Food choices for a healthy pregnancy
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.
Nutritional recommendations during pregnancy
| Fruits and/or vegetables | 5/day minimum |
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 |
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| Milk and dairy products | 3/day |
During pregnancy, only eat pasteurised dairy products. Cheese: melted or with the rind removed. |
| Meat, fish and eggs | 1-2/day |
During pregnancy:
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| Fats and oils | Limit consumption |
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| Sweets | Limit consumption |
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| Drinks | Limit consumption |
During pregnancy and breastfeeding: No alcoholic drinks & no caffeinated beverages. |
| Salt | Limit consumption |
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| Physical activities | At least 30 minutes’ walk everyday |
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 |