LESSON PLAN

Name: Kendra Wright

Title: Eating for Two? Eating Habits for Pregnant Women

Target Audience: Low income pregnant women

Method: Illustration

Terminal Objective: Class members will identify the appropriate weight gain for their pre-pregnancy
BMI and plan meals and snacks to provide calories needed for weight gain.
Terminal Domain: Cognitive
Terminal Taxonomic Level: Synthesis

Terminal Concept: Pregnancy weight gain is determined by pre-pregnancy BMI and appropriate caloric
intake.

Supplies or Preparation Needed in Advance:

Paper with the BMI equations
Tape
Calculator
Chalk and chalkboard
3 100 calorie snacks. Examples: banana, small yogurt, 14 almonds, kisses
3 300 calorie snacks. Examples: peanut butter and apple, cookies, cheese and crackers
3 500 calorie snacks. Examples: Bagel with cream cheese, two chocolate bars, a big salad.
Papers and pens for each class member

Pre Assessment (Time 2 min)

Ask:
How many of you are in your first trimester? Second? Third?
What are some things youve heard about weight gain and eating during pregnancy (true or
not)?

Introduction (Time 1 min)

Today we will discuss pregnancy weight gain, dispel weight gain myths, provide ideas to get
appropriate calories and answer questions.

Supporting Objective #1*: (Time 10 min)

Class members will calculate their pre-pregnancy BMI.

Content: Calculating our pre-pregnancy BMI can help us determine the recommended amount of weight
gain.
Activity: Calculate pre-pregnancy BMI
-Ask if they remember their pre-pregnancy weight (if not, take a guess). Tape a paper to the board with
the equation of how to calculate BMI. Have everyone calculate it. Help as needed. Write down BMI on
slip of paper.
-Tape up paper with the following and discuss it:
BMI: <18.5 should gain 28-40lb
BMI: 18.5-24.9 should gain 25-35lb
BMI: 25-29.9 should gain 15-25lb
BMI: >30 should gain 11-20lb
-Have everyone write down the corresponding weight gain to their BMI.
-Discuss the risk of gaining too much weight or not enough weight during pregnancy.
Too much: extra weight for the mom, gestational diabetes, complications during delivery, high
birth
weight (risk of diabetes, obesity)
Too little: low birth weight (increases risk of diabetes, heart disease, etc), development
problems.
Answer questions.

Supporting Objective #2: (Time 8 min)

Class members will identify the number of extra calories needed for each trimester and foods
providing the correct amount of calories.

Content: Talk about how many extra calories are needed in each trimester and what those look like.
Activity: Place the following food on table in random order with numbers placed in front: 3 100-calorie
foods, 3 300-calorie foods, 3 500-calorie foods. Ask everyone to list each food in order of how many
calories each food contains on their own papers. Give a few minutes for them to answer.

Place food in order of calories and have everyone compare their answers.
-Talk about the 100 calorie foods representing the first trimester. Ask if there were any surprises.
-Talk about the 300 calorie foods representing the second trimester.
-Talk about the 500 calorie foods representing the third trimester.
-Discuss how 300 calories is the average needed for pregnancy.
-Discuss how 300 calories really isnt a large amount of food.

Discuss the concept of nutrient density vs calorie density.

-Ask what does nutrient dense mean.
-Nutrient dense foods: high in nutrients, low in calories.
-Calorie dense foods: high in calories, low in nutrients.
-Ask which snacks are nutrient dense and which are calorie dense. Separate into two piles.
-Ask why we need nutrient dense foods while pregnant. Bridely discuss the extra vitamin requirements
needed during pregnancy (such as folate and calcium).
-Emphasize the need for nutrient dense foods during pregnancy while eating adequate calories.

Supporting Objective #3: (Time 5 min)

Class members will create a list of snacks and foods that contain about 300 calories.
Content: Although different calories are needed for each trimester, the average additional calories is
300.
Activity: Instruct each class member to think of some nutrient-dense snacks or foods not on the table
that are about 300 calories. List ideas on the board as a group.

Assessment (evaluation):
Listen to ideas for 300 calorie snacks
Ask: What are some things people learned today?
Ask: What is one thing you are going to do at home after leaving this class?
Listen to class members comments and questions.
.
Closure: (Time 4 min)
Challenge class members to continue to exercise, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and to
be aware of how many extra calories are needed during pregnancy.
Looking ahead: next week we will discuss specific nutrients needed during pregnancy, prepare
questions.

References:
Mahan, L. Kathleen, and Janice L. Raymond. Krause's Food & the Nutrition Care Process. Elsevier
Health Sciences, 2016, p 263.