Meal planning during pregnancy

Healthy eating for pregnancy is best started while planning pregnancy. Eating well before and during pregnancy is important for both mum and baby. It sets you both up for health, not only just in this important time, but for life!

Pregnancy does not equate to “eating for two” as is commonly stated. In fact, during the first trimester, the body requires no additional kilojoules, a mere 1400 kJ during the second trimester and 1900 kJ in the third trimester. This is equivalent to an extra glass of reduced-fat milk, a sandwich and half an orange.  

While the amount of kilojoules you need during this stage of your life may not increase too heavily, the quality of your diet is highly important during this time. Not only does it aid in the development of your baby whilst in the womb, but studies indicate it sets baby up with taste preference for later in life, and can even affect their risk for certain chronic diseases in the future.  

7 tips to eating well for your growing baby

1. Ensure you eat especially well during the pre-conception phase (minimum three months prior to conception) to ensure you have adequate intake of folate, iodine and iron. These are essential nutrients to your babies’ early development.
2.  Avoid eating fish that contains high levels of mercury, particularly large predatory fish such as shark, orange roughy, baramundi, swordfish and ling. 
3. Pregnant women are at higher risk of food-borne illness due to hormonal changes which affect their immune system during pregnancy. Therefore, there are certain foods that should be avoided (i.e. cold cut processed meats, unpasteurised dairy products). For more information on this, see our ‘foods of concern’ factsheet.
4. There is no known safe limit of alcohol during pregnancy. Current (2019) guidelines recommend that women who are pregnant, or planning a pregnancy avoid alcohol completely. 
5. Dietary protein needs increase slightly during pregnancy, and then again during lactation. There is no need for meals to become protein heavy, following the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating will ensure you meet these extra needs without any fuss.
6. Limit caffeine to no more than 300mg per day. This is equivalent to roughly 3 cups of coffee or 6 cups of tea. Caffeine increases a person’s heart rate and can lead to dehydration in excessive amounts, neither of which is desirable for a pregnant woman.
7. Pregnant woman need an additional 750 -1000ml (3-4 cups water per day) of fluid due to the needs of the foetus and amniotic fluid. Water is the best source of fluid during pregnancy.

Fats and oils

Women, including those whom are pregnant and breastfeeding are recommended to consume two serves per day of unsaturated spreads and oils.

Standard serves for unsaturated fats/oils/spreads are:

• 10g polyunsaturated or monounsaturated spread (e.g. olive oil spread, avocado oil spread)
• 7g monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oil (e.g. olive, canola or sunflower oil)
• 10g tree nuts, peanuts, nut pastes/butters

Sample meal plan for pregnancy