What's a Pregnant Woman to Eat? A Review of Current USDA Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid

The purpose of this article is to clarify the nutritional recommendations for pregnant women in light of the new Food Guide Pyramid, known as MyPyramid,'' along with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 and recommendations by the Institute of Medicine. The differences between the Food Guide Pyramid (introduced in 1992) and the more recent, color-coded MyPyramid (introduced in 2005) are discussed. A list of nutritional recommendations for pregnant women is presented, which may serve as a reference for practitioners when counseling pregnant women.