As soon as women announce “I’m having a baby!”, the congratulations are quickly followed by long lists of dos and don’ts about food. Try ginger for morning sickness. Avoid soft cheese because of listeria. Eat more meat to boost your iron. Eat this fish – but not that one, because of mercury.
Pregnant women are understandably confused. So, how do you strike the balance between nutrition and safety, when so many things are off the menu?
During pregnancy, women need to consume a variety of different foods and need more of the main pregnancy nutrients: protein, folate, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and fibre. Here’s a quick guide to the best sources.
Protein: lean meat, chicken, seafood, dairy products, legumes, nuts, eggs
Folate: fortified bread and breakfast cereal, green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds, chicken, eggs, oranges
Calcium: dairy foods, fortified soy milks, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, canned fish with bones
Iron: red meat, fortified cereals, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts
Zinc: meat, eggs, seafood, nuts, tofu, miso, legumes, wheat germ, wholegrain foods
Iodine: canned salmon and tuna, other fish, oysters, bread fortified with iodine
Fibre: wholemeal and wholegrain breads and high fibre cereals, oats, vegetables and fruit with the skin on.
