| Food group |
Servings
per day
|
Include |
Exclude |
Milk group
For bone-building calcium and muscle building protein |
2-3 |
Milk, yoghurt, cheese, labnah and other dairy foods and drinks |
Make sure you don’t have any raw milk and raw cheese (like brie) as these can be dangerous for your unborn child.
|
Meat group
Contains protein, vitamins and minerals for growth and development. |
2-3 |
Meat, poultry, fish and eggs |
Do not eat liver because its high level of vitamin A may cause congenital defects. Raw meat is also inadvisable.
|
Fruit and vegetable group
Rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre while low in fat and calories |
5-7 |
With so many vegetables and fruits to choose from, you will never be bored! Try varying with colours and textures, so that your meals are appetizing and appealing to the eye.
Fruit is the ideal snack between meals, providing you with plenty of vitamin C which will make you less susceptible to infection.
|
Bread
and cereal group
A great source of complex carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals |
6-8 |
Bread, breakfast cereal, potatoes, pasta and rice. The brown varieties provide more nutrients than the white ones. |
How big is a serving?
You may be wondering what we mean by a serving. Here is an indication of what would be a typical serving
Milk |
250 ml. |
Yoghurt |
150g |
Cheese |
35g |
Cottage cheese |
100g |
Meat |
60-90g |
Fish |
60-90g |
Eggs |
2pcs. |
Vegetables |
100g |
Fruit |
100g |
Potato |
1 medium |
Bread |
1 slice |
Breakfast cereal |
30g (dry) |
Pasta |
150g (cooked) |
| Rice |
150g (cooked) |
Extra extra!
During your pregnancy your doctor will advise you to take some nutritional supplements that will benefit your baby.
- Iron – An essential mineral found in foods like red meat, lentils, beans, cereals, eggs and some vegetables. During pregnancy your body needs extra iron, so your doctor may prescribe iron tablets.
- Vitamin D and Calcium – Calcium is important to keep your bones and teeth strong. Vitamin D helps to utilize the calcium in your diet.
- Folic Acid – Folic acid is a vitamin which plays a very important part in the development of the nervous system. A shortage could result in your child having spina bifida. Taking 0.4mg of folic acid each day reduces the risk by 50%. It is advised that you take folic acid from 4 weeks before conception up until the 12th week of pregnancy.
- Fluids – A healthy diet includes plenty of fluids. You should try to drink at least 2 litres of fluids each day. Limit your intake of caffeine and sugary drinks.
- Fats – Limit the amount of fat you eat and choose foods with unsaturated fats wherever possible. Foods with saturated fats can be unhealthy and lead to excessive weight gain. Make meals with fish and poultry, cook with soya, sunflower or corn oil, use skimmed milk and eat low fat yoghurt and margarine.
Tracking your weight gain
Weight Gain Chart (Click here)
A typical weight gain is an increase of between 1 and 2 kilograms by the end of the first trimester, and then about half a kilogram per week thereafter. The recommended weight gain for a healthy woman during her 40 weeks of pregnancy is approximately 12 to 14 kg.
Beware!
Listeria is a bacteria which can cause miscarriage in pregnant women. Below are some precautionary measures that reduce the risk of listeria:
- Cook all hot foods until piping hot
- Keep all cold foods refrigerated
- Thoroughly wash all raw fruit and vegetables
- Avoid chilled, uncooked food.
|
