 For a mother, and father to-be, eating properly is very important.
You are what you eat. Your baby is also what you eat!
What does Diet and Nutition mean?
The word diet has its origins from the Greek word "diaita", which means way of life. During the Paleolithic Era, all people were hunter-gatherers and lived on game animals, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and tubers. There were no crops of cereal foods such as rice and wheat (staples in most societies today) and nobody ate milk products or drank milk after weaning. Potatoes, salt, yeast, legumes, caffeine, processed food and alcohol were also notably absent.
Today the word diet can have a different connotation; it is often used in the sense of weight loss and cutting down of certain elements of your intake.
Diet is the ‘input’ to your body, the total sum of what you eat - liquids and solids.
Nutrition is the benefits of this consumption; how the body uses this ‘input’. It is the taking in and use of food and other nourishing material by the body. Nutrition is a 3-part process. First, food or drink is consumed. Second, the body breaks down the food or drink into nutrients. Third, the nutrients travel through the bloodstream to different parts of the body where they are used as "fuel" and for many other purposes. To give the body proper nutrition, a person has to eat and drink enough of the foods that contain key nutrients.
Nutrition is all about the study of food and how our bodies use food as fuel for growth and daily activities.
A healthy diet is a well balanced diet that leads to good nutrition.
A healthy diet is crucial not just for mother-to-be but also for father-to-be. Click here
What is a Balanced Diet?
There are two areas to consider:
1. Getting the appropriate amount of calories, a balance between the calories that you eat and the calories that you burn.
2. Consuming a combination of various essential nutrients in the correct proportions, this will lead to good nutrition.
These essential nutrients are grouped as follows:
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Fibre
- Minerals
- Protein
- Vitamins
- Water
Obtaining a balance of these nutrients means eating a variety of foods from all of the five basic food groups in the correct proportions. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) uses the commonly accepted food groups to describe a healthy diet:
- Bread, potatoes and other cereals
- Fruit and vegetables
- Milk and dairy products
- Meat, fish and alternatives
- Foods containing fats; foods and drinks containing sugars
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes these dietary guidelines through its new food pyramid; MyPyramid, its food grouping is fairly similar although broadly speaking the fruit and vegetables is spilt into two groups instead of one.
Whichever way these groups are split eliminating one food group from your diet could risk developing a nutrient imbalance and deficiencies.
During pregnancy your requirements for calories and nutrients change.
The FSA recommends guidelines for the intake of each food group that should be eaten. Click here
What are the essential nutrients required for a Balanced Diet?
The major nutrients; carbohydrates, fats and proteins are called ‘macronutrients’; these provide the fibre, minerals and vitamins a body needs to function properly.
To these we need to add water.
There is some argument about the ideal ratios of macronutrient intake and these often follow specific diets or regimes, they range from: 45 to 65% complex carbohydrates, 20 to 35% fats and 10 to 25% protein.
Carbohydrates (also called starch) are the preferred source of fuel, or energy (measured in calories). Carbohydrates are converted into glucose (blood sugar). This form of glucose is the form of sugar that travels in your bloodstream and is a source of fuel for the whole body but more important is the fact that the brain is absolutely dependent on this source of energy; it cannot use any other fuel.
There are two broad classifications:
- Simple carbohydrates which includes sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose)
- Complex carbohydrates which includes starch and fibre.
Simple carbohydrates come from natural and processed food and sugary drinks such as: fruit, cakes, sweets, sugar and soft drinks. Fruit is a natural source of simple carbohydrates and it is better to include these in your diet rather than the refined forms found in processed foods. Processed foods can have a lot of calories and give the body energy but some foods containing refined sugars contain ‘empty’ calories in other words they may provide energy but normally have no other nutritional value. Alcohol for example contains empty calories.
Complex carbohydrates on the other hand give you energy; provide vitamins and minerals and fibre. They should form the largest proportion of your intake from such foods as bread, vegetables, pasta, rice, and chapatti. As well as being rich in most nutrients and fibre they are also low in calories.
Simple sugars were considered bad and complex carbohydrates good but the picture is much more complicated than that.
A new system for classifying carbohydrates calls into question many of the old assumptions about how carbohydrates affect health. This new system, known as the Glycemic Index (GI), measures how fast and how far blood sugar rises after you eat a food that contains carbohydrates. Blood sugar management is very important for your overall health and specifically for the health of your brain.
