B. HEALTHY EATING
When you are pregnant, you are nourishing yourself and your baby. It is, therefore, important to learn how to make good food choices.
Variety is the key to healthy eating. Since there is no perfect food, you need to balance the foods you eat. Certain foods must be consumed in moderation so as not to harm your health or the health of your baby.
Make a habit of eating regularly. If you find it difficult to eat three meals a day, try eating smaller, lighter meals and snacks more often. The important thing is to plan your meals so that you will eat foods necessary for both you and your baby. Try to choose from at least three different Food Groups when preparing a meal, and from two Food Groups for a snack.
Pregnant women should eat breakfast as soon as they get up in the morning. Since you have not eaten from the time you went to bed the night before, you need to eat healthy food in order to get the energy necessary to get going again.
a. Canada's Food Guide
Canada's Food Guide will help you make healthy food choices for you and your baby.
What should I eat?
Canada’s Food Guide includes lots of ideas for ways to eat healthier. By clicking on any of the links below, you will be directed to more information on that topic.
To eat well you should:
How much should I eat?
How much you need to eat depends on how much weight you need to gain, how active you are, and your own personal eating style. Remember to listen to your body. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Click on this link for ways to be more mindful of your eating habits.
In your second and third trimester, you will need to eat a little more. This can include an extra snack each day. Snacks can include a couple of healthy foods and a healthy drink. Examples of some healthy snacks include an apple and a glass of milk or veggie sticks and hummus. Click on this link for other healthy snack ideas.
Healthy Eating Habits
Besides the foods you choose, other things that can help you eat healthier are:
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Recipes for breakfast, lunch/dinner and snacks.
1. Vegetables and Fruits
Have plenty of vegetables and fruits
When putting together a healthy meal, half of your plate should include vegetables and fruits. Include vegetables and fruits at every meal and snack.
Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. Colourful vegetables and fruits are richer in certain important nutrients. Enjoy salads, broccoli, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, and oranges.
Vegetables and fruits can be eaten fresh, raw, slightly cooked, canned, or frozen.
Choose canned vegetables with little or no sodium added. You can drain and rinse to lower the sodium. Choose canned fruit with little or no added sugar.
Fruit juice is high in sugar. Have a glass of water instead with whole or cut vegetables or fruits.
Make it easy to snack on vegetables and fruits by washing and slicing them ahead of time. Prepare extra vegetables when you’re making a meal, then freeze or refrigerate so it’s easy to add them next time. For other ideas to help you eat more vegetables and fruits, click on this link.
Test Your Knowledge
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| Why is it important to eat vegetables and fruits. The following exercise will help you to discover their importance. Select and slide each term to its proper place. |
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Folic acid
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Fibre
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Vitamin A
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Iron
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Vitamin C
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| Nutrient | Functions | |||||
| Helps to produce red blood cells and to build your baby's blood and tissues. | ||||||
| Helps build bones and teeth and keeps eyes and skin healthy. | ||||||
| Keeps your gums and blood vessels healthy and helps you fight infections. | ||||||
| Your baby stores his or her own reserves which will last for the first four to six months of his or her life. Necessary for your blood to be healthy. | ||||||
| Helps your bowels to function well. Necessary for health in general. | ||||||
2. Whole Grain Foods
Choose whole grain foods
One quarter of your healthy meal should be whole grains.
Whole grain products such as wheat, oats, barley, and rye are healthy choices because they are high in fibre.
Enriched products are good because certain vitamins and minerals that are lost during transformation have been
added.
Look for the words “whole grain” or “whole wheat” on the ingredient list.
Some grain foods like breads and muffins, crackers and pasta dishes can have a lot of added sodium, sugars or
saturated fats.
Try whole grain cereals, crackers or pita bread with snacks.
Test Your Knowledge
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| Why is it important to eat whole grain foods? The following exercise will help you to discover their importance. Select and slide each term to its proper place. |
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Vitamin B
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Fibre
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Iron
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Carbohydrates
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| Nutrient | Functions | |||||
| Gives energy and help transform fat into energy. | ||||||
| Helps your body transform food into energy. Helps keep your eyes, skin, nervous system and appetite healthy. It is also important for growth and development. | ||||||
| Your baby stores his or her own reserves which will last for the first four to six months of his or her life. Necessary for your blood to be healthy. | ||||||
| Helps your bowels to function well. Necessary for health in general. | ||||||
3. Protein Foods
Eat protein foods
One quarter of your meal or plate should be protein foods. This can include lower fat unsweetened milk or soy beverage.
Protein foods are an important part of healthy eating. Include foods such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, lean meats and poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, lower fat milk and lower fat dairy products. Some protein foods, like lean meats, are high in iron. Other protein foods, like milk, are high in calcium. Make sure that each meal contains a source of protein.
