Download Foods to eat if you`re pregnant or thinking about

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Thinking about
having a baby?
Healthy babies begin with healthy moms!
The foods you eat before you become pregnant are
important to help you and your baby be as healthy
as possible. Eating well now will ensure that your
baby gets all of the vitamins and minerals required
in the early weeks of development.
Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide helps you
choose the foods that will give you the nutrition you
need in preparation for pregnancy. Every day, eat a
variety of foods from each of the four food groups:
• Vegetables and Fruit: 7-8 servings of a variety
of vegetables and fruit
• Grain Products: 6-7 servings emphasizing on whole
grains more often
• Milk and Alternatives: 2* servings of lower fat milk,
cheese, yogurt or enriched soy beverages
• Meat and Alternatives: 2 servings of poultry, fish,
Important nutrients for you and your baby
Folic Acid
Folic acid, also known as folate or folacin, is a vitamin
needed both before you conceive and during pregnancy.
This vitamin helps reduce the baby’s risk of developing a
type of birth defect, called neural tube defect, which
affects the brain and spinal cord. If neural tube defects
occur, they happen in the first month of pregnancy, likely
before you even know you are pregnant! This is why it is
so important to make sure you’re getting enough folic
acid every day before you get pregnant. Cooked asparagus, cooked spinach, romaine lettuce, kidney beans,
chickpeas, lentils, orange juice and sunflower seeds are
some excellent sources of folic acid.
lean meat, dried peas, beans, lentils, eggs or tofu.
*Females under age 19 require 3-4 servings of Milk and
Alternatives each day
Since it is difficult to get enough folic acid from food alone,
Pregnant and breastfeeding women need more
and mineral supplement that contains 0.4 mg (or 400 µg) of
calories. For most women, this means an extra two
folic acid before becoming pregnant and in the early weeks
or three Food Guide Servings from any of the food
of pregnancy. Make sure the supplement contains no more
groups each day in addition to their recommended
than 1 mg (or 1000 µg) of folic acid unless your physician
number of Food Guide Servings per day.
recommends otherwise. Talk to your health care professional
Use Canada’s Food Guide to help you determine how
about taking a multivitamin supplement before you become
much food is in “one serving”. For more information,
pregnant.
women of childbearing age should take a daily multivitamin
visit www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide.
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Important nu
Iron
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During pregnancy, your requirement for iron increases
Other things to think about when planning
a healthy pregnancy
from 18 mg to 27 mg per day. This extra iron will
Weight – A healthy lifestyle with regular, enjoyable
be used to make red blood cells that carry oxygen
physical activity and healthy eating will help you
through your own body and to your growing baby.
achieve a healthy body weight. You can determine if
Feeling tired may be the first sign that you are low in
you are at a healthy weight by learning your body
iron. Start to build up your iron stores now by eating
mass index (BMI), which is a ratio of weight to height.
more whole grain and iron-enriched breakfast cereals,
Visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca and search “BMI” to learn more.
lean meats, dried peas and beans, dark green
Caffeine – Caffeine crosses into the baby’s blood
vegetables, dried fruits and nuts.
when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Take a
To help your body better absorb the iron from plant-
look at your caffeine intake and keep it to less than
based foods, eat them with foods that are high in
300 mg a day. Instead of caffeinated beverages, drink
vitamin C such as berries, tomatoes, peppers, orange
water, milk, soup and fruit and vegetable juices
juice, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and potatoes. At the
before and during your pregnancy.
same time, avoid tea and coffee (during and after
meals) as they decrease the amount of iron that your
body absorbs from plant-based foods.
Calcium
Calcium helps keep your bones and teeth strong.
Get used to eating lots of calcium-rich foods now.
Milk and fortified soy beverages are excellent sources
of calcium and they also contain vitamin D, which
Approximate caffeine content of foods*:
• 1 cup filter drip coffee – 179 mg
• 1 cup brewed coffee – 135 mg
• 1 cup of percolated – 118 mg
• 1 cup of instant coffee – 100 mg
• 1 cup of strong tea – 100 mg
• 1 can of cola soft drink – 36-50mg
*Source: Caffeine and Your Health – Health Canada:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/facts-faits/caffeine-eng.php
helps your body absorb calcium. If you have a milk
allergy, talk to your health care provider about
calcium supplements.
Herbal teas – Most herbal teas, such as camomile,
ginseng, licorice, lemon balm and fennel, should be
Other calcium-containing foods to include in your
avoided during pregnancy or when you are trying to
diet are: yogurt, cheese, orange juice with calcium,
conceive a baby because there is not enough research
tofu set with calcium sulphate, almonds, canned
to determine if they are safe. Herbal teas that can be
sardines or salmon with bones, legumes and leafy
consumed in moderation include ginger, bitter
green vegetables.
orange, orange peel, Echinacea, peppermint and rose
hip. Have no more than 2-3 cups of these safe herbal
teas per day.
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Other co
Artificial sweeteners – Aspartame, sucralose and
acesulfame-potassium are used in many foods such
Alcohol, smoking and
other substances – Alcohol,
as soft drinks, desserts, yogurt, fruit spreads, salad
drugs, inhalants, prescription
dressings, chewing gum and candy. Although
and over the counter medications
evidence shows that aspartame, sucralose and
can affect the unborn baby. Avoid alcohol and these
acesulfame-potassium are safe for pregnant women,
other substances if you are planning a pregnancy and
it’s wise to use them sparingly. Read food labels to
when you know you are pregnant. Check with your
see if artificial sweeteners have been added. Avoid
physician or pharmacist before using any medications.
using saccharin and cyclamates.
Smoking during pregnancy is one cause of babies
Mercury and fish – Pregnant and breastfeeding
being born premature, smaller and at a lower
women and women who may become pregnant can
weight. Try to cut back or quit smoking now, before
particularly benefit from the nutrients offered by fish.
you become pregnant. Look for smoking cessation
However, because the developing fetus is also at risk
programs in your area.
from mercury exposure, it's important to be aware
of what types of fish are a good choice for frequent
consumption and which should be eaten less often.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women and women
who may become pregnant are advised to limit
consumption of frozen/fresh tuna, shark, swordfish,
marlin, orange roughy and escolar to 150 grams per
month, which is equivalent to two servings in
Canada’s Food Guide.
Other situations – Being a teenager, living alone or
in a violent environment, or sometimes not having
enough money for food can affect your health. Please
call your local health department or community
health centre for programs, support, counselling and
information on different lifestyle issues. If you have
a medical condition, such as high blood pressure,
diabetes or HIV, contact your health care professional
and a Registered Dietitian before becoming pregnant.
For more information: Visit the Health Canada
website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca for a copy of their
publication Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy.
National Guidelines for the Childbearing Years.
Dietitians provide food and nutrition information
This Factsheet distributed compliments of:
you can trust. Find a dietitian in your area at
www.dietitians.ca/find or call 1-888-901-7776.
Advancing health through food and nutrition www.dietitians.ca/eatwell
©2009 Dietitians of Canada. All rights reserved. May be reproduced in its entirety provided source is acknowledged.