By monitoring the GI of foods that you eat you can control sugar spikes and even out the rate sugar is metabolised into your blood stream, providing many overall benefits to your health.
For more information on regulating glucose and blood sugars (assessing the GI and GL of foods). Click here
Fat is the most energy dense nutrient. There are different types of fats not all of them are bad.
There are two broad classifications: saturated fats, which are normally solid at room temperature, and, unsaturated fats (mono & polyunsaturated), which tend to be liquid at room temperature.
Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature and tend to come from meat, dairy products and processed foods. These fats have been shown to raise your LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol levels, which are often associated with heart disease.
Unsaturated fats are normally liquid at room temperature and tend to come from vegetables and fish – there are two classifications of unsaturated fats: polyunsaturated fats (good sources are oily fish and safflower, sesame and sunflower oils) and monounsaturated fats (good sources are canola (rapeseed), olive and peanut oils). These fats do not raise your LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol levels but can raise your HDL (‘good’) cholesterol levels. To eat healthier it is best to choose foods containing unsaturated fats.
There is a third grouping that should be mentioned: trans fatty acids. These fats are a consequence of processing; they are fats that have been taken to a high temperature. This can even happen whilst cooking, when oils reach the smoking point, they become trans fatty acids and are no longer good for health, all of the nutritional value of the original oil is lost. These ‘hidden’ fats are associated with high LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol levels. To reduce these harmful fats avoid fast foods, fried foods and baked goods such as biscuits, crisps and pastries.
We must have some fats in our diet, the most important of these are the essential fatty acids that are the polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6. These fats are critical for health and well being of both mother and baby during pregnancy. Essential fatty acids are the building blocks for baby's brain in terms of growth and development, it is necessary to ensure that you have sufficient intake in the right ratio because the body cannot manufacture these very important nutrients.
Oily fish is the best source of omega 3 fatty acids, some omega 3 fatty acids are found in certain vegetable oils but these aren’t the same type as those found in fish. In fact recent evidence suggests that vegetable sources may not have the same health benefits as those in fish
For more information on essential fatty acids, Click here
For more information on achieving the correct balance of omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids, Click here
Try to reduce saturated fats and trans fatty acids in your diet and increase polyunsaturated fats and mono unsaturated fats. Aim for 10% saturated fats, 20% polyunsaturated fats and 60% mono unsaturated fats.
How much fat is too much?
Most food labels contain figures for total fat
- 20g of fat per 100g is a lot of fat
- 3g of fat per 100g is a little fat
Most food labels contain figures for saturated fat
- 5g of saturated fat per 100g is a lot of fat
- 1g of saturated fat per 100g is a little fat
Tips to decrease unnecessary fats in your diet
- Use skimmed milk and low fat yoghurt and cheese
- Replace butter and margarine with low fat spreads
- Order lots of vegetable side dishes and ask that any sauces or butter are left off
- Order fresh fruit or sorbet instead of cake, pie or ice cream desserts
- Reduce red and fatty meats, replace with chicken and fish
- Cut excess fat off of meat
- Bake, grill, microwave or steam, do not fat fry
- If frying use polyunsaturated cooking oil or olive oil
- Avoid crisps, biscuits, cakes and pastries
Fibre (also called roughage) is not an essential nutrient but if added to your diet it helps to digest food. It is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested. Fibre helps bowels work properly and can help weight control (a high fibre diet is usually low in fat and sugar).
It can also slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood.
Fibre comes basically from carbohydrates that cannot be digested and thus cannot be turned into energy. It is only found in the cell walls of plants and so can be found in all of the following: fruits (apples, pears etc.), vegetables (carrots, cabbage etc.), grains & cereals (nuts, seeds, oat meal, wholegrains etc.), rice, pasta and legumes (peas, beans, lentils etc.). Wholegrains come in a number of guises: wholemeal bread, oats, brown rice, pot barley, sweetcorn, pure rye crackers even oat or brown rice cakes.
Suggested consumption levels for fibre is around 20 – 35g / day.
Tips to increase fibre in your diet
- Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice
- Snack on raw vegetables instead of crisps, crackers or chocolate
- Replace white rice and bread with brown rice and wholegrain products
- Substitute meats for legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
Proteins are the building blocks of the body; they are the major structural component of all body tissue. All of the antibodies and enzymes, and many of the hormones in the body are proteins. They are an essential nutrient that helps build many parts of the body, including muscle, bone, skin, and blood.
