Why eating healthy is so important for your baby’s development?
It’s always good to eat healthy. Now that you are pregnant, it matters even more. For a proper full development of the baby and the baby’s brain and organs, it’s necessary to supply all the nutrients every day. And that means choosing healthy foods over fatty and sugary ones. There are some foods that you need to avoid completely, like raw or partially cooked eggs, some fish and certain meats.
You’re bound to put on some weight while you’re pregnant due to your baby's growth. Putting on too much weight, however, can affect your health and increase your blood pressure. You shouldn’t try and diet; just eat healthy and try to stay active.
You don’t need to go on a special diet, but it's important to eat a variety of different foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients that you and your baby need.
Have a healthy breakfast every day because this can help you avoid snacking on foods that are high in fat and sugar.
Eating healthy often means just changing the amounts of different foods you eat so that your diet is varied, rather than cutting out all your favorites. You will need to be careful with your diet if you develop gestational diabetes– your doctor or dietitian will advise you.
|
Nutrients of Concern |
1st Trimester |
2nd& 3rd Trimesters |
|
Key points |
Formation of baby’s major organs occurs here. Weight gain is relatively small at this stage |
Baby grows in size and weight. More requirements of nutrients for normal body function & development of baby. |
|
Folic Acid |
Increase |
Increase |
|
Iron |
---------- |
Increase |
|
Iodine |
Increase |
Increase |
|
Calcium |
---------- |
Increase |
“Should I eat for two?”
In the past, mums were told to eat for themselves AND their babies. But now we know that’s not true. Infact, its only in the last three months of pregnancy that you need to eat a little bit more; but we’re only talking about an extra 300 calories a day. That’s the same as two slices of whole grain toast with margarine.
A Balanced Pregnancy Diet
What to eat during Pregnancy?
|
What to Include |
What to Avoid |
|
Fruits & vegetables: Provide vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre which aid in and prevent a major complication in pregnancy – constipation. At least 5 servings a day. Can be in the form of fresh, canned, frozen, dried or juiced. Prefer fresh ones. (1serving = ½ cup cooked vegetables / 1 cup raw salad/1 medium apple / 2 small apricot / 7 small pieces of cut fruit) |
Foods high in sugar, fat or both: They include: all spreading fats (butter), oils, salad dressing rich in fat, processed foods, fast foods, full cream, chocolates, crisps, biscuits, pastries, ice cream, cakes, puddings & fizzy drinks. |
|
Starchy foods (Cereals & Grains): Provide the nutrient Carbohydrate (source of energy), along with some vitamins & minerals. Bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, oats, corn meal, maize and millets. Choose whole grains over refined/processed varieties. Main part of every meal. |
Avoid consumption of Raw soft cheeses: Soft cheeses with white rind (such as brie & camembert) and blue-veined (such as danish blue, gorgonzola & roquefort). Safe to consume them in the cooked form and all hard cheeses. Soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk are safe to be taken such as cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, paneer, halloumi, ricotta, etc
|
|
Protein: Need for growth, development & maintenance of baby’s organs. Meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, pulses, nuts & dairy products. Choose lean meats. Eat 2-3servings everyday (1 serving = 2-3oz of cooked meat, poultry or fish/ ½ cup cooked beans / 1 egg / 2tbsp nut butter) |
Raw and partially cooked egg and its products. Raw and undercooked meat Raw milk and milk products. Stick to pasteurized or UHT (ultra-heat-treated) milk also called Long-life milk Raw vegetables and fruits with soil Raw sprouts |
|
Dairy products: Provide the most important nutrient of concern – calcium, along with proteins & other nutrients. Milk, cheese, yogurt. Choose low-fat varieties where possible which are fortified with vitamin D. At least 2-3 serving a day (1 serving = 1 cup of milk or yogurt / 2oz cheese)
|
Large fishes such as tilefish, king mackerel, shark, sword fish and tuna as they are rich in mercury High doses of multivitamins, fish liver oils and other supplements containing Vitamin A as they cause birth defects in fetus |
|
Fats: Have adequate “good” fats and minimize “bad” fats. Healthy fats include olive & canola oil, fatty fish, avocados, nut butters, nuts and oil seeds |
Hot & spicy foods Cold & frozen foods Excessive intake of caffeine Alcohol |
Super foods
Vitamins don’t just come in tablets; there are plenty on your plate, too. Find iron in lean meat (but avoid liver as the amount of vitamin A it contains can be harmful to your baby) and green leafy veggies like broccoli. There’s vitamin C in citrus fruits, blackcurrants and tomatoes, and bone-strengthening calcium in dairy products like milk and low fat yoghurt.
Healthy Snacks in Pregnancy…..
If you get hungry between meals, choose from the following nutritious snacks rather than something unhealthy like cakes, chocolates, etc:
- Sandwiches or pita bread filled with grated cheese, lean ham, mashed salmon with salad
- Vegetable salad, such as carrots, celeries or cucumbers
- Low-fat yoghurt
- Hummus with bread or vegetable sticks
- Ready-to-eat apricots, figs or prunes
- Vegetable and bean soup
- Unsweetened breakfast cereals, or porridge, with milk
- Milky drinks or unsweetened fruit juices
- Fresh fruit
- Baked beans on toast or a baked potato