Eating Expectantly : A Practical and Tasty Guide to Prenatal Nutrition

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Amazon rating of 4.0 out of 5, Amazon sales rank: 107017

Few situations are more chaotic than being pregnant and having to eat nutritiously. In Eating Expectantly, Bridget Swinney tackles the daunting task of nutrition during pregnancy with information, recipes, ideas, and--best of all--no finger shaking. Swinney provides eating advice for days when you don't feel like eating and for days of morning sickness. You'll learn how to deal with diabetes, gestational or otherwise; how to get enough calcium in your diet; and all about food safety. Particularly wonderful are the chapters on vegetarian eating, including the detailed breakdown of appropriate food at 38 fast food establishments. The recipes are delicious and nutritious--for both the expectant and the merely hungry.

Rated one of the "ten best parenting books of 1993" by Child magazine, Eating Expectantly (newly revised and in its third edition) is the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on pregnancy nutrition. Its friendly style makes it easy to read; its practical tips make eating well a map. Eating Expectantly shows:

* How women -- and men -- can improve their diets before pregnancy to increase their fertility and their odds of having a healthy baby.

* How women with high-risk conditions, such as diabetes, multiferal pregnancy, or hypertension, can help themselves and their babies with special care and good nutrition.

* How to lower the risk of food poisoning and reduce exposure to environmental pollutants like lead, mercury, and pesticides.

Eating Expectantly also includes:

* Hundreds of handy menus and tasty recipes complete with nutrient analysis.

* Hints on healthy eating when dining out, using convenience foods, or sticking to a budget.

* Hundreds of reliable health, nutrition, and parenting resources, including websites.

* Advice on postpartum weight loss and breastfeeding.

Reader Reviews:

I read this book while pregnant with my first child and found it to be of great help. There are three main advantages this book has over many others. First, the content. It's accurate and well researched information of nutrition catered specifically to pregnant women. Also the information was written in a concise manner, so you read what really is relevant. Second, the choice of words. It is written in "English", it doesn't confuse you with a lot of high tech nutritional concepts. And third, the format. It has a simple format, easy to read, easy to come back to as reference, easy to enjoy. It's an easy to read book, and the recipes are amazing. Don't miss out. This book seems designed to cash-in on a group of people, mostly women, who are desparate to do anything they can to either get pregnant or have teh healthiest possible pregnancy. This might be ok if the book was well written, had a novel perspective, or great recipes. It has none of these. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, and tells you nothing that you could not glean from the internet in less than 30 minutes. Don't waste your money.This book seems like it was written by a team of strangers- the advice, style, and point of view vary throughout. Pregnant women were advised to avoid alfalfa sprouts completely because of toxins in pesticides, then they appeared (raw) as the main ingredient in a sandwich. Orange roughy was listed as a fish to be avoided due to mercury levels, then it appeared on a list of fish recommended for pregnant women.
The first section is noticibly stronger than the second, and it certainly contains a great deal of useful information. I will probably refer to some sections again, particularly the many charts giving nutrition information for specific foods.
If you actually cook, you might find the recipes in here uninspired. There is a substantial amount of information about nutrition, but personally I find it difficult to translate all that information into decisions about what to have for dinner. The Pregnancy Cookbook, with a condensed chapter on nutrition during pregnancy and lots of delicious recipes, served me much better.I love this book! Although I bought it to use while I was pregnant, I have used it extensively for my family and also now for my active toddler. There are so many wonderful ideas in addition to the healthy and delicious recipes - every household can use this book!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the author at a baby fair, and she is as intelligent and committed in person as she is in the text. I truly think this is a must-have book, and suitable for all levels of skill in the kitchen. You CANNOT go wrong with this one!
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