Nutrition tips for a healthy pregnancy

Carrying even just a few extra kilograms combined with an elevated blood sugar level could pose a health risk to both mom and baby.

Here’s a selection of online resources that offer medically supervised advice on how to have a healthy pregnancy:

Weight gain during pregnancy

Based on the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, healthy weight gain depends on your pre-pregnancy weight, says Babycenter.com. Women who had a body mass index (BMI) of between 18.5 and 24.9 should gain between 11 and 16 kilograms.

Women who are overweight for their height (defined as having a BMI of 25 to 29.9) are advised to gain less, between seven and 11 kilograms.

As for shedding the extra kilograms gained during pregnancy, Babycenter.com points out that mothers usually lose half of their pregnancy weight gain in the first six weeks following the delivery.

Experts also advise new mothers to avoid cutting back on calories right away, as being a new mom requires a lot of energy.

Eat a variety of foods

Experts at WebMD.com advise eating a variety of foods.

Daily serving recommendations include;

•  Six to 11 servings of breads and grains
• Two to four servings of fruit
• Four or more servings of vegetables
• Four servings of dairy products
• Three servings of protein

Choose healthy snacks

The British health agency offers pregnant women a list of healthy snack ideas to help avoid fast food and junk food traps.

• Sandwiches or pita bread filled with grated cheese, lean ham, mashed tuna, salmon or sardines and salad
• Salad vegetables, such as carrot, celery or cucumber
• Low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese
• Hummus with bread or vegetable sticks
• Ready-to-eat apricots, figs or prunes
• Vegetable and bean soups
• Unsweetened breakfast cereals, or porridge, with milk
• Milky drinks or unsweetened fruit juices
• Fresh fruit
• Baked beans on toast or a baked potato

(AFP Relaxnews)

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