Among the sources of high quality protein, don't forget eggs, which are economical.
Fish is a protein food that contains the healthy omega-3 fats DHA and EPA. Pregnant or breastfeeding women or women who could become pregnant, should eat fish to get DHA. Some larger fish may contain mercury. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or could become pregnant, you should avoid or rarely eat fish that are high in mercury (maximum 150 g or about 2 cups per month). This includes fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughly and escolar. Canned white tuna, or albacore, should be limited to no more than 300 g per week (or 4 cups). You do not need to limit the amount of canned light tuna, which is lower in mercury and usually costs less.
Protein foods include milk, soy beverage, and dairy products. Certain milk products have less fat and energy but still provide high quality protein and calcium. If you do not like milk products or cannot eat them, talk it over with a registered dietitian who can advise you how to get the necessary calcium.
Include proteins that come from plants, such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. These protein foods are often less expensive and are high in fibre and low in saturated fat. For ideas to help you eat more proteins that come from plants, visit this Canada’s Food Guide link.
Test Your Knowledge
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| The following exercise will help you to discover the importance of protein foods. Select and slide each term to its proper place. |
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Protein
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Calcium
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Iron
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Vitamin D
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Fibre
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Folic acid
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| Nutrient | Functions | |||||
| Builds and repairs all parts of the body and helps to fight infection. | ||||||
| Builds strong bones and teeth. | ||||||
| Your baby stores his or her own reserves which will last for the first four to six months of his or her life. Necessary for your blood to be healthy. | ||||||
| Helps your bowels to function well. Necessary for health in general. | ||||||
| Builds bones and teeth and keeps them strong. It also helps the nervous system to function well and blood to clot. | ||||||
| Helps to produce red blood cells and to build your baby's blood and tissues. | ||||||
4. Healthy Eating Habits
Healthy eating is more than the foods you eat. It is also about where, when, why and how you eat.
It is just as important to think about your eating habits as the foods you choose. Here are some things you can do to follow healthy eating habits:
Be mindful of your eating habits.
This means being aware of: how, why, what, when, where and how much you eat.
Take your time to eat. Pay attention to when you’re hungry and when you’re full. Make it easy to eat healthier by having healthy food and drinks available.
Cooking can help you to learn new skills, eat less processed foods, eat more whole foods prepared in a healthy way, and save money. You can save time cooking by preparing bigger batches and freezing or refrigerating the left-overs. Plan what to make for your meals and snacks ahead of time.
Canada’s Food Guide has recipes for breakfast, lunch/dinner and snacks.
Take the time to enjoy the textures and flavours of your food. Put away distractions while you’re eating, to focus on your food and connect with the other people at the table. Change things up by trying new foods or meals from different cultures.
You can still enjoy healthy meals by taking the time to plan ahead if you’re eating on a budget.
Eating with others can make meals more enjoyable. If you live on your own, consider planning a regular meal with family, friends or neighbours.
Use food labels to make healthier choices. You can use the nutrition facts table to compare calories, nutrients and % daily values (% DV). The % DV can help you know whether a serving has a little or a lot of a nutrient. Aim for 5% DV or less for nutrients like sodium and 15% DV or higher for healthier nutrients like calcium. The list of ingredients can also be helpful because it lists everything that’s in the product, starting with the ingredients in the highest amount.
Limit foods high in sodium, sugars or saturated fat. Too much of these foods can be harmful to your health and can replace the healthy foods your baby needs to grow. The best way to cut back on sodium, sugars and fats is to eat less processed foods and prepare more of your meals from whole foods. Replace sugary drinks with water or unsweetened lower fat milk or soy beverage. Canada’s food guide offers ideas for naturally flavouring your water if you’re looking for a change.
Be aware of marketing. Marketing is often used to promote foods higher in sodium, sugars or saturated fat. Advertisements can mislead you to convince you to buy their product. Instead, read the nutrition facts table and list of ingredients to decide if a product is a healthy choice for you.
Test Your Knowledge
Think about the last meal or snack that you had.
Can you describe:
how you ate?
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did you eat slowly?
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were you distracted?
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did you eat with others?
why you ate?
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were you hungry?
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was it offered to you?
what you ate?
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what food and drink did you have?
when you ate?
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what time was it?
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how long had it been since the last time you ate?
where you ate?
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were you in a space meant for eating?
how much you ate?
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how much food and drink did you have?
Being able to recall and describe answers to these questions means you were likely being mindful of your eating habits.