This makes them critical for growth and repair of the body and to help fight disease. They also provide for the transport of nutrients, oxygen and waste throughout the body to and from body cells.
Proteins can give you energy but they are used for energy only when carbohydrates and fats are not available.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are turned into amino acids by the digestive system. There are 20 amino acids but only 8 cannot be synthesized in the body, these are called indispensable amino acids (IAAs).
Sources of protein: meat, chicken, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, broccoli, brown rice, beans, nuts (specifically almonds), potatoes, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds.
Protein comes from animals and plants. Animal proteins are more complete; meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products provide all 8 IAAs and are more readily used by the body. Although plants do not provide complete proteins this is not a problem for vegans or vegetarians because cereals, nuts, seeds and pulses can be combined to make them more complete and thus provide all 8 IAAs.
For healthier animal proteins choose lean meat do not fry meat; but boil, bake or grill it.
The UK dietary reference tables suggest an intake of 45g for non-pregnant women.
Minerals are essential inorganic elements that are needed by the body in small amounts to help it function properly and stay strong. Your body needs small amounts of about 25 minerals to maintain normal body function and good health. Minerals act as catalysts for many important bodily functions: they help in the production of hormones, the transmission of messages through the brain and nervous system and the utilisation of nutrients in food. They help in the release of energy from food and become part of the skeletal system (bones).
Minerals can be broken down into two basic groups: major, or macro-minerals, and trace, or micro-minerals. The macro-minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium (salt), potassium and phosphorus are needed in fairly substantial amounts for proper health. By comparison, the trace minerals are needed in far smaller quantities and include substances such as copper, chromium, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
Minerals are found in most foods: meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, seafood, grains and cereals.
Your body’s requirement for minerals changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For more information on minerals. Click here
Vitamins are key nutrients that the body needs in small amounts to grow and stay strong. Discovered only in the early 20th century, vitamins are present in tiny amounts but are essential for regulating body functions. There are 13 different vitamins. They are classified as fat-soluble (D, E, A, and K), or water-soluble (B and C). Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and are readily lost in the cooking process they need replacing everyday. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body’s fatty tissues and the liver, so there is a possibility that these could build up to toxic levels over a period of time if intake levels are too high.
Most vitamins cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained through diet or supplements.
Vitamin deficiency is the cause of a multitude of diseases, including scurvy, anaemia, rickets, and birth defects. Sometimes called essential nutrients for human beings. However, they are only required in small amounts.
Vitamins are found in most foods: fruit, vegetables, dairy products, seafood, grains and cereals.
Your body’s requirement for vitamins changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding, for more information on vitamins. Click here
Water is not a nutrient in the classical sense but its importance cannot be adequately stressed, each cell in your body needs it, your body would not function without it. Women are made up of about 60% water, for men it is about 70%. You would die quicker from lack of water than lack of food.
It performs many functions:
- flushes out waste and toxins (through sweat and urine)
- carries other nutrients throughout the body
- contains minerals
- helps you digest food
- helps to control your temperature (through sweat)
Water is found in liquids (milk, juices, water) and some foods (mainly fruits and vegetables).
It is recommended that you drink 6 – 8 glasses of water a day.
There is one major rule: Drink before you get thirsty.
What foods to eat for a Balanced Diet?
The objective is to ensure that your body has all of the nutrients it needs for optimum health. It is important to eat from all of the main food groups as no single food can provide all of the essential nutrients that the body needs.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides dietary guidelines that describe a healthy diet as one that:
- Emphasises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low fat milk and milk products
- Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts
- Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars
Recommendations are very similar from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). Their guidelines for the intake of these major food groups is as follows:
Bread, potatoes and cereals which includes breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, oats, noodles, maize, millet and cornmeal. Beans and pulses can also be eaten as part of this group.
The main nutrients provided by this group are carbohydrates (starch) and fibre, together with some calcium, iron and B vitamins.
You should eat lots from this group, at least 5 to 7 portions per day.
Try to swap more refined products for wholemeal, wholegrain; brown or high fibre versions for example swap white bread for brown wholegrain or white pasta for wholemeal pasta.
Reduce the amount of fried products (chips) and reduce spreads (such as butter or margarine) and creamy sauces (on pasta).
