Food choices for a healthy pregnancy

Article

Oct 28, 2017

4 mins

Eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much food, but it should mean making your food work twice as hard. Make every calorie count by choosing nutrient-dense foods, in other words get more bang for your calorie buck. By choosing a variety of food from all food groups, you can be assured of a well-balanced diet. But what if you have no appetite some days or occasionally feel nauseous? Remember, a quality diet over several days is what counts, not meal by meal.

What’s the right plan for me?
These food group guidelines, are an easy way to get started on a healthy pregnancy diet. Of course, your beginning weight, height, age, stage of pregnancy and the number of children you are carrying will determine how many calories and how much food you will need.
Typically a woman doesn't need extra calories during the first 3 months of pregnancy. But she will need about 300 extra calories during the second trimester and 450 extra calories during the third trimester.

Nutritional recommendations during pregnancy

Fruits and/or vegetables	5/day minimum	At every meal Raw, cooked, plain or processed Fresh, frozen or canned. During pregnancy, make sure that they are carefully washed to eliminate any soil traces, and avoid unpasteurised juices.
Breads, cereals, potatoes, rice and pasta	At each meal	Choose wholegrain foods Choose a variety of carbohydrates: rice, pasta, semolina, wheat, corn, potatoes, dry beans, chick peas etc.
Milk and dairy products	3/day	Go for variety Choose unflavoured products & the best sources of calcium with the least fat and salt: milk, yoghurts etc. During pregnancy, only eat pasteurised dairy products. Cheese: melted or with the rind removed.
Meat, fish and eggs	1-2/day	Try to eat a smaller portion than that of the side dishes (vegetable, pasta, rice etc.) Meat: try to eat a variety of different meats and choose the least fatty cuts. Fish: at least twice a week, either fresh, frozen or canned. During pregnancy: Fish: at least twice a week, including at least one fish rich in fat and try a variety of different fish. Avoid cold cuts and liver. Avoid fish that contain high levels of mercury (shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish), smoked fish and seafood, and fish from contaminated rivers. 360g/week of low- mercury, fish or seafood (salmon, shrimp, canned light tuna, Pollack and catfish) are safe. Avoid raw meet, smoked meat or marinated and cold cuts (unless they are well cooked). When cooking meat and fish, check the temperature to ensure the meat is well done.
Fats and oils	Limit consumption	Try to eat a variety of vegetable oils (olive oil, rapeseed oil etc.) Limit animal fats (butter, cream, etc.)
Sweets	Limit consumption	Try to limit sugary drinks (sodas, sugary fruit drinks & nectars) Limit foods with a high fat & sugar content (pastries, pudding, ice cream, chocolate bars, etc.)
Drinks	Limit consumption	During & in-between meals, tap water or bottled water. Try to limit sugary drinks (sodas, sugary fruit drinks & nectars) Limit caffeine intake to 200 mg per day. During pregnancy and breastfeeding: No alcoholic drinks & no caffeinated beverages.
Salt	Limit consumption	Use iodised salt. Try to limit addition of salt while cooking, and do not add salt before tasting. Limit salty foods: chips, salty appetisers.
Physical activities	At least 30 minutes’ walk everyday	During pregnancy, maintain your normal physical activity, except those which represent a risk of falling or injury. Avoid competitions. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, do not begin any new physical activity.

SURPRISE!
Healthy fats, in moderation, are good for you. Choose unsaturated fats such as olive oil and nuts, seeds, avocado and salmon for their omega-3 fatty acids.

What is in your plate?

Here is a quick reference table which summarizes what these key nutrients do and in which foods to find them

Nutrient	For	From
Protein	Important for growth and development	Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, beans
Carbohydrates	Supplies energy	Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, vegetables, fruits
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)	Important for brain and eye development	Fish, supplements
Probiotics	Gut immuty, allergy prevention	Probiotic product, such as probiotic yogurt, supplement

Vitamins
Folic acid	Prevents from neural tube defects	Dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans, nuts, wholemeal
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Important for muscle function and growth	Meat, potatoes, wholemeal products
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Important for metabolism	Dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, wholemeal products
Vitamin B12	Important for maturation of central nervous system	Fish, meat, poultry, dairy
Vitamin C	Important for immune system, collagen synthesis	Citrus fruit, peppers, tomatoes
Vitamin A	Important for growth and visual function	Carrots, spinach (as beta-carotene)
Vitamin D	Building bones	Fish, eggs yolks
Vitamin E	Muscles, antioxidant	Wheat germ oil, wholemeal products

Minerals & trace elements
Calcium	Important for bone and teeth formation	Milk, cheese, dairy products, broccoli
Magnesium	Regulates energy metabolism, nerve transmission, muscular contraction	Nuts, seed, wholemeal, vegetables
Iron	Important for increase in blood volume	Meat, spinach, lentils
Iodine	Growth metabolism	Fish, iodized salt
Selenium	Antioxidant	Meat, fish, egg, lentils, aspargus
Zinc	Growth, immune system	Meat, dairy products, fish

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