Pregnancy Nutrition Advice

  • vitamin d is essential for a healthy pregnancy diet and pregnancy nutrition

    Vitamin D For A Healthy Pregnancy – The Sunshine Vitamin!

    Looking to include Vitamin D in your pregnancy diet? Read why Vitamin D is such an important prenatal vitamin for a healthy pregnancy and how to enjoy it!

    vitamin d is essential for a healthy pregnancy diet and pregnancy nutrition Are you getting enough Vitamin D for your healthy pregnancy? The easiest source of Vitamin D is exposure to sunshine but that’s not always available! And when the sun is shining be careful to moderate your exposure – the amount you need to make sufficient Vitamin D is less than the amount that causes your skin to tan.

    Pregnant women need Vitamin D to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphate in the body, nutrients which are essential for building strong bones and teeth. A lack of Vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children and a condition call osteomalacia in adults.

    Good sources of Vitamin D include oily fish such as sardines, mackerel or salmon (wild salmon has more prenatal vitamins than farmed salmon); eggs (in particular the yolk) and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals. Interestingly, sun-dried shiitake mushrooms are also very high in Vitamin D.
    Caviar is also a good source of Vitamin D but sadly it’s a food best avoided during pregnancy as unless it has clearly been pasteurised it carries a high risk of listeria.

    Should you take a Vitamin D supplement?

    Talk to your midwife or doctor if you’re concerned about getting sufficient Vitamin D during pregnancy or when you are breastfeeding.

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  • calcium in pregnancy

    Don’t Skimp On Your Pregnancy Calcium!

    Why is calcium so important to include in your pregnancy diet? Read why calcium is vital for a healthy pregnancy and what foods you should eat while pregnant to maintain your calcium intake

    Calcium is crucial for a healthy pregnancy. Developing babies need calcium to grow strong and healthy bones, teeth, a healthy heart and muscles. And it contributes to a normal heart rhythm and blood clotting function. As a general rule, babies just help themselves to what they need – if you don’t have enough calcium in your pregnancy diet your baby will draw it from your stores which can lead to osteoporosis in later life.

    You need around 1000-1200 milligrams a day before, during and after pregnancy. Dairy products such as cheese, milk, yogurt and fromage frais are the obvious choice to include in your diet during pregnancy but if you are lactose intolerant or have an allergy to milk, calcium can be found in other foods too:

    • Green leafy vegetables such as curly kale and watercress are good sources of calcium, along with broccoli, cabbage, courgettes and celery
    • Small fish (such as whitebait or tinned sardines and pilchards) where you eat the bones. Mash up canned salmon including the bones and use to make calcium-rich fish cakes.
    • Tofu is an excellent source of calcium. Add it to a vegetable stir-fry and include finely shredded pak choi, another good calcium-packed veggie option.
    • Beans, especially red kidney beans and soya beans.
    • Nuts and seeds. A tablespoon of sesame seeds contains 88mg of calcium – use them in a salad, sprinkle over vegetables or cereal. Almonds are a useful source of calcium too.
    • Soy milk isn’t actually milk so it’s a good alternative to dairy products and contains around 300mg of calcium in a cup.

    calcium for a healthy pregnancy

     

    To give you some ideas of the quantities of calcium you’ll find in different foods:

    6 oz low-fat yogurt: 350 mg
    1 cup of milk: 300 mg
    ¼ cup of cottage cheese: 120 mg
    1 oz of hard cheese such as cheddar: 240 mg
    8 canned sardines: 370 mg
    ½ cup of tofu: 258mg

    And don’t forget – Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium, so you’ll need both! If you think you may not be getting enough calcium ask your doctor or midwife if they would recommend a supplement.

