Tables
Table 1. RDA / AI during pregnancy
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| Nutrient | Units | Age 14–18 | Age 19–50 | Natural food sources (examples) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (total) AI | liters/day | 3.0 | 3.0 | Water and other beverages; soups; fruits/vegetables (water-rich foods) |
| Carbohydrate | grams/day | 175 | 175 | Whole grains; beans/lentils; fruit; starchy vegetables; dairy (as tolerated) |
| Protein | grams/day | 71 | 71 | Lean meat/poultry/fish; eggs; dairy; beans/lentils; soy foods; nuts/seeds |
| Fiber (total) AI | grams/day | 28 | 28 | Beans/lentils; whole grains; vegetables; fruit; nuts/seeds |
| Biotin AI | mcg/day | 30 | 30 | Eggs; nuts; legumes; whole grains (varies by diet) |
| Calcium | mg/day | 1300 | 1000 | Milk/yogurt/cheese; fortified alternatives; canned salmon/sardines with bones; kale/bok choy |
| Chloride AI | g/day | 2.3 | 2.3 | Table salt (sodium chloride); processed foods contribute (balance with overall sodium goals) |
| Choline AI | mg/day | 450 | 450 | Eggs; beef; poultry; fish; some beans and nuts |
| Chromium AI | mcg/day | 29 | 30 | Whole grains; meats; some fruits/vegetables (content varies) |
| Copper | mcg/day | 1000 | 1000 | Shellfish; nuts/seeds; whole grains; beans |
| Fluoride AI | mg/day | 3 | 3 | Fluoridated water; tea; some seafood (varies by water supply) |
| Folate | mcg DFE/day | 600 | 600 | Leafy greens; beans/peas; citrus; fortified grains; liver (limit/avoid high vitamin A liver intake) |
| Iodine | mcg/day | 220 | 220 | Seafood; dairy; eggs; iodized salt; seaweed (can be very high) |
| Iron | mg/day | 27 | 27 | Lean meat/seafood (heme iron); beans; leafy greens; fortified grains (pair non-heme iron with vitamin C) |
| Magnesium | mg/day | 400 | 350–360 | Nuts/seeds; legumes; whole grains; leafy greens |
| Manganese AI | mg/day | 2 | 2 | Whole grains; nuts; legumes |
| Molybdenum | mcg/day | 50 | 50 | Legumes; grains; nuts (varies by soil) |
| Niacin | mg NE/day | 18 | 18 | Meat/poultry/fish; peanuts; enriched grains |
| Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) | g/day | 1.4 | 1.4 | Flaxseed/chia; canola/soybean oil; walnuts (DHA/EPA primarily from fish/seafood) |
| Pantothenic acid AI | mg/day | 6 | 6 | Meats; eggs; legumes; whole grains |
| Phosphorus | mg/day | 1250 | 700 | Dairy(milk , cottage cheese) , meat (beef)/poultry (chicken breast) /fish (salmon) , scallops, cheese (mozzarella) beans/lentils, nuts, whole grains |
| Potassium AI | mg/day | 2600 | 2900 | Potatoes with skin; salmon; beans/lentils; cantaloupe; bananas; citrus; tomatoes; spinach; avocados; yogurt/milk; edamame |
| Riboflavin (B2) | mg/day | 1.4 | 1.4 | Dairy; eggs; lean meats; enriched grains |
| Selenium | mcg/day | 60 | 60 | Seafood; meats; eggs; Brazil nuts (very high) |
| Sodium AI | mg/day | 1500 | 1500 | Most intake comes from packaged/restaurant foods; table salt, baking powder, baking soda, bouillon cubes,soy sauce, snack foods,bacon, sauces, cheese (hard) |
| Thiamin (B1) | mg/day | 1.4 | 1.4 | Whole/enriched grains; pork; legumes |
| Vitamin A | mcg RAE/day | 750 | 770 | Orange/green vegetables (beta-carotene); dairy; eggs (avoid excess preformed vitamin A) |
| Vitamin B6 | mg/day | 1.9 | 1.9 | Poultry/fish; potatoes; bananas; fortified cereals |
| Vitamin B12 | mcg/day | 2.6 | 2.6 | Fish; meat; poultry; eggs; dairy; fortified foods for plant-based diets |
| Vitamin C | mg/day | 80 | 85 | Citrus; berries; peppers; broccoli |
| Vitamin D | mcg/day | 15 | 15 | Fatty fish; egg yolk; fortified milk/cereals; sunlight contributes (varies) |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | mg/day | 15 | 15 | Nuts/seeds; vegetable oils; spinach |
| Vitamin K AI | mcg/day | 75 | 90 | Leafy greens (kale/spinach); broccoli; vegetable oils |
| Zinc | mg/day | 12 | 11 | Meat/shellfish; dairy; legumes; nuts/seeds |
Notes:
Values labeled AI are Adequate Intakes; other entries are RDAs.
