What kind of dietary changes are required in pregnancy
Q. What kind of dietary changes are required in pregnancy?
Answer.
General healthy well-balanced meals must be continued into and after pregnancy.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
- Foods should be carefully cooked. Grilling, steaming and stir-frying are preferable to roasting, frying and boiling. Try to cook lightly to preserve nutrient value.
- Frequent small meals are better than large meals. They are easier to digest and you feel less uncomfortable.
- Eat a wide variety of foods.
- Use normal amounts of iodised salt.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
- Take foods containing iron with foods containing vitamin C, as vitamin C helps absorb iron. Ideally, build up your iron supply before pregnancy.
- It is useful to keep a record of what you eat over a 24 to 48 hour period.
- If you are worried about your diet consult your caregiver.
It is important to ensure an adequate intake of foods containing folic acid. The richest source of folic acid is organ meat, however, it is present in a variety of fruits and vegetables, wholegrain breads, lentils and legumes, meat and poultry. Doctors usually recommend a supplement that contains folic acid.
