Brewer Triplet Pregnancy Diet

More musing about food.  Apparently that's all I really think about.

Rather than eating whatever calories I can grab, I'd like to start following the Brewer Diet.  http://drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id32.html  I'd looked at it before, but I wasn't at a point where I could handle  tracking food (this was when I was still queasy).  I think I can do it now.

The basics of the diet (adjusted for triplets) are: 3600 calories, 140-180 grams of protein, salt to taste, and unrestricted weight gain.  The research behind the diet supports its use "to prevent or treat various complications of pregnancy, including PIH (elevated blood pressure), edema (swelling), pre-eclampsia, eclampsia (toxemia), gestational diabetes, premature labor, anemias, abruption of the placenta, IUGR (intra-uterine growth retardation), and low birth weight (which can cause babies to be infection-prone)."  http://drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id11.html

Here are the diet recommendations (which should eliminate the need to actually count calories/protein grams).  I added in red the corrections/additions for triplets.  They suggested either adding 4 more items in Group 1 or 2 in Group 4.  Or I guess you could get fancy and add 2 in Group 1 plus 1 in Group 4.  Living on the wild side.

You must have, every day, at least: * (plus 30 g protein and 500 calories for each additional baby)

1. Milk and milk products--8 choices [+4] 1 cup milk: whole, skim,1%, buttermilk 1/2 cup canned evaporated milk: whole or skim 1/3 cup powdered milk:whole or skim 1 cup yogurt 1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup cottage cheese: creamed, uncreamed, pot style 1 large slice cheese (1 1/4 oz): cheddar, Swiss, other hard cheese 1 cup ice milk 1 1/2 cup soy milk 1 piece tofu, 3"x3"x 1/2" (4 oz) 2. Calcium replacements--as needed (2 per soy exchange from group 1) 36 almonds 1/3 cup bok choy, cooked 12 Brazil nuts 1 cup broccoli, cooked 1/3 cup collard greens 1/2 cup kale 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses 4 oz black olives 1 oz sardines 3. Eggs--2 any style 4. Protein Combinations--12 choices** [+2] 1 oz lean beef, lamb, pork, liver, or kidney 1 oz chicken or turkey 1 oz fish or shell fish*** 1/4 cup canned salmon or tuna 3 sardines 3 1/2 oz tofu 1/4 cup peanuts or peanut butter**** 1/8 cup beans + 1/4 cup rice or wheat (measured before cooking) beans: soy beans, peas, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzos rice: preferably brown wheat: preferably bulgar 1/8 cup brewer's yeast + 1/4 cup rice 1/8 cup sesame or sunflower seeds + 1/2 cup cup rice 1/4 cup rice + 1/3 cup milk 1/2 oz cheese + 2 slices whole wheat bread or 1/3 cup macaroni (dry) or noodles or 1/8 cup beans 1/8 cup beans + 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/8 cup beans + 1/6 cup seeds (sesame, sunflower) 1/2 large potato + 1/4 cups milk or 1/4 oz cheese 1 oz cheese: cheddar, Swiss, other hard cheese 1/4 cup cottage cheese: creamed, uncreamed, pot style 5. Fresh, dark green vegetables--2 choices 1 cup broccoli 1 cup brussels sprouts 2/3 cup spinach 2/3 cup greens collard, turnip, beet, mustard, dandelion, kale 1/2 cup lettuce (preferable romaine) 1/2 cup endive 1/2 cup asparagus 1/2 cup sprouts: bean, alfalfa Adapted from Eating for Two, by Gail Brewer and Isaac Cronin, from Right from the Start, by Gail Brewer and Janice Presser Greene, from The Pregnancy After 30 Workbook, edited by Gail Brewer, and from The Brewer Medical Diet for Normal and High-Risk Pregnancy, by Gail Brewer and Tom Brewer, MD. * Each food you eat may be counted for one group only (in other words, count 1/4 cup cottage cheese as either 1 milk choice or 1 protein combination choice, not both). ***Due to mercury content, do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish --You may eat up to 12 oz a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, catfish --Albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna, so you may eat up to 6 oz of albacore tuna per week. ****Some sources suggest that one possible source of peanut allergies in children may be an excess consumption of peanuts by their mothers during their pregnancy. If you know of any documentation about this, please let me know. Here's one source of peanut allergy information Here's another source for info about peanuts and soft cheeses See Q&A section here for info on why not to use protein drinks See here for information on the hazards of herbal diuretics in pregnancy 6. Whole grains--5 choices 1 waffle or pancake made from whole grain 1 slice bread whole wheat, rye, bran, other whole grain 1/2 roll, muffin, or bagel made from whole grain 1 corn tortilla 1/2 cup oatmeal or Wheatena 1/2 cup brown rice or bulgar wheat 1 shredded wheat biscuit 1/2 cup bran flakes or granola 1/4 cup wheat germ 7. Potato--1 choice Whole potato, any style, but preferably baked or boiled with skin. 8. Vitamin C foods--3 choices 1/2 grapefruit 2/3 cup grapefruit juice 1 orange 1/2 cup orange juice 1 large tomato 1 cup tomato juice 1/2 cantaloupe 1 lemon or lime 1/2 cup papaya 1/2 cup strawberries 1 large green pepper 1 large potato, any style 9. Fats and oils--5 choices 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1 tablespoon mayonaise 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 avocado 1 tablespoon peanut butter++ 10. Vitamin A foods--1 choice 3 apricots 1/2 cantaloupe 1/2 cup carrots (1 large) 1/2 cup pumpkin 1/2 cup winter squash 1 sweet potato 11. Liver--at least once a week (optional) 4 oz liver beef, calf, chicken, pork, turkey, liverwurst 12. Salt and other sodium sources--unlimited table salt, iodized--to taste sea salt--to taste kelp powder--to taste soy sauce--to taste 13. Water--unlimited Drink to quench thirst, but do not force fluids Real juice or milk might make better use of limited stomach space. See more info about water here Avoid pregnancy teas and juices which include nettle, dandelion, alfalfa, bilberry, or celery (they have diuretic properties). 14. Snacks and additional menu choices--4 or more Dried Fruits: Raisins, apples (1/2 cup) Dates, prunes (5) Figs, pear halves (3) Apricot halves (12) Pure Juices (100% with no sweeteners): Apple, grapefruit (1 cup) Apricot, orange, peach, pear (1/4 c.) Grape, cranberry (2/3 cup) Nuts/Seeds: Pistachio nuts (35) Peanuts (20) Peanut butter (1 Tbsp) Almonds (18) Pecans (12) Cashews, walnut halves (10) Macadamia, chestnuts (6) Brazil (4) Pumpkin, seseme, or sunflower seeds (2 Tbsp) Soy nuts (1/2 cup) Other: Black olives (14) Avocado (1/3) Malted milk powder (1 Tbsp) Brewer's yeast (4 Tbsp) can be added to granola, muffins, or bread dough Cheese Carrot Sticks Fruit More foods from groups 1-11 15. Optional supplements--as needed Vitamin pills, powders, herbs, yeast, oils, molasses, wheat germ, etc. "Note: Vitamin supplements are in routine use in prenatal care; they do not take the place of a sound, balanced diet of nutritious foods." (The Pregnancy After 30 Workbook, ed. Gail Brewer, 1978) (Floradix is the best iron supplement I know of, as needed) For more information about Floradix see here Avoid supplements which contain nettle, dandelion, alfalfa, bilberry, or celery (they have diuretic properties). ++See peanut caution in previous column

 From http://drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id9.html

The website also gives a printable checklist, but I think I'll go ahead and make my own, so I can easily use it without having to do the add-something-here for triplets bit.  (This is my Type A personality coming out again.)  I'm going to add 2 proteins rather than 4 milks.  8 servings of dairy is already a lot.  I'm also taking off water, salt, and supplements, because I don't feel like I need checkboxes for those.

Ok, here are my printable PDF files, on the off chance some future triplet mama is looking for such a thing:

Checklist

Categories