I know how hard it is to make healthy food choices when you are pregnant, especially if you are suffering morning sickness. It is important, however, to choose a variety of healthy foods. When you’re pregnant, the foods you eat provide nutrients for both you and your baby.
Dieticians say that pregnant women need four serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables daily. Make sure you also eat foods high in folate, calcium, and iron. Good sources of folate are green leafy vegetables, baked beans, breads and cereals with folate added (this will be written on the packets), peas, and oranges. The best source of calcium is dairy. Choose low-fat milk, cheese, and yoghurt. Meat, poultry and fish are good sources of iron, and non-meat sources include lentils, kidney beans, and spinach. If you eat these foods with oranges, tomatoes, or capsicum, your body will make better use of the iron. If you take an iron tablet, it’s best to take it with a meal that doesn’t include dairy foods. For more information, speak to a doctor or dietician. You can look at http://www.gofor2and5.com.au/ and enter “pregnant” in the search box.
The CABOOLTURE mums & little ones website (www.mumsandlittleones.com) includes information about healthy food choices, safe weight gain and loss, breastfeeding, and physical activity before and after pregnancy. For more information, telephone or SMS 0402 791 315, or email caboolture@mumsandlittleones.com.
CABOOLTURE mums & little ones
happy healthy families
Merendi Leverett-Bowler
Mother of Two and Exercise Physiologist
As published in CabooltureNews 30/01/2008