Vitamins are essential for healthy nutrition. The following table shows daily vitamin requirements and the benefits each vitamin provides:
| Purpose and benefits | Average daily requirement for pregnant women |
Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Folic acid | ||
|
600 micrograms (assuming you will continue to consume 400 micrograms from supplements or fortified food) | Orange juice, deep-green leafy vegetables, liver, whole grains, and cereals (Unfortunately, vitamin content may be destroyed in cooking or storing these foods: that's why taking a prenatal multivitamin like CitraNatal® is so important.) |
| Calcium | ||
|
1,000 milligrams | Single, 300 mg servings include: 8 ounces skim or low-fat milk 1-1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese 6-8 ounces low-fat plain yogurt 1-1/2 ounces American or Cheddar cheese 6 ounces calcium-added orange juice |
| Iron | ||
|
27 milligrams (nearly double the requirement for non-pregnant women) | Extra-lean meat, fish, poultry, cooked dried beans and peas, dried apricots, dark-green leafy vegetables, raisins, and whole grains |
| Vitamin D | ||
|
200 IU | Fortified milk and cereals, salmon, sardines, and egg yolks |
| Vitamin A | ||
|
770 micrograms (approximately 2,600 IU) | Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, collards, apricots, mangoes, cantaloupe, peaches, and fortified milk |
| Vitamin E | ||
|
15 IU | Wheat germ, safflower oil, nuts, and spinach |
| Vitamins B1, B2, & B3 | ||
|
B1: 0.4 milligrams B2: 1.4 milligrams B3: .18 milligrams |
Whole grains, wheat germ, peanuts, green peas, dark-green leafy vegetables, lean pork, cooked dried beans and peas, extra-lean meats, and nonfat milk products |
| Vitamin B6 | ||
|
1.9 milligrams | Chicken, fish, extra-lean meat, avocado, potatoes, bananas, whole grains, wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and cooked dried beans and peas |
| Vitamin C | ||
|
85 milligrams | Single servings include: 1/4 cup cantaloupe 1/2 grapefruit 1/2 cup orange or grapefruit juice 1/2 medium mango 1/2 cup strawberries 2/3 cup cooked broccoli 1 small orange 1 cup tomato juice 1 cup raw spinach |
| Magnesium | ||
|
350 milligrams | Nonfat or low-fat milk, peanuts, bananas, wheat germ, whole grains, cooked dried beans and peas, and dark-green leafy vegetables |
| Copper | ||
|
1.0 milligrams (1,000 micrograms) | Chicken, fish, extra-lean meat, organ meats, whole grains, nuts and seeds, soybeans, and dark-green leafy vegetables |
| Zinc | ||
|
11 milligrams | Extra-lean meat, turkey, cooked dried beans and peas, wheat germ, and whole grains |
| Iodine | ||
|
220 micrograms | Seafoods such as fish, shrimp, and clams |
Expecting? Estimate your due date with this online pregnancy wheel.
Click here for an interactive guide to a baby's growth and development during a typical pregnancy.
More than 500,000 babies are born too soon each year. Some are so small they struggle to survive. This year, Mission Pharmacal is joining forces with the March of Dimes* as a National Corporate Sponsor to help raise awareness about the growing crisis of premature birth. To learn more and help us fight prematurity, click on the links below. For more than 60 years, Mission Pharmacal has been committed to providing products for healthy women and healthy babies.