Source: Canada’s Food Guide
b. Important Vitamins and Minerals
Calcium, Vitamin D, Folic Acid, and Iron are very important for your baby's growth and development. You will need more of these elements than usual during pregnancy. The best way to be sure you are getting enough is to eat a variety of foods every day and follow Canada's Food Guide eat well plate.
1. Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium and Vitamin D are essential to help your baby build strong bones and teeth.
The following table contains easy tricks to add more Calcium and Vitamin D to your diet.
Drinking at least two cups of milk every day will help you get more Vitamin D. Other milk products like cheese aren't enriched with Vitamin D, but some yogurts are.
2. Iron
Iron is necessary to build red blood cells. During pregnancy you need more iron to allow your baby to develop good reserves of iron which will last him or her for the first four to six months of life.
The following table contains easy tricks to add more Iron to your diet.
Vitamin C helps your body to use the iron in vegetables, fruits, grain products, and legumes. Eat foods rich in Vitamin C at the same time as iron-rich foods.
The main sources of Vitamin C are:
- oranges, grapefruits and their juices
- tomatoes and tomato juice
- cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli.
3. Folic Acid
Taking folic acid at least 3 months before you get pregnant and for the entire pregnancy will help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Your body does not store folic acid so you need to be sure to get enough every day.
It is recommended that all women of childbearing age, (that is from the start of menstruation to the end of menopause):
- eat foods which are good sources of folic acid every day (asparagus, broccoli...).
- take a multi-vitamin containing 0.4mg of folic acid every day (supplements containing more than 1 mg folic acid are not recommended)
The following table features easy tricks to add more folic acid to your food.
Folic acid is destroyed by heat, air, and water. Be sure to keep fruits and vegetables refrigerated. Eat raw fruits and vegetables whenever you can. When you cook fruits and vegetables, use as little water as possible. Try steaming your vegetables instead of boiling them.
c. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Many people think that if they take vitamin or mineral supplements they don't have to worry about what they eat. This is not true. Your body needs more than 50 different nutrients every day. No vitamin pill or mineral supplement can give you all these nutrients in the right amounts.
If you are having difficulty meeting your nutritional needs during pregnancy, you may need supplements. Do not take vitamins or any kind of supplement before discussing with your health care provider.
If you need a supplement, think of it as medication. Follow the directions, and keep out of children's reach.
Remember that the best of supplements cannot replace a healthy diet.
d. Water
While not part of a food group, water keeps your body healthy.
Water helps regulate your body temperature. It moves vitamins and minerals to where your body needs them and helps to keep your bowels regular. Water prevents constipation by helping the fibre in your food do its job.
During your pregnancy, it is important to drink lots of water . You need eight to ten glasses of liquid every day including water. Drink water instead of pop, fruit punch, or coffee.
If your water comes from a city or town water supply, you can almost be sure that it is safe.
If you get your water from a well, it's important to have it tested. It may contain substances that could affect your health and the health of your baby.
Contact your Public Health office for information about testing your well water.
e. Fibre
"It is always a good idea to choose foods high in fibre."
Constipation is a common problem during pregnancy. Fibre is a natural laxative and will help to prevent constipation. When eating foods high in fibre, be sure to drink lots of fluid to keep the fibre soft.
Higher fibre foods include :
- whole grain breads and cereals
- vegetables and fruits
- dried peas, beans, and lentils.
Staying active is also a good way to prevent constipation. Consult Module 2 for more information.
f. Vegetarian Eating
There are different types of vegetarian diets. Certain vegetarians avoid all foods that come from animals. Others eat eggs and dairy products. If you are vegetarian, you can get the nourishment you and your baby need. However, there are a few things that you should know.
To ensure adequate nutrient intake vegetarians can choose either milk or fortified soy beverages and a variety of meats and alternatives such as beans, lentils, eggs, tofu, soy-based meat substitutes, nuts, nut butters and seeds.
As soon as you find out you are pregnant you should speak with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to ensure you are getting all of the nutrients needed.
for more information.
g. Cravings and Aversions
While pregnant, you may find that there are certain foods that you crave. You cannot seem to get enough of them.
There may be other foods that you have trouble smelling, tasting or looking at. Just thinking about them can make you feel sick.
Test Your Knowledge
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The following exercise will help you understand cravings and aversions that you may experience during pregnancy and to find possible solutions.
Click on the option button which corresponds to the correct answer and verify your answer by clicking on the "Check" button.
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1 |
If I feel like eating chocolate, it is because my body needs it. |
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2 |
If I crave something that is good for me and my baby, I can go ahead and enjoy. |
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3 |
If I crave for less nutritious foods like chips, I can eat as much as I want. |
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4 |
If the smell of foods cooking makes you feel sick, the only solution is to avoid these foods. |