Including the right items in your diet when you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant is extremely important as a well-balanced diet can also help to minimise some pregnancy symptoms such as nausea.
Knowing what to eat and drink and what to avoid goes a long way to ensuring the health of both you and your baby.
When pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, your diet should be rich in protein, fibre, calcium, iron and other minerals and vitamins.
These can all be found in the following types of foods:
fruit and vegetables (aim for at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables a day)
starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes
dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt
wholegrain bread and pulses
lean meat and chicken
fish (two servings a week, including oily fish like sardines and mackerel
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Avoid eating too many fatty or sugary foods during pregnancy. Other types of food to avoid include:
peanuts and foods containing peanut products if you, the baby’s father or siblings have certain allergic conditions such as hay fever, asthma or eczema
liver, liver products or pâté
mould-ripened soft cheese (Brie, Camembert, goat’s cheese, etc.)
raw eggs and food containing raw or partially cooked eggs
unpasteurised milk
shark, swordfish and marlin (all contain high levels of mercury)
too much caffeine and alcohol
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Whether you are pregnant or planning to have a baby, it is recommended that you start taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, as early as possible.
You should continue to do so until you are 12 weeks pregnant. This vitamin is known to reduce the risk of spina bifida (birth defects of the brain and spinal cord)
.Folic acid can be found in th following types of food:
some green leafy vegtables
berries
nuts
beans
citrus fruits
fortified breakfast cereals
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Pregnant women can become deficient in iron (which is necessary for blood to carry oxygen) so it is important to eat plenty of iron-rich foods. A good intake of vitamin C through fruit, vegetables and juice helps
your body to absorb iron. If your iron level is low, your GP or midwife will advise you to take iron supplements. The following foods will help you to keep your iron
level normal::
green vegetables
bread
pulses
red meat
fortified breakfast cereals
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