Pregnancy eating made simple
Finding out you're pregnant can be a whirlwind – not only are you dealing with the magnitude of creating a new life but you've also got a lot of new diet rules to get your head around.
Pregnant women are advised to avoid excess weight gain that could be hard to lose after birth, plus there's listeria and toxoplasmosis from uncooked meats to be wary of.
With pre-packaged salads, sashimi and soft cheeses off the list – not to mention wine – many pregnant women are left feeling perplexed. So we hit up Melanie McGrice, author of the Pregnancy Weight Plan, for some simple guidelines to make food choices easy.
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Salmon. The Royal Women's Hospital recommends one to three serves of fish per week – and that includes canned fish. "Salmon is a low mercury fish with lots of omega 3s that are important for your baby's brain and nervous tissue development," McGrice says. "It's also a source of iron."
Wholegrains. "Constipation can be a big issue so eat more whole grains, which are another source of iron," McGrice says. Guidelines recommend pregnant women have 8.5 serves of grains or cereals a day, with a serve being one slice of bread or half a cup of cooked porridge.
Dairy. Pregnant women need 2.5 serves of dairy each day for calcium, such as 250ml of milk or a 200g yoghurt. "Add more dairy to your diet to help meet calcium requirements for your baby's bone growth," McGrice says.
Seaweed. "Seaweed is the best source of iodine, which is important for a baby's brain development," McGrice says. "You could have vegetarian sushi, but it's important it hasn't been sitting out for a long time – so making it yourself at home is probably best. Otherwise a seaweed salad is a great option."
Leafy greens. They're one of the best sources of folate, which is important in the first trimester for reducing your baby's risk of spinal problems, such as spina bifida.
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