Safe Food For Pregnancy

You are what you eat, and so is your baby.  Your growing baby depends on you for everything needed for healthy growth and development.

Check out our Pregnancy Food Chart for which foods you can eat and which are best to avoid during pregnancy

Eating well is vital

Don’t try to lose weight while you’re pregnant, it could harm you and your unborn baby.  Some diets can leave you low in energy and important vitamins and minerals.  Remember, normal weight gain is one of the most positive signs of a healthy pregnancy.  Women who eat a balanced diet are more likely to have healthy babies.  So as long as you’re eating healthily, relax: you’re supposed to be getting bigger!

Try to eat the following every day:

  • five servings of fruit and vegetables
  • three or four servings of wholemeal bread, cereals or potatoes
  • two servings of meat, poultry and fish, eggs or pulses (lentils, chickpeas etc)
  • one glass of milk, some yoghurt, or hard cheese.

Peanuts

Up until a few years ago, it was thought that eating peanuts during pregnancy may have been linked to a peanut allergy in some children, especially if there is a family history of allergy such as asthma, eczema or food allergy.  The recommendation was to avoid them just to be on the safe side.  However, there has been little or no evidence that avoiding foods in pregnancy can prevent food allergies.

Fasting

In some religions, fasting at certain times is important.  However, most religions do not expect pregnant or breastfeeding women to fast.  Talk to your spiritual adviser if you’re worried about anything you should or shouldn’t be eating.  You’ll probably find that the usual rules don’t apply in your special case, and that will put your mind at rest.

If your religion means that you are vegetarian, ensure that your diet is healthy.  Talk to you LMC about taking extra vitamin and mineral supplements.Dollarphotoclub_56807966-960px

Essential fatty acids

Not all fats are bad for you.  There are some fats that the body needs and we must get them from what we eat.  Essential fatty acids are found in oils, oily fish, nuts and seeds.  They help your growing baby’s brain, eyes and vision.

You can take a pregnancy supplement.  Check with your LMC or pharmacist before taking any supplement to make sure that it is safe for you to take in pregnancy.