Simple Food Rules For Your Pregnancy Diet

Simple Food Rules For Your Pregnancy Diet
July 30, 2018 Nicola
healthy food rules for a healthy pregnancy diet

Sometimes eating the right food for pregnancy can feel very complicated – there are lots of foods that are essential for your pregnancy diet, foods you should avoid during pregnancy and a whole raft of vitamins that you need for pregnancy nutrition.

We’ve put together some basic rules to keep it simple and help you decide what to eat for a healthy pregnancy!

  1. Eat real food when you’re pregnant

    That is – avoid food that has been concocted in a factory, processed by scientists not cooks.  If you don’t recognise the ingredients as food, don’t eat it.

 

  1. Go for a whole rainbow of colours

    A healthy pregnancy diet should include as many different colours of fruit and veg as you can – think carrots  rich in beta-carotene; lemons full of vitamin C or fibre-rich golden sweetcorn;  green leafy vegetables crammed with folic acid; blueberries bursting with antioxidants; water-melon packed with vitamins and minerals …..so much colour, so much pregnancy goodness!

rainbow of healthy food for pregnancy
  1. Go for lots of different tastes and textures

    We’re not talking about complicated recipes (although don’t let us put you off if that’s what you enjoy).  Think fresh crisp vitamin-packed salads; crunchy nuts full of fibre, fats and minerals;  creamy yogurts and dairy products with oodles of calcium; a lean juicy steak full of pregnancy protein; warm, soft sweet potatoes oozing beta-carotene;  oily fish with lots of Omega-3.
    Get the idea?  Including different food types helps to ensure you have everything you need for a healthy pregnancy diet.

 

  1. Buy your snacks from a veggie shop – not a sweet shop!

    Or make your own pregnancy snacks from dried fruits and nuts and keep them handy so you’re not tempted to tuck into a bag of sweets – or reconstituted corn and chemicals

energy balls full of protein and vitamins
  1. Grains are good

    White flour doesn’t offer any of the benefits of whole grains, unless there have been supplements added.  Choose brown bread over white, wholemeal pastas over white and enjoy the added fibre, B Vitamins and healthy fats that whole grains provide.  Think constipation and pregnancy piles and reach for a wholegrain loaf.

 

  1. Avoid chemical additives

    If food contains ingredients with unpronounceable names that you wouldn’t keep on your kitchen shelf you can be sure it’s been added to make the food look right, taste different or last longer.  Where did you read  E219 (Sodium methyl para-hydroxybenzoate) or E110 (sunset yellow) are good for pregnancy nutrition?  We’re not saying they will harm you or your baby – just that we’d avoid eating them!

healthy pregnancy breakfast to start your day right
  1. Don’t skip breakfast

    A good night’s sleep (or even an interrupted night’s sleep) means you’ve probably gone for at least 7 or 8 hours without a proper meal.  You need to break your fast – especially as your baby will help herself to what she needs.   Make sure neither of you are missing out on essential pregnancy nutrition and make time for breakfast.  Our power porridge is full of slow release energy to keep you fuelled throughout the morning or go for protein rich eggs.