Keeping healthy when you are having a baby may depend on both the amount and the type of food you eat before you become pregnant and during your pregnancy.

Simply being a correct weight for your height does not necessarily mean that you are eating healthily. Some foods are best avoided if you are planning to become pregnant or if you are already pregnant, as they may contain substances that could affect your baby’s development.

To eat healthily, you should aim to do the following:

Base your meals on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta, choosing
wholegrain if possible.

Eat at least five portions of different fruit and vegetables every day. Potatoes do not count towards your five-a-day target, and a portion of pure fruit juice only counts as one of yourfive-a-day, no matter how much you drink.

Eat as little fried food as possible and avoid drinks that are high in added sugars and otherfoods such as sweets, cakes and biscuits that have a high fat or sugar content.

Instead, eat fibre-rich foods such as oats, beans, lentils, grains and seeds.

Eat some protein every day; choose lean meat, and try to eat two portions of fish a week. If you do not eat meat or fish, lentils, beans, nuts, eggs and tofu are also good sources of protein.

If you feel hungry between meals, chose healthier snacks such as vegetables, small
sandwiches, fresh or dried fruit.

Eat dairy foods for calcium or dairy alternatives, which are calcium-fortified and
unsweetened.

Watch the portion size of your meals and snack. Avoid ‘eating for two’.

Try to eat breakfast.

Limit your caffeine intake to as little as possible, and less than 200 milligrams (mg) per day,for example two mugs of instant coffee. Be aware that other drinks such as tea and energy drinks also contain caffeine. Ideally avoid caffeine or switch to decaffeinated versions of tea and coffee. This is because new evidence has shown that caffeine in pregnancy can be linked to pregnancy complications such as low birth weight, miscarriage and stillbirth.

Most women do not need any extra calories during the first six months of pregnancy. It is only in the last 12 weeks that they need to eat a little more, and then only an extra 200 calories a day, which is roughly the same as two slices of bread/ one banana.

Please note;

In general, eating fish is a healthy option during pregnancy, but the current advice from the Department of Health is to eat no more than two portions of oily fish, such as mackerel or salmon, a week. This is because too much of a substance found in oily fish (mercury) can be harmful to your baby’s development. Also, pregnant women should not eat more than two fresh tuna steaks or four medium-sized cans of tuna a week, and should avoid eating shark, swordfish or marlin.

You can eat peanuts or foods containing peanuts (such as peanut butter) while pregnant or breastfeeding. Eating peanuts does not appear to affect your baby’s chances of developing a peanut allergy. Avoid eating them if you are allergic to them.

Liver can contain high levels of vitamin A, which in high doses can harm the development of your baby’s nervous system. It is rare for women in developed countries like the UK to be deficient in vitamin A so you should avoid eating foods such as liver and liver products like pâté.

You can pick up some infections, such as listeria, salmonella or toxoplasmosis, from contaminated food. These can harm your baby if you catch these infections while you are pregnant.

To reduce your risk of getting Listeriosis;

drink only pasteurised or UHT milk
avoid eating ripened soft cheese such as Camembert, Brie or blue-veined cheese; however, hard cheese varieties such as Cheddar, cottage cheese and processed cheese are safe avoid eating pâté
avoid eating undercooked food; make sure that ready-prepared meals are cooked as per instructions, paying particular attention to making sure that they are piping hot when reheating. 

To reduce your risk of getting Salmonella;

Avoid eating raw or partially cooked eggs that have not been produced under the British Lion code (for example in mayonnaise, soufflé or mousse). It is safe to eat these eggs once they are cooked until the white and the yolk are hard.

Eggs produced under the British Lion Code of Practice are safe for pregnant women to eat raw or partially cooked, because they come from hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella. These eggs will have a red lion stamp on their shell and are safe to eat raw or partially cooked (eg. As soft-boiled eggs).

Avoid eating raw or partially cooked meat, especially poultry and shellfish.

To reduce your risk of getting Toxoplasmosis;

• always wash your hands before and after handling food
• wash all fruit and vegetables, including ready-prepared salads
• cook raw meats and ready-prepared chilled meats thoroughly
• wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after gardening or handling soil
• avoid contact with cat faeces (in cat litter or in soil) – or, if you must handle it, wear
  rubber gloves.

Hope you found this information helpful.