“Children learn what and how to eat from their parents,” said Amanda Boostrom, a registered dietitian and certified lactation educator at CSU’s Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center. “Providing the best possible example for children begins right away, so what better time to prepare parents than during pregnancy?”

While there are many child birthing and breastfeeding courses, classes that focus on healthy eating during pregnancy are few and far between. This fall, the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center will offer a unique prenatal nutrition class for expecting mothers and fathers.

For $35, participants will learn about many aspects of health during pregnancy, including healthy weight gain, healthful foods to eat more of, unsafe foods to avoid and the types of physical activity to engage in, and information about gestational diabetes. They will also receive a daily food guide as well as diabetes guide for making a breastfeeding plan for the hospital or other birth place.

“Pregnant women are bombarded by conflicting dos and don’ts during pregnancy,” said Boostrom. “It can be very confusing.”

By offering the prenatal nutrition course, the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center hopes to educate pregnant women and promote the health of the family for years beyond pregnancy.

Participants can choose one of the following dates to attend the course: Oct. 11, Nov. 8 or Dec. 13. Classes are held from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at A Woman’s Healing Center, 1006 Luke St. in Fort Collins. You do not have to be a patient at A Woman’s Healing Center to register. To register or for more information, visit http://www.nutritioncenter.chhs.colostate.edu/classes/prenatal.aspx or call (970) 491-8615.

The Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center is part of the College of Health and Human Sciences.