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Food and diet during pregnancy

It’s not far from the truth to say that your growing baby is literally what you eat and drink. Your diet will influence the rest of her life and you need good nutrition to deal with the new demands placed on your body.

So what can I eat?

In the first trimester, a healthy balanced diet will help your baby to grow and develop in your womb.

• Eat small amounts regularly. Try adding a small snack mid-morning, mid-afternoon and bedtime.
• Avoid foods that are very high in sugars and fats as there will not be much nourishment in these foods.
• Choose healthy options like fruit, vegetables and yogurt.

We’ve created a Food Pyramid Table as a useful guide to the proportions of different foods that you should aim to be eating every day.

Important food groups during pregnancy

Try and keep things varied by choosing from the five main food groups from this pyramid:

1. First make sure you’re enjoying lots of carbohydrate-rich starch foods such as: potatoes, pasta, rice and bread (6 or more servings).
2. Try to eat at least the equivalent of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Fresh, tinned, frozen, dried or even just a glass of juice all count.
3. For good bone strength and development, for both yourself and your baby, you’ll need calcium-rich dairy products such as milk, yogurts and certain cheeses. See the following section on food safety, as to which types of cheese you should avoid (3 servings).
4. Protein is essential for growing and repairing cells. Opt for lean red meat, chicken, eggs plus iron-rich pulses, such as beans and lentils. And balance your diet by eating fish at least twice a week. This should include some oily fish, such as sardines, mackerel, trout and a little fresh tuna (2 servings).