy a sweet tooth.

Yet another Barbara's benefit: no artificial additives. During pregnancy, it's important to be wary of chemical ingredients. Now's the time to scrutinize ingredient labels and limit your intake of synthetic ingredients, including artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives. Artificial and chemical additives have been linked to a host of adverse health risks, including allergies, asthma, hyperactivity and cancer in various studies.

With all the hormonal shifts and body changes that occur during pregnancy, not to mention getting on with life as usual, achieving a sensible, balanced food plan can seem overwhelming. Natural and organic cereals and snacks like Barbara's are a tasty, convenient place to start.