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  • dierty fibre for a healthy pregnancy

    Dietary Fibre For Your Healthy Pregnancy

    Wondering what dietary fibre is? Read why it’s an important aspect of a healthy pregnancy diet and how to include it in what you eat!

    dierty fibre for a healthy pregnancy Dietary fibre is an essential element of your healthy pregnancy diet, you should aim for around 25g of fibre a day to help keep your bowel movements regular and avoid constipation. Make sure you also include plenty of fluids in your diet as well.
    Whilst fibre falls under the category of carbohydrates it does not provide the same number of calories nor is it processed in the same way as other carbs.

    There are two types of fibre:

    • Soluble fibres can partially dissolve in water and help to keep you feeling full, slowly releasing energy and helping to keep your blood sugar levels steady. Foods in this group include oats, lentils, beans and some fruits such as apples, mangos and bananas.
    • Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water and helps to move bulk through your intestines, keeping the digestive system healthy. You’ll find insoluble fibres in wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice, nuts, bran, fruit skins and vegetables.

    Increased progesterone during pregnancy can lead to the relaxation of the muscle tissue within the digestive system, leading to constipation as your system becomes more sluggish. Maintaining a good level of fibre and drinking plenty of water will help keep your digestive system functioning well – keeping your bowel movements soft and regular will also help you to avoid pregnancy piles which can occur if you are constipated.

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  • beta carotene as part of a healthy pregnancy diet and good nutrition for pregnant women

    Beta Carotene: An Essential Food For Pregnancy

    Why is Beta Carotene important to include in your pregnancy diet? Read why Beta Carotene is an important prenatal vitamin for a healthy pregnancy here!

    beta carotene as part of a healthy pregnancy diet and good nutrition for pregnant women Beta-carotene is an orange-red pigment commonly found in vegetables and fruits – and is essential for a healthy pregnancy diet. It’s an inactive form of Vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxidant and required by your body for healthy eyesight, especially night vision – all those so-called ‘old wives tales‘ about carrots helping you to see in the dark are actually true!
    For your baby, Vitamin A is also important for general growth, including the development of internal organs, eyes, bones, circulation, respiratory and central nervous systems – pretty much everything in fact! It’s also worth bearing in mind that Vitamin A will help with tissue repair after the birth so is essential for mums too.
    Pregnant women need around 770 mcg of Vitamin A daily – and you need even more if you’re breast-feeding. Whilst a good daily dose of Vitamin A is essential, it’s not advisable to take specific supplements as too much, ingested in its full form, can be detrimental to your baby. Beta-carotene however converts naturally into Vitamin A in your body and is not linked to any side effects – just half a cup of raw grated carrot will provide more than your recommended daily amounts.

    As a general rule most yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are rich sources of beta-carotene. Top beta-carotene favourites for your healthy pregnancy are:

    • Carrots (of course!) Click here for some inspiration and try new ways to include carrots in your pregnancy diet
    • Pumpkins
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Butternut squash
    • It might not be orange in colour, but spinach is a good source of beta-carotene and so is kale
    • Dark colourful lettuces, such as Lollo Rosso
    • Cabbage

    If you’re worried about whether you’re getting enough beta carotene from your regular pregnancy diet, have a chat with your doctor or midwife.

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  • iodine for healthy pregnancy diet cranberries

    Does Your Pregnancy Diet Include Enough Iodine?

    Wondering what iodine is and why it’s so important to include in your pregnancy diet? Read why iodine is important for a healthy pregnancy here!

    iodine for healthy pregnancy diet cranberries Studies have shown that iodine should be an essential part of your healthy pregnancy diet to ensure the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system.

    Iodine helps to regulate your thyroid gland and your metabolism. Deficiencies of this essential mineral during pregnancy can impact on your baby’s IQ – researchers from Surrey and Bristol Universities recently revealed that children born to mothers deficient in iodine have lower than average scores in reading and verbal ability. Severe iodine deficiency has been associated with miscarriages and congenital abnormalities.

    A healthy pregnancy diet should contain around 220 mcg a day – but you can aim for this as an average over the course of a few days or a week.

    Dairy products are a good source of iodine – in addition to all the other nutritional benefits of milk, one cup of the white stuff will provide 56 mcg of iodine (about a quarter of your recommended intake). A cup of plain yogurt will have a similar quantity.

