During pregnancy, it is especially important that you eat a healthy and varied diet.
When you are pregnant, you eat for yourself and for your baby. However, you don’t have to eat for two. This is because your body absorbs some nutrients better when you are pregnant and uses them more efficiently. Your body uses slightly more energy because the baby needs to grow, but you also often move less. The bottom line is that you can eat about the same amount as before your pregnancy. Are you feeling hungrier? Don’t starve yourself, but have an extra sandwich or a piece of fruit. Above all, avoid eating sweets or snacks. Through our practice, you can participate for free in Slimmerzwanger, an eHealth app that supports you in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
You eat according to the food pyramid even when pregnant.
If you eat a varied diet according to the Food Pyramid, you and your child will get enough good nutrients. Nutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Your child uses all these nutrients to grow. Be sure to vary your diet extensively with fruits and vegetables to ensure you get all the nutrients they contain. Choose different types spread throughout the week. It is also good to alternate between meat, fish, and meat substitutes.
What is best to eat and what to avoid now that you are pregnant? With the free ZwangerHap app, you can quickly and easily look up whether you can eat a product. If not, the app shows you everything you can still eat.
A few things listed:
What not?
- No raw meat, raw processed meats, or liver. Examples: steak, carpaccio, filet americain, salami, roast beef, and raw ham.
- No vacuum-packed raw fish, raw shellfish, or predatory fish. Examples: smoked salmon, eel, mussels, oysters.
- No raw milk or soft cheeses made from raw milk
- No leftovers or salads that have been in the fridge for a while.
- No alcohol
- Don’t go out to eat for two
What?
- Eat a varied diet according to the food pyramid.
- Drink 1.5-2 liters (water) per day
What, every now and then?
- Liver sausage or pâté, maximum 1 roll per day
- Do not drink too much caffeine. The advice according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre is a maximum of 2 cups of coffee per day.
- Do not drink too much fruit juice. These liquid sugars are absorbed quickly and can cause a significant increase in your weight.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre provides objective and comprehensive information about healthy nutrition during pregnancy.
Eating as an excuse and gaining weight during pregnancy
On average, women gain 10 to 15 kilos during pregnancy. Anything you eat and drink in excess of what you need adds to your weight gain. And that has to come off again after the pregnancy… Some women use pregnancy as an excuse to eat just a little more than normal. Besides gaining weight, you have a slightly higher chance of having a heavy baby. A heavier baby, in turn, has an increased risk of being overweight later in life.
