Nutrition and a healthy pregnancy

Pregnancy is the one time in your life when your eating habits directly affect another person. When you’re pregnant, you need more protein, iron, calcium and folic acid, so your decision to incorporate more vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and other wise food choices into your diet will give your baby a strong start in life.

You also need more calories during pregnancy. But ‘eating for two’ doesn’t mean eating twice as much. You should gain weight gradually by eating healthier foods packed with nutrients.

Here’s a rough guide as to how many extra calories you need:

First trimester: You don’t need any additional calories during your first trimester. Instead, you should focus on choosing nutritious foods that keep your energy up while your baby is developing.

Second trimester: Up your daily calorie intake by 300 to 350 calories per day.

Third trimester: Increase your calorie intake by roughly 500 additional calories per day.

Now you know what you need, how can you get it?

You need to gain weight steadily and healthily. One way to do this is by following the pregnancy daily dozen rule: it’s the recommended daily portions of 12 food groups that are designed to fill you up with healthy, nourishing calories, to ensure the best pregnancy possible.

The Daily Dozen Rules

Calories (300 – 500, daily)

As mentioned above, after the first trimester, you only need 300 extra calories a day, and then 500 in the final months, to give your baby all it needs.

Calcium (4 servings)

If you don’t get enough calcium, your body will drain it from your bones to help build your baby’s bones.

Source: low-fat milk, hard cheese, yogurt, edamame beans, sesame seeds, calcium-fortified juice, canned salmon with bones, tofu

Vitamin C (3 servings)

Because your body doesn’t store vitamin C, you need to consume a fresh supply every day. 

Source: orange (whole or juiced), grapefruit, kiwi, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, mango, peach, papaya, honeydew, spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, avocado

Protein (3 servings)

No single nutrient is more essential to the making of a baby than protein’s amino acids, the building blocks of human tissue.

Source: poultry, beef, lamb, low-mercury fish and seafood, DHA-enriched eggs, pasteurised cheese, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, beans, tofu

Iron (3 servings)

Your body’s demand for iron will never be greater than it is now, as it works overtime to generate enough red blood cells for baby-making.

Source: beef, duck, sardines, spinach, dried fruit, beans, soy products, barley

Green, leafy vegetables and fruits (3-4 servings)

These nutrient rich foods are rich in beta-carotene (which is crucial for foetal development), vitamin E, riboflavin, B6, folic acid and magnesium.

Source: butternut squash, spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli, carrot, sweet potato, apricot, mango, papaya

Other veggies and fruits (1-2 servings)

Although not rich in any single nutrient, other fruit and vegetables (see examples below) supply a wide range of additional vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Source: green beans, courgette, mushroom, corn, potato, apple, pear, banana, cherry, blueberry, avocado

Whole grains (1-2 servings)

These complex carbohydrates contain minerals (selenium, magnesium, zinc and chromium) and vitamins (particularly E and B) essential for your baby’s developing body.

Source: lentils, brown rice, barley, beans (kidney and black beans)

Healthy fats (4 servings)

Your baby needs essential fatty acids for growth and development.

Source: fish, walnuts, peanut butter, avocado, cream cheese, oil, butter, mayonnaise

Fluids (at least 8 servings of 8 ounces)

Extra fluids are needed to build the baby’s circulatory system, deliver nutrients, and excrete waste.

Source: water, juice, decaf tea

Salty foods (2,400 mg daily)

Watch your sale intake. For some women, a diet high in sodium can cause complications, such as high blood pressure. Read nutrition labels and cut back on foods high in sodium: processed foods, such as canned soups, frozen foods and fast foods.