    If you are lactose intolerant or have an allergy to milk, other foods which are rich in iodine are:

    • Baked potatoes – make sure you eat the skin which also contains lots of valuable dietary fibre, vitamins and potassium
    • White fish such as cod – a 100g serving will supply 99mcg of iodine as well as useful protein, calcium, magnesium and potassium
    • Shellfish (properly cooked) contain about 90 mcg of iodine for every 100g
    • Cranberries are rich in iodine – just 30 grams will contain about 100 mcg. Try and avoid over sweetened cranberry juice and check the sugar content on dried cranberries too.
    • Seaweeds, such as kelp have an abundance of iodine – almost too much in fact! A tablespoon of kelp has around 2000mcg but it’s important to avoid excessive levels, especially when you’re pregnant – so go easy on seaweed unless it’s a measured, pregnancy appropriate supplement!

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  • vitamin c for healthy pregnancy

    Vitamin C: A Vital Vitamin For Pregnant Women

    Looking to include Vitamin C in your pregnancy diet? Read why Vitamin C is vital prenatal vitamin for a healthy pregnancy and how to enjoy eating it!

    Vitamin C is such an important prenatal vitamin – it’s vital for so many aspects of your baby’s development and to make sure you stay healthy in pregnancy too!

    Essential for bone growth and repair, healthy skin and tissue repair, Vitamin C is also important to boost your immune system, so your body can fight infection. It helps prevent anaemia and is especially important for pregnant women who have an increased need for iron and are more likely to suffer from iron deficiency anaemia.

    Your baby needs Vitamin C to make collagen, a structural protein that builds cartilage, tendons, bones and skin. Recent studies have suggested that Vitamin C deficiency can damage brain development, resulting in poorly developed memory potential.
    During pregnancy you’ll need around 85 mg of Vitamin C per day.

    vitamin c for healthy pregnancy

    Fruit and vegetables are the best and easiest sources of Vitamin C – especially citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, strawberries and tropical fruits such as pineapple, melon, guava and papaya. Whilst most of us tend to use oranges as their go to source of vitamins, in fact it’s guavas and papayas that are top of the pops when it comes to Vitamin C content – a guava has around 377mg of Vitamin C which is four times as much as you’ll find in an orange and more than you’ll need in a day!

    Yellow, red and green peppers pack in a powerful Vitamin C punch too. Yellow peppers provide the most at 184 mg per 100gm serving. Best eaten raw in a salad they are still valuable as part of your pregnancy diet if you prefer them cooked. Add in lots of dark leafy green vegetables (kale is a winner!), broccoli and tomatoes. Herbs and chilli peppers are good sources of Vitamin C although you’ll need to include a significant amount in your pregnancy food plan to really enjoy the benefit.

    Multivitamin supplements designed for pregnant women will include appropriate levels of Vitamin C as a substitute for lots of fruit and veg, but you should be able to get all you need from a balanced and healthy pregnancy diet.
    And bizarrely you CAN have too much of a good thing! Some sources suggest that more than 500mg of Vitamin C a day can cause stomach pain and diarrhoea and that you should avoid excessively high levels of Vitamin C (more than 2000mg a day) when you’re pregnant.

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  • tips for adding carbohydrates to your healthy pregnancy diet

    Why Do Pregnant Women Need Carbohydrates?

    How many carbs should you include in your diet for a healthy pregnancy? Read here to see what a pregnant woman should eat every day!

    tips for adding carbohydrates to your healthy pregnancy dietCarbohydrates are an essential part of your healthy pregnancy diet, providing a primary source of critical nutrients for your growing baby.

    Carbs are rapidly broken down into glucose to reach your body cells (hence the quick energy boost when you eat them) and pass easily through your placenta to your baby.

    A sensible choice of carbohydrate sources can protect you from excessive weight gain in pregnancy and also help protect your baby from health problems later in life.

