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

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.

The table serves as a guide for pregnant mothers on the types and portions of food to consume.

Rice and Alternatives

Foods in this group provides energy as well as fibre, vitamins and minerals. The amount of energy an individual needs varies with age, weight and activity level. Usually, 6 - 7 servings will be required.

Fruits

The requirement for most minerals and vitamins increases during pregnancy. These are necessary for the normal functioning of the body such as blood formation and the building of body resistance. Fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as dietary fibre. 2 servings a day are required.

Vegetables

Like fruits, vegetables are good sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. 2 servings a day are required, at least 1 of which should be a green leafy vegetable like spinach or chye sim, for adequate folic acid.

Meat and Alternatives

This food group provides protein, necessary for the growth and repair of body tissues such as those that make up the muscles, heart, lungs, eyes and skin. Pregnant women require more protein, which is used for the formation of the fetus' organs. In our affluent society however protein deficiency is rarely a concern.

You should have 2 servings of protein per day. Try to have at least 1 serving from a plant source such as beancurd or lentils (dahl).

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 during the first 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.