If there is one point in life that a woman is willing to pay keen attention to nutrition, it is the time when she is pregnant. The awesome responsibility that dawns on an expectant mother that she is the sole source of nourishment for the little one growing in her womb, often makes her want to spruce up her plate.
And, our Abbott Straw Poll of pregnant mothers shows that:
Give your child the gift of health
It is well known that what a mother eats during pregnancy provides the vital nutrients to support baby's growth and development. But, new science suggests that the impact of maternal nutrition goes far beyond maternal and foetal nourishment and affects health of the infant into adult years.
So here are some practical tips to help you shape up your diet plan and nourish your baby in the womb.
Eat a wide variety of wholesome foods patterned after the Healthy Diet Pyramid to help you provide the nutrients that baby and you need.
| Food Group | Daily Food Servings Recommended | Examples of 1 serving |
Be on the quest for the best... | |
| First Trimester | Second & Third Trimester | |||
| Rice and Alternatives | 5 - 6 | 6 - 7 |
• 2 slices bread • ½ rice-bowl cooked rice • ½ rice-bowl noodle • 1 bowl porridge • 4 plain biscuits |
• Wholegrains • More fibre • Less fat • Less salt / sodium • Less sugar |
| Fruit | 2 | 2 |
• 1 small apple / orange / pear • 1 wedge of papaya / watermelon / pineapple • 1 cup (250 ml) juice |
• Fresh • Vitamin C rich fruit like oranges, lemons, pomelos • Brightly coloured fruit for beneficial plant pigments such as carotenes. • With skin (if skin is edible) • No added sugar |
| Vegetables | 2 | 2 |
• ¾ mug (100g) cooked vegetables • 1 - 1½ cups of raw leafy vegetables |
• Varied and brightly coloured vegetables for beneficial plant pigments such as carotenes. • Fresh or lightly cooked to preserve nutrients • Less added fat or coconut milk • Less salt / sodium |
| Milk and Milk Products | 1 | 2 |
• 2 cups milk • 2 slices cheese • 2 cups yogurt |
• Non fat or low fat • Fortified with calcium and vitamin D |
| Meat and Alternatives | 1 - 2 | 2 - 3 |
• 1 palm-sized piece cooked meat (meat includes meat, fish and chicken) • 5 medium fish balls • 1 block tofu |
• Fresh, lean meat • Skinless poultry • Less fat • Less salt / sodium |
• Limit the "extras"
Soft drinks, desserts, fried foods, cheese, whole fresh milk, and fatty meats contain a lot of fat and / or sugar. This will help you gain the right amount of weight through pregnancy – not too little or too much.
• Include an appropriate maternal nutrition supplement
During pregnancy, your needs increase for several vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, calcium, iron and zinc among many others as well as DHA and choline. This makes it difficult to get all that you need from food. Take a prenatal supplement such as maternal milk instead of individual vitamins or minerals. This ensures that you and your baby get balanced amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.