HEALTHY EATING DURING PREGNANCY

Although people often talk about eating for two during pregnancy, you don't actually need to eat more food until the last trimester when your overall calorie intake should increase a little bit. 
But even then, we are only talking about 200 extra calories a day; that’s about the same as just two pieces of wholemeal toast with margarine.

What to eat during pregnancy

A few foods are off limits while you’re pregnant, but there is still plenty on offer. So for good nutrition, try to eat a variety of foods every day and include some from each of the following groups every day:

• Carbohydrates - bread, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals and potatoes. Choose wholemeal varieties as these have a slower and longer lasting energy release, and help you avoid constipation.
• Fruit and vegetables - at least 5 portions a day. Eat a variety of different coloured vegetables and fruit, as the more colours, the more varied your intake of vitamins and minerals is likely to be.
• Protein-rich foods - lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils and nuts. These are also good sources of iron.
• Dairy foods – three portions daily of semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, selected cheeses, or yoghurt, which are all are important sources of calcium.

Stay well hydrated too, with water, fruit teas and milk. You can also have a glass of fruit juice every day, with one of your meals.

A guide to portion sizes during pregnancy

Here’s how much makes up an average portion:

• breakfast cereal – 3 tablespoons 
• bread – 1 slice 
• rice and pasta (boiled) – 2-3 tablespoons 
• cooked meat, or poultry – 75g (size of a deck of cards) 
• milk – 200ml glass 
• yogurt – l25g pot 
• hard cheese – 30g (size of a small matchbox) 
• cottage cheese – 90g (2 tablespoons)
• peas, carrots, sweetcorn – 3 heaped tablespoons 
• apple, orange, banana – 1 medium-sized fruit 
• grapes and berries – a large handful 

Dieting during pregnancy

Now is not the time to think about dieting as this could deprive you and your baby of important vitamins and minerals.  However, it is a good idea to cut down on foods such as cakes, biscuits and sweets which contain empty calories and are high in fat and sugar.  Keeping these to a minimum will help you avoid putting on too much weight.

If your diet is restrictive in any way, for example if you are vegetarian or vegan, you should tell your midwife or GP who may want to refer you to a dietician.

Healthy eating tips during pregnancy

• Eat fresh, frozen, tinned or dried fruit and vegetables. These will all count towards your five a day 
• If you find it hard to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, you could try making soups, juices or whizzing up a smoothie
• Red meat and eggs are good sources of protein, and they are also rich in an easily absorbed form of iron
• Dried fruit, nuts, beans, broccoli and spinach also have iron.
• Folic acid is essential for pregnancy and it’s found in brown rice and fortified bread and breakfast cereals: you should also take a supplement of 400mcg folic acid every day during your first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Some women need more folic acid and your GP or midwife can advise you.
• It's important to maintain your levels of vitamin D. We mainly get it from being in the sunshine but it’s also found in oily fish, eggs and some foods such as spread, breakfast cereals and powdered milk if they have been fortified. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also take a daily supplement that contains 10 mcg of vitamin D.

Healthy snack ideas

If you need a boost, try some of our health snack ideas:

1. Bananas - Eat them whole or blend them in a milkshake.
2. Breakfast cereal with milk - Porridge with milk is good, but stay away from sugary cereals.
3. Home-made soup - Use plenty of vegetables and beans. This is a great way to get in some extra vegetables.
4. Pitta bread - Fill with cottage cheese, chicken or lean meat and salad for a filling snack.
5. Wholemeal toast - Add cheese and beans for extra calcium and protein.
6. Dried fruit - Try dried sultanas, apricots and raisins when you crave something sweet.

Foods you don't need to avoid

Although there are a number of foods you should avoid when pregnant the list can be confusing and you may end up limiting yourself more than you need to.

• Fish. Sushi that has been frozen for 24 hours is safe but raw fish isn’t.
• Cheese. It’s fine to eat hard cheese such as cheddar and parmesan. You can also eat feta, ricotta, paneer, cream cheese, mozzarella, cottage cheese and processed cheese spreads. Make sure you only eat pasteurised cheese.
• Peanuts. The NHS is now advising that it is safe to eat peanuts and peanut-related products during pregnancy unless you are allergic to them or your health professional advises you not to. There is no evidence to suggest that eating peanuts during pregnancy will affect your baby’s chances of developing a peanut allergy.

Of course it's important not to take risks, so if you are in any doubt about a certain food don't eat it until you've checked with your midwife.