Its important in all stages in life to make sure that you are eating correctly and getting the right nutrition from foods, this fact increases when you are pregnant because what you eat your baby eats and you want to make sure your baby is healthy. Creating a daily meal plan may be hard as you might not know what you need to stay healthy during your pregnancy, below is a one day meal plan that has been created especially for pregnancy and what you require every day. Along with the meal plan there is also a detailed description of why these products are needed in your diet.
Breakfast
Yogurt of any choice (not high in sugar and added flavours)
mixed with a high fibre muesli and some fruit such as banana,
apples, strawberries and kiwi fruit
Along with a glass of water.
Snack
Cruskits with cheese and another glass of water.
lunch
A multigrain sandwich filled with lettuce, tomatoes and avocado.
Along with some cooked breast chicken sliced and slightly seasoned.
With a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
Snack
A piece of fruit with a small hand full of nuts and seeds
with a glass of water.
Dinner
Steamed Trout with green vegetables, and a rocket and
parmesan salad. With a glass of
sparkling water.
Dessert
A small bowl of low fat frozen yoghurt along
with a herbal tea of choice.
Yogurt of any choice (not high in sugar and added flavours)
mixed with a high fibre muesli and some fruit such as banana,
apples, strawberries and kiwi fruit
Along with a glass of water.
Snack
Cruskits with cheese and another glass of water.
lunch
A multigrain sandwich filled with lettuce, tomatoes and avocado.
Along with some cooked breast chicken sliced and slightly seasoned.
With a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
Snack
A piece of fruit with a small hand full of nuts and seeds
with a glass of water.
Dinner
Steamed Trout with green vegetables, and a rocket and
parmesan salad. With a glass of
sparkling water.
Dessert
A small bowl of low fat frozen yoghurt along
with a herbal tea of choice.
Justification for food chosen
Breakfast
As the cliche states 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' and in fact this is true on so many levels. Waking up after having 8+ hours of sleep your brain needs something to really wake itself up and thats why having anything healthy can improve your morning and wake your brain up so that its ready to start the day.
Making sure that you have something healthy is hard especially hard in the morning on the go, being pregnant you need to make sure the time is taken to have a proper meal for your baby.
Yogurt is a form of calcium which helps to strengthen bones and keep your body strong, when pregnant you become weaker because weight and strain is put on your back because you are carrying a child so it is extremely important that you have calcium in your diet to improve your bone strength. This is why it is so important to have calcium in your diet when you are pregnant.
Muesli and fruits are high in fibre which is a benefit in pregnancy. When it comes to daily life of pregnancy heart burn and constipation are all normal side effects. Having a high fibre diet will improve and realise the pressure of both complications by your body having the nutrient it needs, it is also good for you because it prevents your risk of getting several cancers such as heart disease and decreases your chances of getting diabetes which women are at a higher risk of getting when pregnant then any other stage of their life. Its called gestational diabetes. Fruit are also important in your diet because they are high in vitamin C and certain fruits high in folate (vitamin B9). Being high in vitamin C is important during pregnancy because it helps fight common diseases like colds, during pregnancy you don't want to be sick because it can possibly affect the baby. Having enough folate in your diet is crucial when pregnant because it prevents birth defects such as spina bifida and also problems with the tube that feeds the baby. This is why its important for you to have fibre (Vitamin C) and folate (Vitamin B9) in your diet when your pregnant and because of these facts, that is why its in this meal plan.
Water is important in pregnancy and in any part of life because we can't live without it. It makes up half our body weight and without water we would die. Having water in your diet is important for your baby to keep water soluble substances flowing through the body because water is a lubricant. It also helps to maintain body temperature by perspiration when the body is hot. This is why its important for you to have water in your diet when your pregnant and because of these facts, that is why its in this meal plan.
Snack
Cruskits are carbohydrate/ fibres product. Carbohydrates are important for energy and are a type of body fuel. Its important when pregnant to have carbohydrates to get enough energy for the day because you are carrying extra weight and would easily get tired. The fibre content comes from the wheat in the cruskit and the benefits are listed above. Cheese is source of calcium which the benefits are also again listed above. Getting as much calcium as you can from foods not vitamins or other supplements is important because you will get the right amount not to much which can happen from taking supplement.