Magnesium RDA for ages 19–50 is 350 mg (19–30) and 360 mg (31–50), shown here as 350–360.
Units: DFE = dietary folate equivalents; RAE = retinol activity equivalents; NE = niacin equivalents.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) During Pregnancy
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ND = not determinable; N/A = not applicable.
| Nutrient | Units | Age 14–18 | Age 19–50 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biotin | ND | ND | UL not determinable due to insufficient adverse-effect data. | |
| Boron | mg/day | 17 | 20 | |
| Calcium | mg/day | 3,000 | 2,500 | |
| Chloride | g/day | 3.6 | 3.6 | |
| Choline | mg/day | 3,000 | 3,500 | |
| Chromium | ND | ND | ||
| Copper | mcg/day | 8,000 | 10,000 | |
| Fluoride | mg/day | 10 | 10 | |
| Folate (supplemental only) | mcg/day | 800 | 1,000 | UL applies to folate from supplements/fortified foods/medications, not naturally occurring food folate. |
| Iodine | mcg/day | 900 | 1,100 | |
| Iron | mg/day | 45 | 45 | |
| Magnesium (supplemental only) | mg/day | 350 | 350 | UL applies to supplemental magnesium (e.g., supplements/meds), not magnesium in food. |
| Manganese | mg/day | 9 | 11 | |
| Molybdenum | mcg/day | 1,700 | 2,000 | |
| Niacin (supplemental only) | mg/day | 30 | 35 | UL applies to supplemental niacin, not niacin naturally present in foods. |
| Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) | N/A | N/A | No UL; ALA uses an Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range rather than a UL. | |
| Pantothenic acid | ND | ND | ||
| Phosphorus | mg/day | 3,500* | 3,500* | *Only entry with a lower UL during pregnancy. |
| Potassium | ND | ND | ||
| Riboflavin | ND | ND | ||
| Selenium | mcg/day | 400 | 400 | |
| Sodium | ND | ND | ||
| Thiamin | ND | ND | ||
| Vitamin A (preformed only) | mcg/day | 2,800 | 3,000 | UL applies to preformed vitamin A (retinol), not beta-carotene/provitamin A carotenoids. |
| Vitamin B12 | ND | ND | ||
| Vitamin B6 | mg/day | 80 | 100 | |
| Vitamin C | mg/day | 1,800 | 2,000 | |
| Vitamin D | mcg/day | 100 | 100 | |
| Vitamin E (supplemental only, alpha-tocopherol) | mg/day | 800 | 1,000 | UL applies to supplemental vitamin E, not vitamin E naturally present in foods. |
| Vitamin K | ND | ND | ||
| Zinc | mg/day | 34 | 40 |
UL notes: “UL” is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse health effects.
“ND” = not determinable (insufficient adverse-effect data). “N/A” = not applicable.
For folate, magnesium, niacin, and vitamin E, ULs apply to supplemental sources (supplements/fortified foods/medications), not nutrients naturally present in foods.
For vitamin A, UL applies to preformed vitamin A only.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Pregnancy—Health Professional fact sheet (Table 2).