Pregnant woman in dark top cutting vegetables

Healthy Food for Pregnancy

Healthy Food for Pregnancy

Pregnancy
Article
Sep 20, 2023
10 mins

Eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much food, but it should mean making your food work twice as hard.

While you’re pregnant, your body protects and nurtures your baby. You can provide the essential nutrients your baby needs by eating a healthy pregnancy diet.

Your pregnancy diet not only supports your additional energy requirements (and satisfies those pregnancy cravings), but it also importantly fuels your baby’s growth and development. Make every kilojoule count by choosing nutrient-packed foods, in other words get more bang for your kilojoule buck. Focus on developing a pregnancy food chart that includes healthy pregnancy foods, with more of the good stuff – from the 5 food groups - proteins, vitamins and minerals, fibre, healthy fats, complex carbs and fluids, and less of the ‘not so necessary’ stuff – sweets, juices, high salty snacks.

In this article, learn:

  • What a healthy pregnancy diet looks like and the foods to eat during pregnancy, including the recommended servings of each food group;
  • about which pregnancy vitamins and minerals are important and their effects on you and your baby’s health;
  • what a healthy weight gain during pregnancy looks like;
  • top tips for your pregnancy diet; and
  • the answers to commonly asked questions about pregnancy food and pregnancy vitamins.

If you have any questions or special dietary requirements, talk to your healthcare professional to get tailored advice on your nutritional needs during pregnancy. If you are coeliac and are on a gluten-free diet, you can check out our guide on Eating Gluten-Free During Pregnancy to help guide you and your diet. 

Watch this video to learn more about healthy meal and snack ideas to add pregnancy vitamins, minerals, and variety to your pregnancy diet.

What does a healthy pregnancy diet look like?

These food group guidelines are an easy way to get started on a healthy pregnancy diet. Of course, your beginning weight, height, age, stage of pregnancy and the number of children you are carrying will determine how many kilojoules and how much and what type of foods to eat during pregnancy.

To get plenty of essential nutrients, eat a little of everything from the five food groups. Try for five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day.

healthy maternal nutrition what does it mean?

 

For more information on appropriate serve sizes, take a look at the NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines.


 What nutrients, vitamins and minerals are important during pregnancy?
 

Pregnant women have increased nutritional needs (Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand)

pregnant women have increased nutritional needs

 

Here is a quick reference table which summarises what the key nutrients do and in which foods to find them.

NutrientForFrom
ProteinImportant for growth and development of muscles and bonesMeat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy
CarbohydratesSupplies energyPasta, rice, bread, cereal, legumes, potatoes
Omega 3 DHA FatImportant for baby’s brain and eye developmentFish, supplements
ProbioticsContribute to a healthy gut floraProbiotic product, such as probiotic yoghurts, supplements
VitaminsForFrom
Folic acidReduces risk of foetal neural tube defectsDark green leafy vegetables, dried beans, avocado, fortified breads and cereals
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)Important for energy production and carbohydrate metabolismWholemeal products, fish, nuts, seeds
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)Important for  transport of iron and nervous system functionDairy products, fortified breads and cereals, leafy green vegetables
Vitamin B12Important for red blood cell formation and nervous system functionFish, meat, poultry, dairy, eggs
Vitamin CImportant for immune system, collagen synthesisCitrus fruit, kiwi fruit, broccoli and sprouts
Vitamin AImportant for skin structure and visual functionCarrots, spinach (as beta-carotene), meat, full cream dairy products
Vitamin DBuilding strong bones and teethSunlight exposure on the skin, fish, eggs yolks
Vitamin EProtects cells against free radical damageWheat germ/canola/olive oils, egg yolks, leafy green vegetables
Minerals and trace elementsForFrom
CalciumImportant for bone and teeth formationMilk, cheese, dairy products, bony fish, tofu
MagnesiumRegulates energy metabolism, nerve transmission, muscular contractionNuts, green vegetables, legumes
IronImportant for oxygen transport and blood formationMeats, fish, poultry, spinach, lentils
IodineProduction of thyroid hormones and brain functionIodized salt, seafood, bread
SeleniumAntioxidant, maintenance of hair and nailsSeafood, poultry, eggs asparagus
ZincCell division, immune systemMeat, poultry, fish, brown rice

Top tips for your pregnancy diet!

 


What does a healthy pregnancy weight gain look like?

Weight gain varies from one woman to the next and what is right for you will be based on whether you began your pregnancy as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.  Your doctor can advise you on the healthiest path for you.  Weight gain during pregnancy can influence the weight of your baby at birth; remember that an extra large baby is not healthier than a baby born of average weight. Read more here.

While it does take energy to develop a healthy baby, that energy can come the food you eat, or from your existing weight stores. A mum-to-be does not need to eat twice as much.  During your pregnancy, your energy demands will increase over time. There is no need to change your energy intake during the first trimester, then in the second trimester your energy needs will increase by 1400 kilojoules per day and 1900 kilojoules per day in your last trimester. However, this can be different for you, depending on your starting weight, so it’s always good to ask your healthcare professional what is right for you.

To put this into perspective, the average adult should be consuming around 8700 kilojoules per day. So these additional kilojoule requirements in the 2nd and 3rd trimester means you don’t need to double your diet – it’s just eating a little more.

Having twins? Learn about eating for three.

Sources

https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/adg (Accessed 1st June 2022)
https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients (Accessed 8th July 2022)

 

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