Diet adjustments
Daily eating examples
Pregnant and breastfeeding women
Planning a healthy, nutritious diet may require a little forethought. This may start with your shopping list and entail buying some new food items, and possibly leaving others you were used to buying out. It will usually take into consideration what you prefer to eat, and what you can afford, as well as what is available to you. It may also need you to consider your 'cooking repertoire' and what you have time to prepare.
Knowing all your food groups and 'servings' is one thing. Actually putting this knowledge into daily eating habits is another. Some people will be meticulous with following the 'food triangle' to the letter, others will try a 'close enough is good enough' approach, and a few will just throw their hands in the air, feeling like it is all 'too hard'. It may be that you tend to stick to a healthy diet on most days, but 'let it go' occasionally.
Your diet is also at the mercy of how you are feeling physically and emotionally. Women feeling nauseated with morning sickness during early pregnancy may find they have a 'spanner thrown' into the works of their 'diet regime'. However, eating regular, small meals usually helps morning sickness, and it may be that you just need to find a combination of foods you can tolerate eating during this time. For example, you may not feel like eating much, but you could perhaps tolerate a banana smoothie. Blending a cup of milk, a banana, a tablespoon of wheat germ and some honey would provide 3 servings from different food groups in one drink.
Diet adjustments. The examples below are a few suggestions for some varied daily diets. It is intended as a guide only. You can mix and match the foods within each food group. For example, you may prefer couscous or polenta to potatoes, or different fruit and vegetables, or pork to chicken. Or you may prefer to have a hot meal at lunch as well as at dinner or a late night snack, instead of morning or afternoon tea. If you do not have many dairy foods you will need to look at calcium alternatives, or meat alternatives if you are vegetarian.
Daily diet examples. These daily diet examples are a basic guide for non-pregnant women. Men and very active non-pregnant women need to add at least 2 more servings of carbohydrates. For example, this could be achieved by eating 2 extra pieces of toast (or 2 extra weet bix) at breakfast, or having 2 sandwiches for lunch instead of one, or having extra potatoes or a large bread roll at dinner.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women also need to add 2 more servings of carbohydrates, as well as at least one more serving of dairy foods. For example, you could have extra toast at breakfast and a glass of milk before going to bed, or extra crackers and cheese at morning or afternoon tea.
Drinking water between meals can keep you well hydrated. Try to keep tea and coffee and extra sugar treats to a minimum.