One portion is:
1 medium potato (100g)
½ cup of cooked pasta or rice
½ cup of cold cereal
1 large slice of bread
Fruit and vegetable group which includes all fresh, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables, and dried fruit. Fruit juice is also included. Beans and pulses can also be eaten as part of this group.
The main nutrients provided by this group are vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins and fibre, together with some carbohydrates.
Eat at least five portions per day from this group (fruit juice or beans and pulses count as only one portion (irrespective of how much you eat in a day).
Try to pick fresh fruits and vegetables; processed types can have reduced nutrients.
Try to reduce sauces or cooking in fats, for example roasted parsnips or syrupy dressings such as chocolate sauce on puddings.
One portion is:
1 medium sized fruit (apple, banana, orange or pear etc)
½ cup of vegetables or fruit
1 cup of salad
5 – 6 small carrots
1 glass (150ml) of fruit or vegetable juice
Milk and dairy foods which includes milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais.
Butter, eggs and cream are not included in this group.
The main nutrients provided by this group are: calcium, protein, vitamins A, B12 and D.
Drink or eat these foods in moderation (2 to 3 portions per day), choose low fat versions if you can.
One portion is:
1 cup yoghurt
1 glass (300ml) of low fat milk
½ ounce of cheese
Meat, poultry and alternatives which includes all meat, poultry, fish and egg products, nuts, beans and pulses. This includes all processed types that could be fresh, frozen, canned, for example: baked beans, sausages, beefburgers, pâté and fish cakes.
The main nutrients provided by this group are: iron, protein, B vitamins (particularly B12), zinc and magnesium.
These foods should be eaten moderately (2 portions per day), choose low fat versions if you can. Trim off excess fat from meat.
Aim to eat at least one portion of oily fish such as sardines or salmon each week because of the essential fatty acids that they contain.
For more info on essential fatty acids, click here
One portion is:
3 ounces (80g) cooked meat, poultry or fish
2 eggs
1 cup of beans
1/3 cup of tofu
1/3 cup of nuts
Foods containing fats; foods and drinks containing sugars includes butter, margarine and other spreads, cooking oils, salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream, chocolate, crisps, pastries, cakes, ice cream, gravies, sauces and well as soft drinks, sweets, jams and sugar.
These foods mainly contain fats, sugars, some salt, some may contain essential fatty acids and others provide vitamins, but beware some only contain ‘empty calories’ (all calories and NO nutrients).
Eat these foods sparingly (keep to a minimum) look for low fat alternatives. Foods containing sugar can cause tooth decay but it is even more important to balance sugar intake (to eat the right types of sugars in a controlled way).
For more info on balancing blood sugar levels, Click here
Recommended intake
The amount (portions and intake) that a person requires is affected by their overall energy needs. Different factors can affect your overall energy needs for example: age, being overweight, being physically active and even gender (being a man or woman).
What is most important is that the proportion of food from the five foods groups should be the same, irrespective of the intake.
If you have a particular medical condition you may have specific dietary needs. Always consult a doctor, dietician or nutritionist for advice.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are not a substitute for good diet but women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant may need extra iron, folic acid, zinc and essential fatty acids.
For more information on nutrients required for a balanced diet during pregnancy, Click here
For more information on food for optimum brain development, Click here
What effects do pregnancy and breastfeeding makes to dietary requirements?
The most critical thing about dietary requirements during pregnancy is that you should start to consider these BEFORE conception. Changing your diet when you find out that you are pregnant may be too late, critical development of your baby may have already occurred.
Follow a balanced diet; eat from all of the major food groups. Keep the proportions right i.e. the right ratio of fruit & vegetables vs. milk products etc. Our diet today tends to have too much fat and too little fibre for some a small shift can mean a major health benefit.
It is important to eat from all of the five main food groups as no single food can provide all of the essential nutrients that the body needs.
Key tips:
- A good variety of food intake
- Plenty of fruits, grains and vegetables
- Ensure EFA levels are adequate
- Drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water a day
- Reduce fat intake, especially saturated and trans fatty acids
- Reduce sugar intake
- Reduce salt intake
- Eliminate alcohol, smoking and drugs
Tips to balance omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids, Click here
Tips to balance blood sugars, Click here
For more detailed information on diet before, during and after pregnancy, Click here
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