Good nutrition is important during pregnancy. A nutritious diet will help you meet
the rapidly growing needs of your baby, maintain your health and prepare you for
lactation. However, you do not have to eat for two. All you need is a well-balanced
diet.
A Balanced Diet
Diet Mothers should eat a variety of food from the 4 food groups, namely, rice and
alternatives, fruits, vegetables, and meat and alternatives. This is because different
food groups contain different types of nutrients. For instance, meat and alternatives
are rich in protein but have no Vitamin C. Choosing a variety of foods ensures that
you get the right balance of nutrients from the 4 food groups.
Additional Nutrients Needs
Iron
- Iron is essential during pregnancy to prevent the mother from being anaemic (a
condition of insufficient red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood). An anaemic
mother tends to look pale and feels tired easily.
- Additional intake also helps to build up the baby's iron stores, in order to last
baby for the 1st 6 months of life. Iron is found in liver, meat, fish, beancurd,
wholegrain cereals, green leafy vegetables and eggs.
Folic acid
- This is needed for cell growth and cell reproduction. Cells are basic building
blocks for tissues. Since folic acid is involved in the formation of blood, a deficiency
in folic acid can also cause the mother to be anaemic. Folic acid is found in green
leafy vegetables, liver, yeast extract, eggs, nuts, wholegrain cereals and oranges.
Vitamin C
- We need this vitamin every day because our body cannot store it. Vitamin C increases
your body’s ability to absorb iron. It is important to note that Vitamin C and folic
acid are easily destroyed by cooking and heat. Vitamin C can be found in fruits
especially oranges, guavas, papayas, kiwis, lemons, as well as vegetables.
- To prevent destruction of Vitamin C, avoid storing fruits and vegetables for long
periods of time. You should also avoid peeling and cutting them as Vitamin C is
lost with prolonged exposure to air.
- Vegetables should also be cooked in small amounts of water to prevent water-soluble
nutrients like Vitamin C to be leached out into the cooking water, and in as short
a time as possible.
Calcium
During pregnancy, you need more calcium to maintain your own calcium stores as well
as for the development of your baby's bones and teeth. Your calcium requirement
during pregnancy is 1000 mg a day, which can be met through consuming 2 – 4 servings
of milk and alternatives a day.
Weight Gain
Mothers should not gain excessive weight during pregnancy. During pregnancy, an
additional 300 calories per day is required.
You can obtain the additional 300 calories from any one of the following :
- 2 slices of bread with cheese and margarine
- ½ extra bowl of rice for lunch and dinner
- 1 chicken curry bun and 1 bowl tauhuay
It is not necessary to calculate your calorie intake per day. Use your weight gain
as a guide. Pregnant women should aim for an average of 0.45 kg a week during the
2nd and 3rd trimesters for a total weight gain of 11 - 15 kg. However, if you were
overweight before your pregnancy, you should only gain 6 - 9 kg.
To control excessive weight gain, you should limit sugary foods such as sweets and
sweetened drinks. You should also reduce your fat intake by eating less fried foods,
chocolate and kuehs. Other ways of reducing fat intake include : removing the skin
and fat on poultry, and removing fat from meat before eating, opting for soup noodles
instead of fried noodles, and boiling, steaming or grilling foods instead of deep
frying.
Dietary Guide
|
Food |
Recommended no. of servings |
Example of 1 Serving |
Remarks |
|
Rice and alternatives |
6 - 7 |
1 medium bowl rice/noodles
2 slices bread
3 pieces chappati
1 medium potato
1 cup oats/cereal |
|
|
Fruits |
2 |
1 wedge papaya/honeydew
1 small apple/pear/orange |
|
|
Vegetables |
2 |
¾ mug (100 g) cooked vegetables
|
Include at least 1 green leafy vegetable daily |
|
Protein |
2 |
1 medium drumstick
100 g (1 palm-sized piece) lean meat/fish
1 egg = 1/3 serving
¾ cup cooked beans/lentils
2 small squares beancurd |
Limit egg yolks to 4 a week if you have high cholesterol levels |
|
Milk and alternatives |
2 - 4 |
1 cup milk or high-calcium soybean milk 2 slices cheese
1 small tub yoghurt |
Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products. |
The information is provided by KK Hospital - Singapore’s leading Women and Children’s
Hospital. Please visit www.kkh.com.sg for more information.
