Pregnancy
Diet during pregnancy
This article may help answer:
What foods should I eat while pregnant?
What foods should I avoid while pregnant?
Can I take medication while pregnant?
Pregnancy is one of the most nutritionally demanding periods you can go through. In fact, whilst pregnant, the recommended dietary intake of nutrients increases by up to 50%1.
Throughout your pregnancy you and your baby will need greater amounts of nutrients to maintain energy and development. But what else do you need to know?
Find out more:
As with your pre-pregnancy diet, your pregnancy diet should consist of healthy whole foods – such as fruit, vegetables, dairy and unprocessed meats.
All of these types of foods will help ensure you’re getting enough essential pregnancy nutrients such as folate, iron and iodine. Your Elevit Pregnancy Multivitamin will also help you reach your recommended daily intake targets daily, and help support you during your pregnancy.
For a more comprehensive guide on nutrition during pregnancy, please see our Pregnancy + Nutrition Brochure.
If you’re hit hard by morning sickness in the first trimester, as symptoms ease it’s a relief to actually want to eat anything other than dry crackers again.
Rather than focusing on quantity, focus on quality. Fill your plate with lean meats, leafy green veggies and calcium-rich dairy
But, despite the old adage of eating for two, it’s important that you don’t overdo it – remember one of you is rather small.
Rather than focusing on quantity, focus on quality. Fill your plate with healthy choices such as lean meats, leafy green veggies and calcium-rich dairy. If you do feel more hungry than usual, ensure you have healthy snacks on hand – some cut up veggies, a low-sugar muesli bar or some fruit will sustain you better than a donut or chocolate bar.
Again, as with your pre-pregnancy diet in addition to things like high-fat foods, alcohol and caffeine, it’s best to avoid processed meat, pre-made salads and high mercury fish during pregnancy.
As you progress through your pregnancy your appetite may increase, but the space to store all that food starts to get a little squashed. You may find that you sit down ravenous to eat, but a few mouthfuls in and you’re full.
Eating too much can lead to heartburn and indigestion, which can be even more uncomfortable than usual when pregnant. Choose smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, as opposed to fewer, large plates of food.
Food safety during pregnancy is essential. As well as the fact that you and your baby need all the nutrients you can get, certain strains of food poisoning or bacteria can be harmful, so taking extra care when preparing food is recommended. This can include:
- Washing your hands before preparing and eating food.
- Ensuring your kitchen is clean to avoid unwanted germs and bacteria.
- Making sure food is cooked properly to avoid bacteria and food poisoning
- Storing food appropriately and being mindful of use-by and expiry dates.
You’ve read advice on:
What to eat when pregnant
What foods to avoid when pregnancy
Food safety during pregnancy
