Now that we’ve got your attention, we’ll explain. Eating for 1.1 essentially, means that when you’re pregnant, you need to eat only 10% more than the number of calories you ordinarily eat to maintain your weight. We’ll explain how that formula works in more detail shortly.

We know that when you become pregnant and think about eating, the instinct – or at least the rationalization for many women is to follow this formula: My nutritional needs plus the baby’s nutritional needs equals “I’ll have a mashed potato sandwich with cheese, and make it a double.” Or “an ice-cream scoop for me, and a scoop for the baby.”

Right here, right now, let’s make a deal to take the “eating for two” mantra and pack it right into our conversational Diaper Genie, never to see it, speak it, smell it, or think it ever again. The truth is that when you actually follow the science and look at adequate calorie consumption for growing a healthy baby, the more accurate principle that all pregnant women should follow is eating for 1.1, or 10% more than just eating for one.

You see, your actions during pregnancy influence your baby’s childhood health and his health as an adult. More and more evidence suggests that adult diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes (and even his love of salami) are linked to mom’s early nutritional influences on her baby.

It’s also not a coincidence that we’re seeing more childhood obesity at the same time that we’re seeing our country’s nutritional habits score about a negative 23 on a scale of 1 to 10. That’s why you should place so much emphasis on the fuel you use to get yourself through your day – and to get your baby through to the outside healthfully.

Food for Thought: Weight Control

Right about now, you’re likely asking yourself how in the world you’re supposed to calculate and track that extra 10% each day. Luckily, it’s all pretty simple and goes something like this: Overall, aim to increase your consumption by about 10%. During the first trimester, that means an increase of about 100 calories per day over a typically healthy intake of calories, or the equivalent of an extra piece of fruit. During the second trimester, you’ll want to increase to an extra 250 calories per day, or the equivalent of a healthy mid-afternoon snack of ten walnuts and an apple, plus a glass of skim milk. During the third trimester, you’ll want to increase to an extra 300 calories per day, or the equivalent of three pieces of fruit.

Now, as long as you’re in the ballpark most of the time, that’s fine. Of course, end goals do vary a bit, based on your pre-pregnancy size. While we’re not huge proponents of the scale in most circumstances, it’s smart to use one during pregnancy to help track how you’re doing from week to week. Shoot for no more than a 24 to 35 pound weight gain unless you were overweight or underweight before you became pregnant – then you’ll have to read our book (not enough space here) or just aim for less gain if you started big and more gain if you started underweight.

In most cases, the extra weight gain will occur primarily in the second and third trimesters and the least in the first trimester. During the early part of pregnancy, most of the weight is in you, not the baby. For example, your body makes more blood so as to supply your baby with nutrients; the increase, about 4-5 pounds’ worth, is complete by early in the second trimester. By contrast, toward the end of pregnancy, it’s your baby who will be putting on the pounds, at a rate of about 0.5 pounds per week. Your weight will fluctuate, so you may not have the same weight gain from week to week; the important thing is to check yourself once or twice a week. Your weight gain should be steady; any huge increases or decreases may be a sign that something atypical is going on. It should go without saying that now is not the time to start thinking about a weight-loss program.

Eat Often

“Eat often” may sound like a contradiction when we’re asking you to be conscientious about any big changes in weight, but the truth is that it’s smarter to eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day rather than the traditional 3 squares. That will help you avoid drops in blood sugar, which can cause cravings. Maintaining an even blood sugar level will also help you avoid nausea. Mainly, though, it will help you feel satisfied so that you don’t have the urge to dive headfirst into a gallon of caramel-infused nougat. When you do get that urge, search for a food that will satisfy your craving without doing the damage.

Shoot for Balance

It’s smart to be aware of what your basic nutritional goals should be (though not to feel guilty if you don’t hit them every day). Strive for:

• 3 or more servings of lean protein in the form of lean meat, poultry, low-mercury fish, eggs, nuts, beans, lentils, and tofu a day.
• 3 or more servings of whole-grain and other grain products a day.
• 9 or more servings (fistful) of fruits and vegetables a day.