One minefield pregnancy can bring, is the issue of what you are able to eat, and more importantly, what you can’t. It’s important to eat healthily during pregnancy, a balanced diet. Paying close attention to what foods you eat can ensure the avoidance of harmful foods and drinks, which may affect the health or development of your growing baby.
Eating healthily should be a fundamental part of day-to-day life, whether you are pregnant or not, meaning throughout your pregnancy you should continue a healthy, varied, and balanced diet as you would normally. One trap many fall into is ‘eating for two’, as they feel they need to take in more calories to accommodate the baby, however, this is in fact a myth. You only require very few extra calories. You will not need any additional calories in the first trimester, however once your baby has grown, you will only need around 200 calories more, depending on how active you are.
Food to Include in Your Diet:
- Lower fat milk products such as natural yoghurt or semi-skimmed milk
- Fruit and veg
- Whole grains
- Lean meats (or high protein vegetarian alternatives such as lentils and pulses)
- Water
Food You Should Avoid:
- Undercooked, raw, or processed meats
- Raw eggs
- Caffeine (200mg daily limit)
- Lots of high mercury fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna)
- Undercooked or raw fish
- Unpasteurised milk, cheese, and fruit juice.
- Alcohol/drugs
- Unwashed produce
- Junk food
