The Food Techie’s Guide to the Pregnancy Diet

If your pre-pregnancy dietary habits were not really so ideal, what a perfect time to get started now that you are pregnant.
Both mommy and baby will reap the benefits!
Image from: Great Healthy Food

Here is my no nonsense, easy to understand and straight-forward guide to eating well during pregnancy. I highly recommend that a copy of this should be printed out and pasted on your refrigerator, in your office or to carry around in your handbag to ensure you always get all the nutrients on a daily basis! Please note that the list below serves as a recommendation for the average healthy pregnant woman. If you have specific health issues (diabetes, obesity, underweight, other diseases), please consult your doctor for more information.

This serves as a guide only, and the list is not exhaustive. Most of the food items in this list are available where I come from, and might not be freely available elsewhere. Feel free to adapt the guide according to your own geographical area. :)

I have also prepared a one page printable Excel version of this list, which can be downloaded here at this link: Food Techie Easy Pregnacy Diet. Click on link to download from Easy Share. The list sits proudly on my fridge now :)

Nyummy nyummy.
If you feed good, you'll feel good. And the baby appreciates too!
Image from: Fertile Foods

1) Protein Foods: 3 servings daily

~75 g protein (25 g per serving)

3 glasses of milk

2 cups yogurt

2 cups of soy milk

¾ cup grated cheese

4 slices processed cheese (checknutritional info)

3 eggs

1 can drained tuna/sardines

100 g fresh fish/shellfish (clams, prawns, shrimps, crab)

75 g chicken/lamb/beef/meats (without skin and fats)

100 g tofu/tempeh

1 ½ cup peas/beans/lentils/legumes

6 tbs. peanut butter

130 g nuts/seeds (peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds (kuaci), etc)

2) Calcium Foods: 4 servings daily

~ 1200 mg calcium (300 mg per serving)

1 glass of milk

1 cup yogurt

1 cup calcium fortified juice/drink

¼ cup grated cheese

3 slices processed cheese (check nutritional info)

1 can salmon/sardine with bones

1 cup cooked dark green vegetables

3 tbs. ground sesame seeds

1 ½ cups cooked edamame

3) Vitamin C Foods: 3 servings daily

½ a medium orange/grapefruit/mango/kiwi/green bell pepper

¼ a watermelon/papaya/red or yellow bell pepper

½ cup cooked broccoli/cauliflower/kale (kalian)/spinach (bayam)/mustard greens (sawi)

1 cup cooked edamame

1 medium tomato

1 baked potato with skin

½ cup of orange/vegetable juice

4) Green Leafy & Yellow/Red Vegetables and Fruit: 3-4 servings daily

½ a mango/papaya/carrot/broccoli/red bell pepper

½ a yam/sweet potato (keledek ungu/oren)

½ cup broccoli

¼ cup mustard greens (sawi)/kale (kalian)/parsley (daun sup)

1 large grapefruit/peach/apricots

2 medium tomatoes

5) Other Fruits & Vegetables: 1-2 servings daily

1 medium apple/banana/pear/peach

½ cup cooked green beans/peas

½ cup fresh mushrooms/onions/cucumber

1 cup salad leaves

6) Whole Grains & Complex Carbohydrates: 4-5 servings daily

1 slice whole wheat/grain bread

1 piece whole wheat pita/bun/tortilla/pratha

1 cup cooked whole grain cereal/oatmeal

½ cup cooked brown rice/barley

30 g whole grain pasta

½ cup cooked beans/lentils/peas

2 cups popcorn

6 pieces whole grain crackers/biscuits

7) Iron-rich Foods: some daily

Red meats

Sardines, oysters, clams, shrimps

Spinach (bayam), kale (kalian), mustard greens (sawi), seaweed

Barley, beans, seeds, soy products

Dried fruit

8) Fats & High Fats Foods: 4 servings daily

Good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids:

Salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies (bilis)

Walnuts

Omega-3 rich eggs

Other fats:

1 tbs. oil (vegetable, olive, sesame, etc)

1 tbs. butter/margarine/mayonnaise

2 tbs. salad dressing/cream/cream cheese/peanut butter

Others: cream sauces, cheese, yogurt, nuts and seeds

9) Fluids: 8 glasses per day

Water, fruit/vegetable juices, milk

Soups

Fruits & vegetables (5 servings = 2 fluid servings)

Have fun feeding yourself and your baby! What are your favourite pregnancy foods and recipes? Share with us here. :)

Sourced and researched from: "What to Expect when you're Expecting" by H. Murkoff and S. Mazel; "Healthy Pregnancy" by Miriam Stoppard.