Proper nutrition helps you stay healthy throughout your life, but in pregnancy, eating takes on a very special importance. Since the first quarter.
The right diet does not guarantee correct nutrition only for women but also for her little one.
The diet of a pregnant woman is not very different from that of other women and, above all, it is not at all true, as it was thought until a few decades ago, that during pregnancy you have to eat for two.
On the other hand, it is important to satisfy the increased needs without gaining weight ( see next chapter), avoiding certain foods and drinks and thus limiting weight gain.
In fact, the increase in energy needs is not as high as one might think, and can vary. Protein, vitamin and mineral can be satisfied with appropriate food choices, except in cases where supplements are needed. In addition, water needs are also increasing, and must be adequately met.
The need to exclude certain foods from the diet during pregnancy is instead above all a question of safety: they could be contaminated by pathogens responsible for diseases such as toxoplasmosis, dangerous for both mother and baby.
If, in fact, it is not true that during gestation one must eat for two, there is no doubt that a pregnant woman must think for two, in order to protect both her well-being and that of the fetus.
How much to eat?
The increase in caloric needs of expectant mothers varies according to their weight before pregnancy. For women of normal weight (with a body mass index, or BMI, between 18.5 and 24.9) it is 300 Kcal per day, while those who are underweight (BMI <18.5) increases by 365 Kcal per day. Finally, overweight women (BMI equal to or greater than 25) must instead limit themselves to 200 Kcal more per day.
Physical activity also affects energy needs in pregnancy. For a “light” sporting activity, normal weight women must increase their caloric intake by only 150 Kcal per day, overweight by 100. In case of underweight, however, the additional needs do not vary according to physical activity.
Finally, the increase in energy needs depends on the stage of pregnancy. In the first trimester it is not necessary to take more energy: weight gain is limited. In the second trimester a pregnant woman, if physically active, should instead increase the energies introduced by about 340 Kcal per day, and once in the third trimester she should take about 450 Kcal more per day.
On balance, the daily energy requirement of a pregnant woman is generally between 1600 and 2400 Kcal per day. Not exceeding calories is important in order not to gain too much weight and not to increase the risk of complications ( gestational diabetes , gestosis, birth weight over 4 kg and birth injuries).
Experts recommend that women of normal weight gain weight between 11.5 and 16 kg, gaining 1.6 kg in the first trimester and 440 g per week in the second and third trimesters. Underweight women should gain weight between 12.5 and 18 kg, gaining 2.3 kg in the first trimester and 490 g per week in the second and third trimesters.
Overweight women are advised to gain weight at least 7 kg but no more than 11.5 kg, increasing by 900 g in the first trimester and by 300 g per week in the second and third trimester, but in the case of obesity it is advisable not to gain weight more than 7 kg .
Finally, it is important to distribute food intake correctly throughout the day. 6 meals a day are recommended, even with nausea : breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks – mid-morning, afternoon and after dinner. The latter also helps to counteract problems that can arise during pregnancy, such as stomach acid. At each snack, between 5 and 10% of the daily calories should be consumed, 10-15% for breakfast and 20-30% for lunch and dinner.
What to eat
During pregnancy, nutrition should include a menu that provides most of the calories in the form of carbohydrates (mainly complex sugars), 20-35% as lipids and the remaining as proteins.
The need for the latter increases up to 1.2 g per kg of ideal weight; to satisfy it you can eat fish, lean meats, eggs, milk, cheeses and dairy products, sources of animal proteins with a high biological value, but not only. Half of the proteins should in fact be of vegetable origin; for this reason it is important to also eat cereals (preferably wholemeal) and legumes (but without exaggerating so as not to find yourself struggling with unpleasant abdominal disorders).
Fruit and vegetables shouldn’t be missing either. In addition to containing vitamins and minerals, they provide dietary fiber, which together with that taken with whole grains helps prevent constipation; the recommended intake during pregnancy is 28-30 grams per day of mainly water-soluble fibers, such as those found in fruit and legumes. The remaining carbohydrates should preferably come from low glycemic index sources, such as wholemeal pasta and bread, legumes, barley and parboiled rice; on the other hand, the consumption of sugary drinks and sweets should be limited.
Among the lipids it is necessary to avoid trans fats – which can be present in margarines and baked products – do not take more than 300 mg per day of cholesterol – present in recipes based on meat, eggs, milk and its derivatives – and limit the intake of saturated fats – contained in the same foods that are a source of cholesterol – to no more than 10% of the calories consumed during the day. To replace them it is good to choose monounsaturated fats as a condiment – in the form of extra virgin olive oil – and essential polyunsaturated fats – present in soybean or corn oil and fatty fish.
Particularly important is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential omega 3 fat that is essential both for the health of the mother and for the development of the nervous system, sight and intellectual and psychomotor abilities of the child. To take adequate quantities it is good to eat fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel and cod at least twice a week, often varying the choices, limiting the consumption of large predators (such as swordfish, because they increase the risk of excess mercury) and cooking it accurately within 48 hours of purchase.
Taking DHA supplements may be necessary in the case of smokers (even when they stopped smoking during pregnancy). In the case of vegans, on the other hand, it is good to remember that you cannot rely only on the consumption of microalgae (plant sources of DHA) because they can provide excessive amounts of iodine.
Finally, water: the needs of pregnant women increase by 350 ml per day, and in pregnancy it is necessary to drink 2.35 liters.
The needs of vitamins and minerals
Among the micronutrients, folic acid in pregnancy is important from a medical point of view because it reduces the incidence of defects in neural development and problems such as heart disease and cleft lip. All women should take at least 400 micrograms a day for at least 1 month before conception and for the following 3 months, this also reduces the risk of miscarriage, gestosis, placental abruption and slowing the growth of the baby.
The items on the market that are rich in it are green leafy vegetables, fruit and legumes, but nutrition is not enough to cover the needs of pregnancy. For this the advice always includes taking supplements.
Other recommended supplements are those of vitamin D, an ally of the bones to be taken in doses of 10 micrograms per day. The increase in calcium requirements can instead be satisfied with milk and derivatives, and only women who exclude these foods need supplements. To get iodine it is good to eat sea fish, crustaceans and molluscs and use iodized salt, while vitamin A can be taken with milk, eggs and orange, yellow or dark green fruits and vegetables.
Finally, the need to take iron supplements varies from case to case; for many women they can be useful especially in the second and third trimesters, particularly if you do not eat meat (vegetable iron is less bioavailable). To remove any doubts, a blood test is sufficient.
What not to eat
During pregnancy, it is also important to avoid alcohol consumption and not to consume more than 300 mg of caffeine per day (corresponding to 2-3 coffees, but also present in other foods and drinks, such as tea and cola). Salt, a source of sodium, must be limited only in cases of pregnancy at risk of hypertension or gestosis.
Finally, the food may contain pathogens, notably verocytotoxic Escherichia coli, brucella, toxoplasma, listeria, salmonella, anisakis, hepatitis A virus and norovirus. For this the fruit should be peeled, washed very well or cooked. Vegetables should also be washed thoroughly (including ready-to-eat vegetables).
Raw unpasteurized milk can only be drunk after boiling, eggs, meats, fish and seafood can only be consumed after careful cooking and it is advisable to avoid cured meats (except for cooked and mortadella), raw meat and raw fish (unless that there is no certainty that it has been adequately chilled) and short-aged cheeses, soft or semi-soft or with mold
