Healthy eating during all stages of life is important, especially during pregnancy. The choices you make regarding what to eat and drink at this time can affect your health and the health of your baby.

Whilst you are “eating for two”, there is only a small increase in the amount of food you need to eat while you are pregnant. It is more important to focus on making good food choices for a healthy nutritious diet that provides you and your baby with the essential nutrients required to promote healthy growth and a healthy pregnancy.

Your daily food requirements during pregnancy are outlined in the table below:

Food Group Number of serves per day 1 serve equals…
Vegetables, legumes and beans 5 ½ cup cooked green or orange vegetables (e.g. broccoli, carrot, pumpkin or spinach)½ cup cooked, dried or canned beans, chickpeas or lentils (no added salt)

1 cup raw leafy green vegetables

½ medium potato, or other starchy vegetable (sweet potato, taro, or cassava)

½ cup sweet corn

75g other vegetables e.g. one small-medium tomato

Fruit 2 1 piece medium sized fruit (e.g. apple, banana, orange, pear)2 pieces smaller fruit (e.g. apricot, kiwi fruit, plums)

1 cup diced, cooked or canned fruit

½ cup 100% juice

30g dried fruit (e.g. 1½ tbsp sultanas, 4 dried apricot halves)

Grains (mostly wholegrain) 1 slice of bread½ medium bread roll or flat bread

½ cup cooked rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, quinoa, barley, porridge, buckwheat, semolina, cornmeal

⅔ cup breakfast cereal flakes

¼ cup muesli

3 crisp breads

1 crumpet or 1 small English muffin or scone

Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans 65g cooked lean red meats (e.g. beef, lamb, pork, venison or kangaroo) or ½ cup lean mince, 2 small chops, 2 slices roast meat80 g cooked poultry (e.g. chicken, turkey)

100 g cooked fish fillet or 1 small can fish, no added salt, not in brine

2 large eggs (120g)

1 cup (170g) cooked dried beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, canned beans

170g tofu

1/3 cup (30g) unsalted nuts, seeds or paste, no added salt

Milk, yogurt, cheese and/or alternatives (mostly reduced fat) 1 cup (250 ml) milk40g (2 slices) hard cheese (e.g. cheddar)

120g ricotta cheese

200g yoghurt

Additional serves for taller or more active women 0–2½ Additional serves from the five food groups or 3–4 sweet biscuits

30 g potato crisps

2 scoops ice cream

1 Tbsp (20 g) oil

 

(Information obtained from a consensus document developed by Queensland Dietitians www.health.gov.au)