Not sure where to start with healthy eating during pregnancy? Registered nutritionist Rebecca Stevens (@nourishnurturenutrition) clarifies things
Eating well during pregnancy provides the nutrition that your baby needs for its growth and development. Good nutrition helps to keep you healthy too: the nine months when you’re growing a new little human can be demanding on your body.
What’s a good diet during pregnancy?
A varied, balanced diet, with protein, carbohydrates (ideally wholegrain) and dairy, plus plenty of vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds will give you and baby a wide range of nutrients.
Eating plenty of high fibre foods (such as porridge, wholemeal bread and pulses) will help to prevent constipation, which affects 4 in 10 women during pregnancy.
Of course, if you’re feeling queasy from morning sickness, or so tired that you drop off in front of the telly by 8pm, that’s going to have an impact on your food choices!
Do try to listen to your body and eat to suit how you feel. Talk to your doctor or midwife if your morning sickness means you’re struggling to keep food or liquids down.
What are the best pregnancy foods?
Rather than focusing on specific foods, aim for food that’s nutrient-dense where possible.
Snacks that contain protein will help you feel fuller for longer. Think houmous and carrot sticks or peanut butter on toast instead of crisps and cake. That doesn’t mean to say you can’t enjoy a choccy digestive or two!
What nutrients do you need when you’re pregnant?
There are some nutrients that are extra important during pregnancy.
Iron helps to produce red blood cells, which move oxygen around the body. More than a quarter of women (27%) have low iron stores during pregnancy, which can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia and tiredness.
While it’s important to eat iron-rich food such as red meat, beans and nuts during your pregnancy, some women may still have low iron levels. Your midwife may prescribe you iron tablets (which can add to your constipation woes!).
If you follow a plant-based pregnancy diet, always include a source of vitamin C alongside your plant-based iron sources. A glass of orange juice, some yellow peppers or broccoli will aid absorption.
Omega-3s are a type of essential fatty acid that support bone, heart, brain and mental health. During pregnancy, omega-3s have also been shown to help your baby’s brain development. The best source of omega-3 is oily fish – think salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout. If you’re not a fish fan, six halves of walnuts or one tablespoon of flax or chia seeds should provide your daily requirements.
Calcium is an important nutrient for bone health, particularly in the third trimester, which is when your baby’s bones are forming. Try to consume three portions of dairy (such as cheese, yogurt, fromage frais or milk) or other calcium-containing foods (spinach, tofu, dried fruit, egg yolk, oranges) each day.
Make sure you take a folic acid supplement (400 micrograms per day) during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, as it reduces the risk of neural tube defects.
Do I need to eat for two during pregnancy?
Unfortunately, ‘eating for two’, isn’t recommended! In the first and second trimesters, you should eat the same number of calories as you were before pregnancy – roughly 2,000 calories per day. In the third trimester, the advice is to have an extra 200 calories per day, which equates to a small handful of dried apricots, a slice of cheese or two bananas.
Healthy meal ideas for pregnancy
Breakfast:
Weetabix with milk, banana and blueberries
Granola with yogurt, fruit and mixed seeds
Greek yogurt with fruit and mixed seeds
Lunch:
Watercress, spinach and potato soup with yogurt and wholemeal bread
Cheese salad sandwich on wholemeal bread
Two boiled eggs and wholemeal toast
Dinner:
Three-bean chilli
Prawn or tofu stir-fry with whole-wheat noodles
Oven-baked honey and soy salmon with brown rice and broccoli
1 tsp butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 potato, roughly chopped
80g watercress
40g spinach
500ml vegetable stock
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp of natural yogurt, to serve
Method:
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add onion and sauté gently for a few minutes until starting to soften. Add the potato, watercress and spinach and cook over a low heat until the watercress and spinach have wilted.
Add the stock and nutmeg and season. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the potato is tender.
Remove the pan from the heat and blitz soup with a blender until smooth.
Serve in bowls, finishing with a swirl of yogurt in each to increase the protein content.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 fresh red chillies, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
400g chopped tomatoes
500ml tomato passata
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 vegetable stock cube
200g kidney beans, black-eyed beans or borlotti beans
1 tsp sugar (optional, to taste)
300g mince (meat or plant-based)
1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
Method:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the red pepper and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the chillies, garlic and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, passata and tomato purée, then crumble over the stock cube.
Bring to a gentle simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the kidney beans, sugar or chocolate (if using) and the veggie mince. Cook over a gentle heat for a further 10 minutes. Season to taste and stir in the chopped coriander. Serve with rice or jacket potatoes and grated cheese.
Green smoothie
Smoothies are very easy and quick to make at home. Try to use vegetables as well as fruit, and add yogurt and seeds for extra nutrition.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 kiwi fruit, skin removed
1 small banana
1 handful of spinach
¼ apple, skin on
250ml water
3 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp of chia seeds
Method:
Prepare your fruit and vegetables.
Add fruit, vegetables and water to your blender and blitz the contents.
Add yogurt and chia seeds. Blitz again.
Serve and enjoy!
Fruity flapjacks
These are a good source of fibre and help you feel fuller for longer. You can freeze the flapjacks or store them in an air-tight container.
Preheat the oven to 200°C or gas mark 6. Grease a 30 x 22cm baking tin. Heat the margarine and sugar on the hob until melted. Stir in the golden syrup, dates and oats and mix well.
Press the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes inside the baking tin. Then remove from the tin, cut into finger-sized slices and leave to cool completely.
