Eating healthily during pregnancy is not difficult as long as you follow some basic principles. Make sure each meal has the correct balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide adequate vitamins, minerals and fibre. Well-balanced meals can reduce cravings and dips in blood sugar while helping you to maintain a healthy weight throughout your pregnancy.
The eatwell plate shows how much of what you eat should come from each food group. This includes everything you eat during the day, including snacks.
So, try to eat:
- plenty of fruit and vegetables
- plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods – choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can
- some milk and dairy foods
- some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
- just a small amount of foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar
Try the Tommy’s “Stop and Swap” plan
Many of us eat too much saturated (bad) fat and too much sugar and not enough nutrient rich foods. Eating a healthy, balanced and varied diet throughout your pregnancy will help to keep you in tip top condition and ensure that your growing baby receives all it needs too. Think about making smart choices about what you eat and drink, for example by:
- eating regularly so you don’t go hungry. Starting the day with breakfast is a good habit to get into.
- aiming to swap bad fats for good fats i.e. plant and seed based oils rather than animal fats
- aiming to swap sugary food and drinks for low sugar alternatives
- trying to snack smartly on nutritious foods rather than low nutrient, calorie rich options.
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STOP - Instead of... |
SWAP - Try... |
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Sugary drinks Squash, or juice containing sugar Whole (full fat) milk
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Water (still, sparkling or tap water) Fruit or herbal tea Sugar-free flavoured water Sugar-free or low calorie (diet fizzy drinks Sugar-free (or “no added sugar”) squash Semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk |
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Sugar (white or brown) |
Cutting down the amount you use Lower calorie sugar Artificial sweeteners* (liquid, tablet or granulated) |
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Butter, jam, marmalade or honey** on toast |
Lower-fat spread, reduced-sugar jam, sliced banana on toast |
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Cake or biscuits |
Currant bun (no icing) or fruit loaf, oatcakes, wholegrain cereal bar or fruit |
Crisps and savoury snacks |
Unsalted nuts and seeds, breadsticks, low fat crackers or oatcakes |
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Speciality coffees (e.g. latte, cappuccino) made with full fat milk*** Hot chocolate, instant malt drinks |
Decaffeinated coffees made with skimmed milk (known as “skinny”), or fruit/herbal teas |
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Ice cream |
Frozen low-fat yoghurt |
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Breakfast cereals coated with sugar or honey |
Traditional porridge oats or wholegrain cereals without sugar or honey coating, low sugar muesli |
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Sausages, burgers, nuggets, kebabs, pies or other processed meats |
A lean cut of meat or chicken Fish (oily or white) Beans and pulses (e.g. reduced salt and sugar baked beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils) |
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Takeaway or fast food chips |
New or boiled potatoes, baked potatoes, oven chips made at home |
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Fatty cuts of meat i.e. streaky bacon, fatty mince, lamb chops, pork crackling |
Lean mince, with fat strained off when cooking, trimmed cuts of meat, or try grilling rather than frying to help minimize fat content |
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Salt |
Skip the salt when cooking and at the table or use salt alternatives, reduce the use of ready meals and processed meats which can be particularly high in salt |
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Full fat cheese (e.g. cheddar) |
Half fat or reduced fat cheese, Edam or cottage cheese |
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Butter on bread |
Lower-fat spread on bread. Look for those labelled “low in saturates” or “low in saturated fat” or “high in monounsaturates and polyunsaturates” |
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Butter, lard or ghee in cooking |
Vegetable, olive or rapeseed oil |
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Yoghurt cream or coconut cream |
Reduced-fat yoghurt, reduced-fat crème fraiche |
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Tinned fruit in syrup |
Tinned fruit in juice, fresh or frozen fruit |
- *There are no specific recommendations on avoiding artificial sweeteners in pregnancy although some women may choose to avoid them
- ** The Food Standards Agency recommends that honey is fine for pregnant women but not suitable for babies under a year old
- *** The Food Standards Agency recommends that it’s best not to have more than 200mg of caffeine per day when you’re pregnant which is roughly equivalent to 2 mugs of instant coffee or 2 mugs of tea
Grace , 6 months pregnant:
“Me and my midwife chatted about eating healthier, and I’ve changed my bread. She said “Why not try wholegrain? You might enjoy it” – and I do!”
Supplements to take during pregnancy
The importance of taking a daily folic acid supplement in pregnancy is mostly well understood, as is the need for midwives to check on your iron levels…however, much less is known about vitamin D. We’d like you to take on board our vitamin D message and start taking your supplements today! Talk to a Tommy’s midwife if you’d like to find out more about the importance of vitamin D in pregnancy.
Vitamin D
You must make sure you have enough vitamin D to protect your baby from deficiency, which can cause rickets (weak bones).
The best way to get vitamin D is sunlight. Just 15 minutes in the sunlight, two or three times a week, during the summer months, can produce enough. But remember your sun protection as your skin can be more sensitive in pregnancy.
Only a few foods, such as eggs, and oily fish contain vitamin D naturally; though it is added to some brands of cereals and margarines.
The Department of Health recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women take a 10 micrograms (10mcg) supplement of vitamin D each day.
Folic acid
An essential B vitamin that helps in the early formation of your baby’s nervous system. Lack of folic acid can cause spina bifida, where the baby’s spine doesn’t close up properly.
Take a folic acid supplement every day, especially pre-conception and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Good food sources of folic acid include broccoli, green beans, oranges, asparagus, peas, chickpeas and brown rice – but keep taking the supplements too as it's almost impossible to get enough from food alone.
Iron
Iron is found in red meat, pulses (beans), bread, green vegetables and some breakfast cereals.
If you’re eating food containing iron, try to have some food or drink containing vitamin C (such as sweet potatoes, peppers or a glass of orange juice) at the same meal and avoid tea and coffee at meal time to help your body absorb iron.
If your body is low in iron your doctor or midwife may advise you to take iron supplements.
For more expert information visit http://www.tommys.org, call the Tommy’s PregnancyLine to speak to a midwife or email info@tommys.org
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