Nutrition During Pregnancy

 

 

A heathy diet during pregnancy supports your child’s growth and development. This article explains what nutrients you need during pregnancy, what foods contain these nutrients, and foods you should avoid during pregnancy.

 

When you’re pregnant, make you get enough of the essential nutrients below.

 

Iron helps your unborn baby build up an iron reserve. When it’s born, it will use the stored iron until it can eat solid foods. Foods high in iron include leafy greens, beets, green peas, whole grain cereals, cooked mussels and clams, pumpkin seeds, cashews and hazelnuts.

 

Foliac acid reduces your child’s risk of developing a brain or spinal cord defect. This nutrient is found in dark green leafy vegetables, bananas, pasta, lentils, beans, and different nuts.

 

Calcium is crucial for bone, cell, heart and nerve development. It’s found in oranges, broccoli, kale and swiss chard. Calcium is also in canned salmon, almonds, baked beans, low-fat milk, walnuts, and soy beverages.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for forming the baby’s brain, eyesight and nervous system. Fatty fishes, walnuts, chia and hemp seeds, eggs, and yogurt also contain these nutrients.

 

Finally, fibre helps with digestion. It can be found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, bran cereal and whole grain foods.

 

When you’re pregnant, limit your intake of caffeine and tuna and avoid the following foods when they’re unpasteurized: cheeses, milk, yogurt, juice and honey.

 

Simultaneously, heat up ready-to-eat meat products to ensure no dangerous bacteria is in them. 

 

For more information on nutrition during pregnancy, feel free to contact our Dietician, Caroline Doucet, at caroline.dourcet@nisgaahealth.bc.ca. She can also help create a personalized pregnancy meal plan for you as well.