Eat well – but keep it affordable!

Going through a copy of a journal of the American Pregnancy Association, I came across an article titled ”Suitable nutrition for pregnant women’’ which was interesting and delightful to read because it gave some very reasonable suggestions.

I was particularly excited because the article discussed a question many pregnant women ask themselves, their nutritionists and even their friends over time: ‘What are the most suitable foods to eat during pregnancy?’

As a follow up to an earlier pregnancy nutrition article, I will now take a look at several foods that you should include in your diet not only because of the nutrients they offer to you and your growing baby, but also because they are healthy, affordable and easily accessible.

Even if you have always maintained a healthy diet, you should reassess the types of food you eat after you become pregnant. This includes the number of calories, protein level, types of vitamins, and various minerals you are consuming. Below, we will describe the most important features of a nutritious diet in pregnancy.

A good diet is a very important factor for a healthy pregnancy. Birth defects have been found to have links to the mother’s diet. Having a good quality of nutrients is very important and the foundation of healthy development.
Pregnant women are expected to eat a range of foods in order to get the proper nutrients. Here are some suitable food guidelines to consider.

Healthy energy foods
According to the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, pregnant women need an estimated 300 extra calories each day during this crucial period. The extra amount of calories should come from healthy carbohydrates and fats.

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fibre sources, especially whole grains. Most people in Kenya rely on typical monotonous carbohydrate foods such as white maize flour, white rice, and refined sugar that have been stripped of all bran, fibre and nutrients and are usually highly priced. Notably, the cheap highly nutritious carbohydrates such as whole grain (maize, millet, sorghum, barley, rye, oats), raw bananas, roots and tubers such as arrow roots, sweet potatoes, yams, and cassava, are often overlooked despite their low market prices and easy access.

Healthy carbohydrates are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Add to your diet healthy fats including monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).
Consume polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn and soybean.

Fats provide essential fatty acids which are critical for the development and functioning of the foetus’ nervous system. These healthy fats are also needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails.

Affordable yet accessible protein
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a pregnant woman should eat a minimum of 75 grams of protein per day. A study conducted at Harvard University found that by eating at least 75 grams of protein per day, pregnant women could prevent diseases of pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension).
Protein foods are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy and are essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans or nuts. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, try different protein sources such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu and soy products which are usually cheaper and easy to find in many local grocery stores.

Consume about three cups of milk each day. This daily serving is equivalent to one cup yogurt, one and a half ounces natural cheese, two ounces processed cheese and one cup milk.

Locally available fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal and your first choice for a snack. Antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of illnesses associated with pregnancy.

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. A daily serving of fruits is equivalent to a cup of fruit, half a cup dried fruit, 16 grapes or one cup fresh fruit juice, or canned fruit, and must be consumed every day.

The brighter, deeper coloured fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Some great choices:

Greens: Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. Break the monotony of eating the same greens and eat a wide variety including dark green kale, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, indigenous green vegetables and many others.
Sweet vegetables: Naturally, sweet vegetables add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets. Some examples of sweet vegetables are corn, carrots, sweet potatoes or yams.

Fruit: A wide variety of fruit is also vital to a healthy diet. Fruit provides fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. Berries help fight cancer, apples provide fibre, oranges and mangoes offer vitamin C, and so on.

Incorporate water and exercise
Water acts as transport system to carry nutrients to your body and to the baby. Water flushes out of your system waste products and toxins and therefore increasing your water intake will help prevent infections, which are common in pregnancy and very uncomfortable.

Exercise means finding something active that you like to do and add it to your daily routine. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

More calcium
It is recommended that women get at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day if they are pregnant. A substantial transfer of calcium occurs between the mother and the foetus throughout pregnancy, allowing the baby’s bone and teeth to form. In the first six months, the mother stores up calcium in her own bones.
When its skeletal growth reaches its peak in the last three months, the foetus draws on the mother’s store. This is when the consumption of high calcium-containing foods such as milk and milk products must be increased or calcium supplements used, since a calcium deficiency will damage the mother’s teeth and make her bones brittle.

More iron
The demand for iron, essential for blood formation, is also increased during pregnancy because the mother’s blood volume increases, and the foetal red blood cells have to be developed. A woman needs to maintain a daily intake of 32 milligrams of iron throughout her child bearing years. Iron is available in meat, fish, egg yolk, whole grain products, and vegetables. Iron from plants is not as well assimilated as iron from animals. However, if you ingest vitamin C during the same meal, iron is more easily absorbed. To meet the iron requirement for pregnancy, intake of iron supplements is recommended.

More folic acid
This vitamin promotes the development of the foetus’ central nervous system and prevents developmental defects of the neural tube (spina bifida). Folic acid is contained in vegetables, wheat germ, tropical fruits, and in eggs.
However, routine nutrition does not always supply enough folic acid to meet the requirements of a pregnant woman.
Additional folic acid intake in form of supplements is necessary in the months before pregnancy and during the first trimester. Women of child-bearing age need to take at least 40 micrograms of folic acid each day before and during pregnancy. Foods that are rich sources of folic acid include enriched grain products, green leafy vegetables, orange juice, beans and vitamin-fortified breakfast cereals.

Eating the right foods in the right quantities is always important, but even more so when you are pregnant. Your long-term health and that of your baby depends on it.

End. PG40/12-13