Suggested Daily Intake by Food Group
For optimal nutrition during pregnancy include each day:
Fruit (4 serves) and vegetables (5 serves)
Example of 1 serve= 2 slices bread, 1 cup cooked rice, pasta, 1 serve of breakfast cereal
Milk and milk products- 3
serves
Example of 1 serve= 250ml milk, 200g yoghurt, 40g cheese
Low fat milks are a good choice. If you cannot tolerate milk choose soy drinks with added calcium.
Meat and meat alternatives- 2 serves a day
Example of 1 serve= 70g cooked meat, chicken, 1/2 cup cooked beans or lentils, 2 eggs, 12 nuts or 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
Vegetarian Diets
Vegetarian diets can meet the needs of pregnancy if you eat a wide range of foods, but strict, limited vegetarian diets can be inadequate. The increased protein needs of pregnancy can easily be met if eating legumes (cooked dried beans and lentils), nuts, dairy products or soy alternatives and tofu. You do need to check your intake of vitamin B12, as well as calcium, iron and zinc against the above table and our following food sources. Adequate intake on these nutrients is important as they are less avaliable to the body in some vegetarian food soruces. Some natural components of food (e.g. phytates, oxalates) bind with calcium, iron and zinc- the resulting complexes are not easily digested by the body so less of the nutrients can be absorbed.
Healthy Eating Tips
· Think quality- every meal and snack should count in nutritional value. That means, choosing foods that are rich in nutrients and not overloaded with fat and sugar.
· Start with breakfast, then eat regularly through the day to provide energy and nutrients your baby needs for growth and development. Spreading your food over the day in smaller packages can also help tiredness, nausea and heartburn.
· Be prepared. Cooking dinner after a long day at work or looking after your other children can seem tough, even when you aren't pregnant and tired! Stock the freezer up with casseroles, have some easy to prepare meal ingredients on hand.
· Use home-deliveries or Internet shopping to reduce the amount to be carried.
· Plan some snacks- nuts, crackers, dried fruit in your desk drawer, yoghurt or milk drinks in the fridge. Otherwise it's very easy to tuck into the less healthy alternatives!
· Takeaways are often high in fat and salt and light on the vegetables- solve this by having smaller serves with added vegetables, salad, bread, rice or noodles. Along with your pizza, hamburger or pasta dish, order some salad or corn; or ask for extra steamed rice with Asian dishes.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy
The weight you put on during pregnancy is more then the weight of the baby- there is the placenta and amniotic fluid, plus extra body tissues and blood volume. The amount you gain is important because it affects your baby's birth weight. The ideal birth weight for babies is three to four kilograms: both too small and too big can lead to problems for mum and baby. Women vary as to when they put on weight- but as you can see from the following table there needs to be very little weight gain in the first three months or the last month. The amount of extra food energy needed is surprisingly small. That's because the body becomes super-efficient- you certainly don't need to "eat for two". If you are gaining weight too fast, limit high fat snacks and takeaways and choose low-fat milks as well as lean meats and chicken. Daily walking or swimming can help too!
Recommended Weight Gain
Whole Pregnancy
10-13kgs total. If you started pregnancy underweight aim for at least 13kg. If you started pregnancy overweight then 10kg weight gain is fine.
First Trimester
About 1kg Total
Second Trimester
1/2kg per Week
Third Trimester
Little weight gain for mum, although baby is growing rapidly.
Foods to Avoid
No one ever wants to suffer food poisoning, but one form- listeriosis- is particularly a problem during pregnancy. This is caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria listeria monocytogenes. It may cause only a mild illness to you but can be life-threatening to the baby in your womb. Listeria is unusual in that is able to grow in refridgerated foods. Like most bacteria, though, it is killed by heat. To reduce the risk of listeriosis, eat freshly cooked or freshly prepared foods. Freshly cooked, piping hot restraunt meals should not be a problem but pre-cooked cold sandwich ingredients or salad bars may be. At home, save the leftovers for your partner- do not eat pre-cooked dishes that have been stored in the refridgerator for more then 12 hours. The foods which are likely to be a source of listeria and it is recommended that you don't eat are:
· chilled ready to eat foods such as cold pre-cooked meats and chicken.
· dips and pate
· soft cheese (e.g. ricotta, brie, camembert)
· pre-prepared salads
· raw seafood (oysters, sashimi)
· smoked seafood.
(July 2007) (
