Researchers from the NIH’s Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program hoped to uncover low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods that could enhance nutrient intake, similar to how dietary supplements do (1). They evaluated how much of the six nutrients participants were getting from their diets and matched that data to pregnant nutrition recommendations to predict how much nutrients the participants would need to make up for the gaps in their diet.

ECHO researchers investigated over 2,300 commonly consumed foods and beverages in the United States, concentrating on those having one or more of the six important nutrients to be ingested during pregnancy. The items and quantities examined contained the bare minimum of one or more nutrients without exceeding 340 calories, as well as the maximum quantity of any of the other nutrients. The diets of 2,450 pregnant women from six ECHO research sites around the United States were then compared to pregnancy nutrition recommendations to discover how individuals could address the gaps in their diets.

They discovered that no one meal they tested provided enough of all six nutrients in an acceptable serving size to bring average diets in line with nutrient intake recommendations during pregnancy. Raw seaweed contains five of the main nutrients (vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acid), but it requires up to 7 cups per day to achieve daily requirements. Twenty-one meals and beverages, including a 1.2-cup ready-to-drink nutritious shake, supplied at least four important nutrients in sensible serving sizes. Researchers also discovered that few meals met the vitamin D and iron targets, implying that dietary supplements may be required to address the gaps for those minerals.

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