A Balanced Diet During Pregancy

It is as important to look after yourself during pregnancy as it is the baby. The foetus is remarkably good a taking what it needs from you but this can leave you nutritionally depleted if you don’t eat well. Pregnancy is not the time for faddy restricted diets but a time to eat a wide and varied diet.

by Pip Flemming (Nutritionist)

These are the foods you should be enjoying and the foods to be avoided.

ENJOY

Fruits and Vegetables

5 helpings a day of fruits and vegetables.
These contain vitamins, minerals and fibre essential for yours and your developing foetus growth.
Choose a variety that can be raw, steamed, roasted, dried or juiced.

Essential Fats

Essential for your baby’s brain and nervous system, especially in the third trimester.
1 handful a day of seeds, nuts or nut butters (hazelnut, cashew, almond – Meridien)
Eat oily fish once-twice a week (6oz). Choose from salmon, trout, tuna and sardines.

Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Peas, Beans and Lentils and Tofu

2-3 helpings per day of any of these proteins a day.
These foods contain protein as well as iron and vitamins.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C with your meal will aid absorption of iron.
Choose Lamb, chicken, turkey, eggs, white fish and game and beans and lentils. Tofu infused with basil is delicious.

Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, yams and other starchy food

4 helpings per day of grains a day.
These foods give you energy as well as minerals and vitamins.
Choose something from this group at every meal.
Choose from wholemeal wheat or flour, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, millet or corn.

Milk, Cheese and Yoghurt

These foods contain calcium and some vitamin D and are needed for healthy bones and teeth, especially in the second trimester. Choose:
One pint of milk or equivalent per day. If you drink soya, buy a brand that is fortified with calcium.
These foods have the same amount of calcium as 1 small glass or 1/3 pint of milk: 1 small carton yoghurt 25g hard cheese 50g sardines
Other alternatives to cow’s milk are pasteurised goats, sheep’s milk products or rice milk or oat milk.

Fatty and sugary foods + Junk food

Try to eat these as little as possible. When you do, just have small amounts.
They contain empty calories with no benefit to you or your baby

Calories required

An extra 300 calories for pregnancy and
500 for breast-feeding

Organic Food

Due to the vulnerability of your growing foetus, it is good to buy organic where possible. This will minimise your toxic load.

10 FOODS TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY

1. Mercury-High Fish

There are certain types of fish that are very high in mercury, which is a dangerous chemical for foetuses. The main fish to avoid are swordfish, mackerel, and shark. The FSA recommends no more than 4 medium sized cans tuna each week for the same reason.

2. Alcohol and Caffeine

These rob nutrients needed for you developing child. Don’t forget caffeine is in chocolate and cola drinks. No more than 1-2 units of alcohol a week is recommended.

3. Raw Fish, Shellfish and Sushi

Raw meat such as sushi, seafood, rare or uncooked beef, or poultry because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.

4. Undercooked or Raw Eggs

Raw eggs, or foods containing raw egg such as Caesar dressing, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custard, unpasteurized eggnog, or

Hollandaise sauce because raw eggs may be contaminated with salmonella. Bought mayo is ok.

5. Unpasteurized Milk (cows, sheep or goats) and Juice

This goes right along with the raw eggs and raw meat topics. Milk is an animal product and unless it is pasteurised, it can have a lot of bacteria in it. Juice is full of sugar and is a rich breeding ground for bacteria as well. Be sure both are pasteurised.

6. Herbs

There are many herbs that are very dangerous to your pregnancy. Never assume that a herb is safe until you talk to your doctor about it.

This goes for herbal teas, herbal pills and other tonics.

8. Soft Cheese

Soft cheese such as blue cheese, feta, Brie, Camembert, and Latin American soft white cheeses such as queso blanco and queso fresco because they may harbour harmful bacteria.

9. Green Potatoes and Deli Meats and wash salad bags

Potatoes, which have, green patches; this indicates a concentration of Solanin, which is poisonous and can cause damage to the baby.

Deli meats and tinned meats – contain high amounts of nitrates and can be cancerous. Wash all prepared salads.

10. Liver and pates

These are high in vitamin A; excess can cause damage to your foetus