    Simple carbs are most readily found in refined sugars such as those find in cakes, biscuits, fast foods, pizza and sweet cereals – they’ll give you a lot of calories and a quick energy spike but not a lot by way of pregnancy nutrition. Too many ‘empty’ calories will encourage you to pile on the pregnancy pounds and put your baby at risk of obesity too.

    When you need a quick energy boost, simple carbs can also be found in healthier foods like milk or fruit, which contain the valuable minerals, prenatal vitamins and calcium required for your pregnancy nutrition.

    Complex carbohydrates (these are good ones!) are the starches you’ll get from grain products such as bread, root vegetables, rice and pasta. Use wholegrain pasta and cereals, wholemeal bread and brown rice wherever possible – wholegrains are broken down more slowly, giving you a slower and more sustained release of energy, helping you to avoid spikes in your blood sugar levels. You’ll also get the benefit of additional nutrients and the extra fibre.

    Around 45 – 65% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrate sources. Don’t be tempted to cut out carbs to manage your pregnancy weight, your baby needs the glucose, protein and healthy fats they provide, just go easy on pizza, doughnuts and white bread!

    If you are suffering from gestational diabetes make sure you check your carbohydrate intake with your doctor or midwife.

    Tips for adding healthy carbohydrates to your diet:

    • Start the day with old-fashioned porridge oats (try our power porridge)
    • Choose whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Serve wholegrain bread with soups for lunch
    • Bananas are a good easy source of complex carbohydrates – use them in smoothies too
    • Beans and legumes such as chick peas provide plenty of protein as well as essential carbs
    • Opt for wholegrain pasta, cereal and brown rice
    • Ring the changes by swapping potatoes for root vegetables, yams or lentils

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  • how to include protein in your healthy pregnancy diet

    Protein As Part Of Your Healthy Pregnancy Diet

    Protein is important during pregnancy for you AND for your baby.  Read how to include protein in your pregnancy diet

    how to include protein in your healthy pregnancy diet Protein is essential as part of your healthy pregnancy diet – the amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of your body’s cells and of your baby’s cells too. Regular supplies of protein are especially important during the second and third trimesters when your baby is getting bigger.
    And it’s not just your developing baby that needs plenty of protein – you do too! Your own body is changing to accommodate the needs of your baby – even the volume of your blood increases by around 40-60% during pregnancy and in order to reach and maintain this level you need adequate protein, water and other essential vitamins and minerals.
    A healthy pregnancy diet should contain about 70-80g of protein a day – about 25g more than you needed before you became pregnant. Some sources recommend aiming for 80-100g a day, especially if you are very active.
    Lean meats and fish are the obvious sources, along with dairy products including milk, eggs and cheese. If you don’t eat meat your pregnancy diet should include foods like tofu, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes such as chick peas, pinto beans, kidney beans and lentils.

    You don’t have to get the recommended amount of protein every day. Instead, aim for that amount as an average over the course of a few days or a week but there are easy ways to top up your protein intake if you don’t think you’re getting enough in your usual diet.

    • A glass of milk (or a hot milky drink) at bedtime will give you about 20g of protein
    • 100g of porridge oats contains 12-13g of protein – make your breakfast porridge with full milk instead of a mixture of milk and water and include a generous handful of seeds for even more protein to kick-start your day.
    • Eggs have about 6-7g of protein so feel good about a generous omelette for lunch or two scrambled eggs for breakfast – and serve with wholegrain bread or toast and a topping of grated cheese.
    • Snack on trail mix or raw veggies dipped in hummus – all those lovely chick peas are protein packed.
    • A standard size chicken breast will give you 17-18g of protein; a 3oz/85g salmon steak has about 22g of protein and a 4oz/115g beef steak around 25g
    • Teaming salmon steak with lentils gives you a double whammy of protein
    • An avocado has 10 gms of protein and a cup of peas has 9 gms
    • Don’t feel much like eating? A cup of yogurt has 13g of protein

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