Lunch
A multigrain sandwich has carbohydrates which as we now know gives you energy which will be needed in pregnancy. Having the sandwich that is filled with natural nutrients such as avocado, lettuce and tomato which are chock full with folate and vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium. Avocados and also full of vitamin A which helps with vision and the balance of the immune system. This is crucial when pregnant because you are responsible for the healthy development of you baby which can come from all these good vitamins.
Breast chicken (vitamin B12) is the healthiest part of the chicken because its lean. Having protein in your diet is important because it helps with the production of red blood cells, having reoccurring production of red blood cells helps prevent anaemia which you don't want to get because your blood supply is the same as your childs.
Having freshly squeezed orange juice in your diet gives you a great supply of vitamin C which helps with the formation of tissues and cell walls. This will help with the placenta strength and give all the vitamins to the baby as well. All the benefits of vitamin C and the rest of the vitamins mentioned are described in detail above.
Snack
Having nuts and seeds in your pregnancy diet will give you healthy mono saturated fats which can lover your cholesterol levels. nuts and seeds also reduce the chance of diabetes which the reason have been listed above. They provide omega 3s, fibre, potassium, magnesium and many more.
Dinner
Trout is full of healthy omega 3s that helps with brain development. When you are pregnant you want to do all you can to help your baby grow and develop as best as it can, having omega 3s in your diet will help the development of your child's brain and yours. Being that the trout is steamed, it Is a way to retain all the nutrients needed because some nutirents can be lost in the cooking method chosen eg baking or frying. Trout and other fish also have a source of zinc, protein and iron which are also cruicial for your babies development and of course have several benefits for you as well. Trout contains vitamin B12 also known as Cobalamin.
Green vegetables are full of vitamin C which again helps with collagen and maintain strength in body tissues, folate which we know is good for pregnancy in preventing spina bifida, Niacin which helps with releasing energy from carbohydrates and lipids which would help your energy levels during pregnancy. This is why I chose to have these foods in the dinner time plan because they are full of all the nutrients and vitamins needed.
Dessert
Having a small bowl of low fat frozen yoghurt for dessert is a way to end the day with a touch of sweetness, it is full of calcium which will help your babies bone development and help to keep your bones strong as well.
A herbal tea is good to calm down your body and to get you ready for a good nights sleep. Depending on the tea of choice it can have many healthy effects to it, it may have dried fruits which have vitamin C or could have green tea in it which helps lower cholesterol build up.
If your having a balanced diet like this every day you will be getting enough nutrients and vitamins to help yourself and your baby in having a safe and healthy pregnancy, this is why I chose all of these ingredients because they will give you the balance you need.
For more information on the nutrients listed go to the nutritional needs page.
Breakfast
As the cliche states 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' and in fact this is true on so many levels. Waking up after having 8+ hours of sleep your brain needs something to really wake itself up and thats why having anything healthy can improve your morning and wake your brain up so that its ready to start the day.
Making sure that you have something healthy is hard especially hard in the morning on the go, being pregnant you need to make sure the time is taken to have a proper meal for your baby.
Yogurt is a form of calcium which helps to strengthen bones and keep your body strong, when pregnant you become weaker because weight and strain is put on your back because you are carrying a child so it is extremely important that you have calcium in your diet to improve your bone strength. This is why it is so important to have calcium in your diet when you are pregnant.
