Foods to Enjoy in Pregnancy and Their Functions

A quick reminder of important vitamins, minerals and food groups in pregnancy; explaining what they do and where we can find them. Efforts have been made to include culturally diverse food source examples I’ve learnt from supporting women from around the globe.

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS ARE..

Proteins: “building blocks of life” vital in growth and repair, responsible for providing energy and antibodies.
Found in: Beans, pulses, eggs, milk, yogurt, chicken, turkey, fish, red meat, soya, nuts, pumpkin seeds, Seitan, Nutritional Yeast, Hempseed, Green Peas, Edamame, Oats, Chia Seeds, Nut Butters, Quinoa, dates, hemp seed sesame seed.

Vitamin D: regulates calcium absorption and is synthesised in the skin by the suns rays 20-30 min of exposure to sunlight per day, 3-6 longer if you have darker skin.
Found in: oily fish and breakfast cereals.

Iron: essential for the formation of haemoglobin (which is the “bus” in your Red blood cells that carry oxygen around you and your baby’s body. Requirements will go up in pregnancy to support Your heart and growing baby. This is normal.
Found in: Beans, lentils, pulses, soya, tofu, pumpkin, nuts, seeds, spinach, kale, tomato paste, white mushrooms, olives, coconut milk, dark chocolate, dried thyme sprinkle on meals, dates.

Vitamin B: needed for your body to turn food into energy. Essential for making DNA, cell division and supports and maintains the nervous system due to the amount of energy required to fuel it.
Found in: brown rice, barley, millet, bananas, avocado, broccoli, spinach, kai lan, red meat, poultry, fish, sunflower seeds, almonds, beans, lentils, Fortified breakfast cereal, eggs, milk and cheese, nori, shiitake mushrooms, nutritional yeast.

Complex carbohydrates: Starches and sugars that provide the body with energy. Stored in muscles and liver and under skin. Takes longer to breakdown than simple carbs so provides lasting sustainable energy. Found in: quinoa, black beans, kidney beans, apples, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, bananas, wholewheat pasta, pumpkin, buckwheat, taro, beetroot, yoghurt, cassava, carrots, corn, brown rice, lentils, oats, dates.

Vitamin C: an antioxidant vital in collagen production for connective tissues.
Found in: Moringa tea, Sorrel, Broccoli, Kale, Brussel sprouts has a lot (!), sweet yellow peppers, strawberries, pawpaw, cranberries, beetroot, parsley, pickled cabbage, berries.

Water: what we are largely made up from, it provides our internal systems with the perfect moist environment for nutrients to circulate around the body, keeps you cool, dilutes toxins and more is required during physical exertion - which is throughout pregnancy, labour and postnatal period.

For more full PDF document on foods in pregnancy, download below.