Rosie Dodds - Safe Food - What to eat and drink in pregnancy

Pregnancy increases the need for protein – but only by a small amount. A balanced diet including 2–3 servings of protein – vegetable, meat or a mixture of both – will easily take care of the extra bit required during pregnancy.

Animal sources of protein include all kinds of meat and fish. Turkey, chicken and fish tend to contain less saturated fat than red meat. (Saturated fat is the most harmful type of fat.) So, if you eat red meat (such as beef, lamb and pork), try to choose lean cuts – remember, you don’t need much!

Oily fish, such as mackerel, tuna and sardines (fresh or tinned), are particularly recommended as sources of protein – because they also give us essential fatty acids. We explain more about fatty acids later in this chapter.

Vegetable sources of protein include:

nuts and seeds

peanut butter (peanuts contain as much protein as most cheeses and twice as much as eggs – but see the note about peanut allergy at the end of Chapter 7)

meat substitutes, tofu (made from soya beans) and Quorn (made from a fungus)

pulses including lentils (such as masur dhal), baked beans, kidney beans, black-eyed beans, butter beans, borlotti beans, mung beans, broad beans and all kinds of peas.

A well-planned vegetarian diet is extremely healthy. Vegetable protein foods are rich in fibre as well as protein, and contain many vitamins and minerals. Avoiding meat and using vegetable protein foods can be a good way of reducing your intake of saturated fat, and increasing your intake of fibre.

The protein in vegetable protein foods is less concentrated than the protein in animal protein foods. Servings tend to be larger. If you do not eat meat or drink milk, it is a good idea to include a serving of vegetable protein at each meal. Some other important nutrients are less concentrated in vegetable protein. Choose vegetable protein foods rich in iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B 12(more about all of these nutrients in Chapter 2).

We can get enough protein from just two servings of meat protein foods each day. A serving of animal protein is equivalent to:

2 slices of roast chicken or turkey

half a small mackerel fillet

2 rounded tablespoons of tinned tuna chunks

1 small fillet of white fish such as cod

2 slices of lamb, beef or pork

1 small lamb or pork chop

2 eggs

1 slice of tinned corned beef

Aim for 2–3 servings of vegetable protein foods each day. A serving of vegetable protein is equivalent to:

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

2 heaped tablespoons of nuts or seeds

3 tablespoonfuls of cooked kidney beans or chick-peas

one-third of a large tin (420g) of baked beans

2–3 tablespoons of thick lentil dhal

a small pot (100g) of hummus (try the low-fat variety)

a large cup of soya milk

one-third of a packet of tofu

The second of the small sections on our imaginary plate is for milk-based foods, or dairy products. Milk – and foods made from it, such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais – is an excellent and convenient source of calcium, zinc, some B group vitamins and protein.

Milk and milk products contain varying amounts of fat, depending on the type of milk and the way in which it has been processed. ‘Skimmed’ milk has had all the fat removed and ‘semi-skimmed’ milk has had half the fat removed. Both have the same amount of protein as whole milk – and slightly more calcium.

Liquid milk also contains plenty of water, so a glass of chilled, semi-skimmed milk is a refreshing and nutritious drink. If you do not like the taste of milk, try flavouring it with mashed banana or pulped mango. Use unsweetened cocoa powder in hot milk for a comforting evening drink.

The calcium in milk and other foods is very important. Calcium is a mineral needed by our bodies to ensure strong bones and teeth. A good supply of calcium is especially important during pregnancy (when your baby’s bones and teeth are developing) and while breastfeeding.

Some people strongly dislike milk and feel that it disagrees with their digestion. They may be allergic to milk or they may react badly to lactose, the sugar in milk.

In order to digest lactose, our bodies need an enzyme (special chemical) called lactase. Babies have plenty of lactase, but some adults have very little. These adults are unable to drink milk – but may find they can eat cheese and yoghurt because the lactose in these foods has been changed or removed. They may also be able to tolerate butter.

All of these nutrients in milk can be found in other foods, but it may be hard to get enough calcium if you dislike all dairy products. We suggest other sources of calcium in Chapter 2.

We need three servings of milk, or milk-based food, each day. A serving of milk is equivalent to:

a full glass of milk (one-third of a pint or 200ml), or the milk in 5–6 cups of tea or coffee

a small carton of yoghurt

a piece of hard cheese the size of a small matchbox

half a small tub of cottage cheese (55g)

half a small tub of fromage frais (100g)

The tiny section remaining on our plate is for fatty and sugary foods. Fats and sugar are found in many, many foods – not only in butter, cream and all types of sugar, but ‘hidden’ in lots of processed foods. Did you know, for example, that a large sausage contains the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of fat, and a can of soft drink 8 teaspoons of sugar?

We do need some fat in our diet. Fat is a source of vitamins A, D and E and essential fatty acids. But we don’t need to deliberately choose fatty foods – because we get quite enough of both from other, more healthy foods.