Muesli and fruits are high in fibre which is a benefit in pregnancy. When it comes to daily life of pregnancy heart burn and constipation are all normal side effects. Having a high fibre diet will improve and realise the pressure of both complications by your body having the nutrient it needs, it is also good for you because it prevents your risk of getting several cancers such as heart disease and decreases your chances of getting diabetes which women are at a higher risk of getting when pregnant then any other stage of their life. Its called gestational diabetes. Fruit are also important in your diet because they are high in vitamin C and certain fruits high in folate (vitamin B9). Being high in vitamin C is important during pregnancy because it helps fight common diseases like colds, during pregnancy you don't want to be sick because it can possibly affect the baby. Having enough folate in your diet is crucial when pregnant because it prevents birth defects such as spina bifida and also problems with the tube that feeds the baby. This is why its important for you to have fibre (Vitamin C) and folate (Vitamin B9) in your diet when your pregnant and because of these facts, that is why its in this meal plan.
Water is important in pregnancy and in any part of life because we can't live without it. It makes up half our body weight and without water we would die. Having water in your diet is important for your baby to keep water soluble substances flowing through the body because water is a lubricant. It also helps to maintain body temperature by perspiration when the body is hot. This is why its important for you to have water in your diet when your pregnant and because of these facts, that is why its in this meal plan.
Snack
Cruskits are carbohydrate/ fibres product. Carbohydrates are important for energy and are a type of body fuel. Its important when pregnant to have carbohydrates to get enough energy for the day because you are carrying extra weight and would easily get tired. The fibre content comes from the wheat in the cruskit and the benefits are listed above. Cheese is source of calcium which the benefits are also again listed above. Getting as much calcium as you can from foods not vitamins or other supplements is important because you will get the right amount not to much which can happen from taking supplement.
Lunch
A multigrain sandwich has carbohydrates which as we now know gives you energy which will be needed in pregnancy. Having the sandwich that is filled with natural nutrients such as avocado, lettuce and tomato which are chock full with folate and vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium. Avocados and also full of vitamin A which helps with vision and the balance of the immune system. This is crucial when pregnant because you are responsible for the healthy development of you baby which can come from all these good vitamins.
Breast chicken (vitamin B12) is the healthiest part of the chicken because its lean. Having protein in your diet is important because it helps with the production of red blood cells, having reoccurring production of red blood cells helps prevent anaemia which you don't want to get because your blood supply is the same as your childs.
Having freshly squeezed orange juice in your diet gives you a great supply of vitamin C which helps with the formation of tissues and cell walls. This will help with the placenta strength and give all the vitamins to the baby as well. All the benefits of vitamin C and the rest of the vitamins mentioned are described in detail above.
Snack
Having nuts and seeds in your pregnancy diet will give you healthy mono saturated fats which can lover your cholesterol levels. nuts and seeds also reduce the chance of diabetes which the reason have been listed above. They provide omega 3s, fibre, potassium, magnesium and many more.
Dinner
Trout is full of healthy omega 3s that helps with brain development. When you are pregnant you want to do all you can to help your baby grow and develop as best as it can, having omega 3s in your diet will help the development of your child's brain and yours. Being that the trout is steamed, it Is a way to retain all the nutrients needed because some nutirents can be lost in the cooking method chosen eg baking or frying. Trout and other fish also have a source of zinc, protein and iron which are also cruicial for your babies development and of course have several benefits for you as well. Trout contains vitamin B12 also known as Cobalamin.
Green vegetables are full of vitamin C which again helps with collagen and maintain strength in body tissues, folate which we know is good for pregnancy in preventing spina bifida, Niacin which helps with releasing energy from carbohydrates and lipids which would help your energy levels during pregnancy. This is why I chose to have these foods in the dinner time plan because they are full of all the nutrients and vitamins needed.
Dessert
Having a small bowl of low fat frozen yoghurt for dessert is a way to end the day with a touch of sweetness, it is full of calcium which will help your babies bone development and help to keep your bones strong as well.
A herbal tea is good to calm down your body and to get you ready for a good nights sleep. Depending on the tea of choice it can have many healthy effects to it, it may have dried fruits which have vitamin C or could have green tea in it which helps lower cholesterol build up.
If your having a balanced diet like this every day you will be getting enough nutrients and vitamins to help yourself and your baby in having a safe and healthy pregnancy, this is why I chose all of these ingredients because they will give you the balance you need.
For more information on the nutrients listed go to the nutritional needs page.