Advice for Healthy Nutrition in Pregnancy
As a hapū māmā, it’s important to maintain healthy nourishment for you and your baby’s benefit. There are also some key nutrients that you need more of for a healthy pregnancy – let’s take a closer look at the most essential ones.
We all need to be eating a balanced and varied diet for optimal wellbeing, but eating healthily is especially vital for pregnant people. Here’s a simple daily guide you can follow from the Ministry of Health:
- At least five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit
- Eight servings of wholemeal breads, cereals, and grains
- Two servings of milk and/or milk products (ideally reduced or low-fat)
- Three servings of lean meat, chicken, seafood, eggs, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), nuts and seeds
- Drink to thirst, aiming for nine cups (or 2.3 litres) of fluid each day – more if it’s hot, after exercising, or if you have been throwing up or have constipation
- Limit caffeine consumption to no more than 300mg (equivalent to one double-espresso coffee or four cups of instant coffee or tea)
Please note: it’s not safe to restrict your diet and try to lose weight during pregnancy as it may harm your unborn baby. You should eat a variety of nutritious foods.
