How PregNut works.

See how we compare foods per 100 grams, where our pregnancy nutrient references come from, and what a nutrient chart cannot tell you about food safety.

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What is PregNut?

PregNut is a practical food lookup and planning tool for pregnancy. It shows which foods deliver more—or less—of the nutrients that matter most, using one consistent portion size so comparisons stay meaningful.

General food lists are easy to find. Understanding which specific foods help you reach a nutrient target is harder. PregNut brings that detail into one calm, approachable place while keeping the underlying evidence visible.

Evidence first

Recommendations prioritize nutrients with broad consensus across trusted medical and public health sources.

Top Foods

The Top Foods page ranks foods by how much of one nutrient they contain in 100 grams, grouped by food category.

Pick a nutrient from the row of buttons, then switch between "Processed" (including fortified foods) and "Natural" sources. Each bar shows the share of the pregnancy reference amount in 100 grams.

Select a food to open its full nutrition page.

PregNut Top Foods on a phone with Iron and Processed selected: breakfast cereals ranked by percent of the 27 mg pregnancy iron reference in 100 grams, led by Kellogg's All-Bran Complete at 230%

Food pages

Each food page shows how 100 grams of that food compares with the site's pregnancy nutrient reference amounts, from highest to lowest.

Every food uses the same 100 gram (3.5 oz) portion, so comparisons between foods stay consistent. The portion guide below shows what 100 grams looks like for common foods. Some pages also include a food-specific safety note.

PregNut food page for cooked sockeye salmon on a phone: 100 grams gives about 187% of daily DHA, 172% of vitamin B-12 and 112% of vitamin D needed in pregnancy

Weekly Guide

The Weekly Guide follows pregnancy in stages. Choose your week on the timeline to see what's developing, which nutrients matter at that stage, and foods that are rich in them.

Each stage links to food pages and guides so you can read more.

PregNut Weekly Guide on a phone at week 4, with the week timeline, a photo of lentils, eggs, avocado and spinach, and the Foundations stage for weeks 1 to 8

How much is 100 grams?

These illustrations show approximate 100g (3.5 oz) portions in the same overhead style. Actual volume varies by food and preparation; they are a visual guide, not weighed photographs.

The nutrients

PregNut uses published nutrient targets and food-composition data to make comparisons. The targets and food amounts have different sources, and a food's nutrient score is not a medical recommendation to eat it.

The food lookup compares 13 nutrients. Iodine appears in the reference table below, but this dataset has no iodine food values; see our iodine guide. Food charts report folate as dietary folate equivalents (DFE), which are different from the folic acid amount on a prenatal label; see our folate guide.

The original nutrient selection drew on pregnancy nutrition guidance and research. See the editorial approach below for how the newer guides cite their sources.

Calcium Choline DHA Folate (DFE) Iron Potassium Protein Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Vitamin C Vitamin D Zinc

Nutrition reference amounts and roles.

Most reference intakes below come from the NIH pregnancy intake table for adults ages 19–50. Choline and potassium are adequate intakes. PregNut's DHA and protein amounts are illustrative comparison benchmarks rather than individualized targets.

Nutrient Reference amount Role in pregnancy Evidence
Calcium 1000 mg Builds and maintains bones and teeth, including the developing baby's skeleton. NIH · Practical guide
Choline 450 mg Helps form cell membranes and supports fetal nervous system development. NIH · Practical guide
DHA 0.3 g An omega-3 fatty acid involved in fetal brain and eye development. PregNut's 300 mg amount is a comparison benchmark, not a U.S. RDA for DHA. NIH · Practical guide
Folate and folic acid 600 mcg Folate supports cell division. Folic acid taken before and early in pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects. NIH · Practical guide
Iodine 220 mcg Needed to make thyroid hormones that support fetal brain development. NIH · Practical guide
Iron 27 mg Helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the pregnant person and developing baby. NIH · Practical guide
Potassium 2900 mg Supports normal cell function, fluid balance, and nerve and muscle activity. NIH · Practical guide
Protein 70 g Supplies amino acids for maternal and fetal tissue growth. PregNut's 70 g amount is a comparison benchmark; individual needs vary. ACOG · Practical guide
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 1.4 mg Helps turn food into energy and supports cell growth and function. NIH · Practical guide
Vitamin B6 1.9 mg Helps the body use protein and supports nervous system development and function. NIH · Practical guide
Vitamin B12 2.6 mcg Supports nerve function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis. NIH · Practical guide
Vitamin C 85 mg Helps make collagen and improves absorption of iron from plant foods. NIH · Practical guide
Vitamin D 600 IU Helps the body absorb calcium and supports bone development. NIH · Practical guide
Zinc 11 mg Supports cell growth and metabolism, including fetal growth and development. NIH · Practical guide

These amounts are for comparison, not a meal plan. Pregnancy needs can differ by age, stage, health history, and clinician advice. A food's nutrient amount does not predict a specific health outcome.

Use as a starting point.

PregNut is created with the intention to be a starting point for some of your pregnancy nutrition research. It is not meant to replace your doctor or nutritionist, nor to diagnose, cure, or treat any disease, and certainly not to be the final word on any nutrition science.

The food-composition values in this version come from static project files derived from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. See USDA's SR Legacy data archive for the official dataset. The project's files do not record the exact USDA release for each row. Food names were cleaned up for readability, and values describe 100 grams rather than a specific brand or prepared portion.

This is a fixed historical snapshot, not a live USDA feed. USDA says the final Standard Reference Legacy release was in 2018; newer Foundation Foods and Branded Foods data may differ. Check current product labels for packaged foods and use these charts for comparison rather than exact current-product values.

How PregNut's guides are made

PregNut is an independent project published by Yuriy Stasyuk, who works in the healthcare industry with a background in healthcare data analysis and reporting. That experience informs the site's food-data comparisons; it is not a substitute for prenatal clinical expertise. Article bylines identify who published each guide. A named medical review is shown only if one has actually taken place.

The food pages use the site's USDA-based data to compare nutrients in 100 grams of food. The pregnancy nutrition guides connect selected comparisons to questions readers ask, with links to the original public-health and clinical sources used for pregnancy guidance. Food-composition numbers, recommended intakes, and food-safety advice should be read as separate kinds of information.

Some guides were drafted with AI assistance and edited before publication. Source links let readers inspect the underlying guidance. The articles do not replace advice from an obstetric clinician or registered dietitian; a publication date or byline does not imply independent clinical review.

When a guide receives a material update, its updated date appears beside the publication date. Guidance can change, so check the linked source for its latest version.

Found an incorrect value, outdated source, or unclear statement? Use the contact form with the page URL and the issue so it can be checked.