Women who eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables look and feel better.
How much, how often and why you should start eating better right now
- Do my nutritional needs change when I become pregnant?
- Food safety & foods to avoid while you are pregnant
- Alcohol, Cigarettes and other Drugs
How much, how often and why you should start eating better right now
Healthy eating is essential for good health. The basic rule is to "Go for 2 & 5".
That means you should eat at least 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day.
A complete balanced diet will also include:
- at least 8 to 12 serves of either bread, cereals, rice pasta or noodles per day
- at least 2 serves of dairy (milk, cheese or yoghurt) per day
- at least 1.5 serves of either meat, fish, chicken eggs or nuts per day
- limiting foods that contain a lot of sugar, fat and/or salt. Foods like chocolate, potato chips, pizza, meat pies, cakes biscuits, soft drinks, cordial butter and margarine should only be eaten every now and then as a treat.
A lifetime habit of eating fruit and vegetables can help to:
- prevent heart disease
- reduce your risk of some forms of cancer
- prevent or manage overweight and obesity
- manage constipation
- Lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Improve control of diabetes
What’s in a serve?
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Do my nutrition needs change when I am pregnant?
Healthy eating is even more important when you are pregnant. Your body needs more vitamins and minerals, but your actual energy intake (the number of calories/kilojoules you need) only needs to go up a little.
Pregnant women should eat a balanced diet. The basic rule is to "Go for 4 & 5". That means you should eat at least 4 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day during your pregnancy for you and your baby’s healthy development.
A complete balanced diet will include:
- at least 4 serves of fruit per day
- at least 5 serves of vegetables or legumes per day
- at least 8 to 12 serves of either bread, cereals, rice pasta or noodles per day
- at least 2 serves of dairy (milk, cheese or yoghurt) per day
- at least 1.5 serves of either meat, fish, chicken eggs or nuts per day
- limiting foods that contain a lot of sugar, fat and/or salt. Foods like chocolate, potato chips, pizza, meat pies, cakes biscuits, soft drinks, cordial butter and margarine should only be eaten every now and then as a treat.
During pregnancy fruit and vegetables are a good source of folate (to find out why folate is important click here) and can help your body use the iron in your diet (to find out why iron is important click here).
Folate and pregnancy
Folate (folic acid) is needed for the growth and development of your baby. Folate is essential during your whole pregnancy, but is most important in the month before you conceive and the first three months of your pregnancy. Folate is important to help reduce the risk of abnormalities such as spina bifida (a disorder when the baby's spinal cord does not form properly).
Folate is a B-group vitamin found in a variety of foods (see below), but can be lost from foods during storage and cooking, so it is best to:
- eat foods fresh or only lightly cooked to keep your folate intake up
- steam vegetables or cook them in the microwave
- use as little water as possible when cooking.
As well as eating healthy food, it is recommended that pregnant women take a daily folic acid supplement. You should talk to your doctor or midwife about whether you should be taking a folate supplement.
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EXCELLENT |
GREAT |
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Asparagus |
Beans |
Strawberries |
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Broccoli |
Cabbage |
Hazelnuts, Peanuts |
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Brussel sprouts |
Cauliflower |
Banana |
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Spinach |
Leeks |
Parsnips |
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Baked beans |
Oranges |
Potatoes |
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Chickpeas |
Peas |
Tomato |
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Bread (fortified with folate) |
Wholegrain bread |
Almonds, Cashews |
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Cereal (fortified with folate) |
Cereal |
Iron and pregnancy
Iron is needed for good health. It carries oxygen in the blood. During pregnancy your body needs two to three times more iron than it usually needs. It is best to get the iron you need from your diet. Iron from animal protein is absorbed up to ten times more easily than iron from plant foods.
Some things that you eat or drink can stop your body using iron properly. You should limit your intake of the following foods (see below) so that you can get all the iron you need from the other good foods you eat. You should avoid:
- Drinking tea or coffee with your meals.
- Taking your iron supplements with a meal that includes milk, cheese or yoghurt.
- Eating more than 2 Tbsp of unprocessed bran.
- Using Antacids
You can help your body get iron from the food you eat or drink by:
- Drinking a glass of orange juice with a bowl of cereal at breakfast,
- Eating a tuna and salad (including tomato) sandwich for lunch,
- Eating a meat (e.g. beef, lamb, chicken) and vegetable stir fry, with capsicum as one of the vegetables
- Eating a piece of fruit, after a lunch of pasta or rice.
Why do some women get iron supplements when they are pregnant?
Sometimes getting enough iron from the food you eat can be difficult. Your doctor or antenatal clinic may recommend an iron supplement. Iron supplements can be important, but they can also have side effects, like an upset stomach or constipation.
Excess iron can also stop you from getting all the calcium you need from what you eat. It is best to take your iron tablet at a meal that does not contain milk, yoghurt or cheese. So it may be better to take your iron tablet at lunch or dinner than at breakfast time. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you think you need an iron supplement or if your iron tablets give you side effects.
Caffeine intake during pregnancy
Most doctors say it is okay to drink 2 - 3 cups of coffee or 4 cups of tea a day. But you should be aware that when you are pregnant your body takes longer to break down the caffeine in coffee, tea, cola drinks, cocoa, and chocolate.
Decaffeinated drinks are a good alternative. Most herbal teas are suitable, but many also contain some caffeine so drink in moderation. Read the label to check for the caffeine content on specific brands. Beware: Comfrey, pennyroyal and raspberry leaf teas are not recommended in the early stages of pregnancy. They may lead to a miscarriage. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure about suitable herbal teas during your pregnancy.
Food safety & foods to avoid while you are pregnant
It is always important to keep your food 'safe', in terms of storage and preparation. This is particularly important during pregnancy to reduce the chance that you eat Listeria bacteria. Listeria bacteria are sometimes found in foods. While Listeria infection is not common, pregnant women who get it are at high risk of passing it on to their unborn child. This can lead to miscarriage, still birth, a preterm birth or can make your unborn baby very ill.
Keep your food 'safe' by:
- Always thawing food in the fridge or defrosting food in the microwave.
- Cooling leftover food in the fridge, not on the bench.
- Keeping raw meat covered and separate from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
- Washing your hands, cutting boards and knives after handling raw foods to prevent contamination passing from one food to another.
- Making sure hot foods are hot (above 60 degrees Celsius) and cold foods are cold (at or below 5 degrees Celsius), both at home and when eating out.
- Making sure all food is fresh, used within the used-by date, and eating leftovers within 12-hours.
- Cook all meat, chicken, fish, and eggs thoroughly.
- Never re-freezeing food once it has been thawed.
There are some foods that you should NOT EAT while you are pregnant because they increase the chance that you may eat Listeria. These include:
- Unpasturised dairy products.
- Soft cheese, such as Brie, Camembert, ricotta, and fresh fetta, unless they are cooked (Yellow, hard cheeses, spreads, and processed packaged cheese should be safe).
- Soft serve ice cream and thick shakes (Ice cream from a tub is okay).
- All paté and ready-to-eat cold meats, including deli and packaged meats (e.g., ham, salami, cold roast and BBQ chicken).
- Ready-to-eat salads (from salad bars, supermarkets etc.).
- Raw or smoked seafood (including oysters, salmon, sashimi and sushi).
- Home-prepared meats are normally free of Listeria, if used within 12-hours, or if they have been frozen and thawed safely.
A listeria infection can be treated with antibiotics. If you are concerned about symptoms or illness, see your doctor. The signs and symptoms of Listeria infection include: fever, headache, tiredness, aches and pains, diarrhoea, nausea, and abdominal pain.