Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

Emma Howard: As most pregnant women know it's vitally important to eat well during pregnancy. Well, it can be confusing for a new parent though is knowing what food to avoid altogether and what to have in moderation and what to eat to plenty of. I would like to welcome to the studio Claire Williamson, who is a Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation to take a us through the Do's and Don'ts of healthy eating while pregnant. Welcome, Claire. Claire Williamson: Hello there. Emma Howard: So you've found out you're pregnant and you are consumed with hunger often for sugary carbohydrates and you feel rubbish, and you don't know what to eat. What are the first basics that people should follow? Claire Williamson: Well, I think it can't be confusing for pregnant women and it can be difficult when they are having craving of foods that they feel they shouldn't be eating, but really the recommendations are quite similar to the general population, that is to eat healthy, balanced diet that's based on starchy carbohydrates, which is rich in fruit and vegetables. They need to be eating some dairy foods, moderate amounts of lean meat or other protein, containing foods and plenty of fiber as well. Emma Howard: So a basic all round healthy diet -- Claire Williamson: Yes. Emma Howard: -- but the problem is when you feel sick, you often want something quite bland, people often want toast and cake and biscuits and you feel guilty about eating those things. Should you feel guilty about eating lots of sugary carbohydrates, when you're pregnant? Claire Williamson: Well you should try not to eat too many because obviously that can lead to weight gain, but carbohydrate containing foods are very important. They are sources of B vitamins and if you go for the sort of whole grain varieties they are also a good source of fiber as well. So lots of starchy foods, you can have that are healthy. Toast is absolutely fine, wholemeal or whole grain toast. Emma Howard: That's a good news because toast is in one of those Bland foods, that you really crave when you're feeling very sick -- Claire Williamson: Yes. Emma Howard: -- and you say it leads to weight gain because lots of women think, well I'm going to blow up like a balloon anyway. So I might just want to eat what I want, now that's a myth, isn't it? You really do need to watch the levels of food that you're take in? Claire Williamson: Well, it is definitely a myth you have to eat for two when you're pregnant and actual fact is early in last trimester that you actually need more calories. Emma Howard: So why do you want to each so much then? I know I did and I know that lots of people around me wanted to eat for three people not just two. There's a definite hunger that takes over your body. Claire Williamson: Yeah definitely, I mean people think to crave different kinds of foods but there's no evidence that this is because they are deficient in vitamins and minerals. So main thing is to try and eat lots of nutrient dense foods, definitely like fruits and vegetables. Now the two nutrients that are particularly important during pregnancy are Folate, that is one that we do need more of. Emma Howard: And where is that found in? Claire Williamson: Folate is found in a vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables. Emma Howard: Say Brockley. Claire Williamson: Brockley yes. Emma Howard: I love Brockley, I had no problem, what else, could you find there. Claire Williamson: And also fruit. Oranges are particularly high and unfortified foods. Now some breads are unfortified of folic acid. Emma Howard: And lots of cereals. Claire Williamson: And cereals, lots of cereals also they are great snack, also for getting more iron into the body as well. Emma Howard: What about supplements because you can get special supplements for pregnant women, you can find them at chemists and health food shops, they are obviously a good idea, aren't they? Claire Williamson: Well in actual fact you can get most of the nutrients that you need from the diet and it's important not to take high doses of individual supplements, but the main exception to that is folic acid, and folic acid should be taken before and during pregnancy up to the 12th week. Emma Howard: That's always when if you're planning a pregnancy so that you can prepare, you can take folic acids supplements before? What happens if you are caught unaware and you're pregnant and you think, I haven't taken anything before hand that I need that folic acid sort of support, what do they do? Claire Williamson: Well the best thing is just to start taking a supplement as soon as possible. Emma Howard: And one specially designed for people in pregnancy? Claire Williamson: Well you can buy a folic acid supplements. I think you can also get them from your GP. Emma Howard: And Claire do you recommend then the women take folic acid on its own rather than being surrounded by the other vitamins specially packaged for pregnant women? What's your advice on that? Some people just take one tablet designed for them and that's it, but do you think it's important just to take Folic acid on its own? Claire Williamson: Well, the other vitamin that you need to supplement during pregnancy is vitamin D. I think that's 10micrograms a day and so if you can find a supplement that contains folic acid and vitamin D, those are the ones that you need. Emma Howard: And there are quite a few out there, aren't there? Claire Williamson: Yes, there are yes. Emma Howard: So in a way, it's better to do one stop shop isn't it? You just buy the one supplement. Claire Williamson: Yeah, that's absolutely fine yes. The main to avoid is vitamin A. You shouldn't take too much vitamin A during pregnancy. Emma Howard: And that would never be found in those, but what food has vitamin A in them, what should be avoided eating? Claire Williamson: Well vitamin A comes in two forms. One is Retinol, which is found in foods of animal origin and it's particularly on high in liver, and that's why liver should be avoided during pregnancy, but they are also found in the form which is called Beta Carotene which is found in vegetables. Emma Howard: In Carrots. Claire Williamson: In Carrots, yes brightly colored vegetables. So plenty of fruit and vegetables during pregnancy will enable you to get enough vitamin A, without going over the top. Emma Howard: And what about say we talked about supplements that women to take, what about the foods that they should completely avoid? We have mentioned live. I know people talk about cheese all the time, no soft cheese, no Stilton. What do you say on that subject? Claire Williamson: It is a bit confusing, you have to avoid certain types of cheese, to avoid the risk of listeria. The main ones are the soft cheeses which are more ripened, fat things like Camembert and Brie and also to avoid the blue veined cheese just like Stilton, but hard cheeses are fine, cheddar is fine, Parmesan is fine mozzarella is fine. Emma Howard: So why do we have to avoid all of these other cheeses. I hear the argument again and again that women in France, don't give up soft cheese, they don't give up Blue veined cheese and they are absolutely fine. Is it a case of you're use to? So if you eat Blue veined cheese all the time, you're unlikely to get listeria or is that case of just don't take a chance? Claire Williamson: It's not that. The thing is the listeria is very, very rare. It's unlikely that anyone will contract listeria, but the thing is that if you're not pregnant and you get listeria, then you'll be fine, but if you're pregnant there might be harm to the unborn child. Emma Howard: Because the features come when you fight food poisoning. Claire Williamson: Yes exactly. Emma Howard: And that's the big danger, but the people often don't realize why too is they should as hard as they can not to get food poisoning. Claire Williamson: Yes exactly, salmonella as well. So you should avoid sort of raw or partially cooked eggs, make sure eggs are cooked thoroughly. Emma Howard: So when we think about the foods, the raw eggs or eggs it's often we don't make that connection, the mousses that you shouldn't eat because something has with dinner and they have made lovely dessert, and it's mousse, you shouldn't touch it, what else can I think of -- Claire Williamson: Things like Homemade mayonnaise as well, the most shopable mayonnaise is the eggs are looking pasteurized so they are fine. Emma Howard: And one useful thing is that, if you check the label on the back they will always say, won't they, they are much aware now of pregnant women and their need to eat certain foods and stay away from certain foods. So do you think actually there's an awful lot there to help us, if we look at package in super markets, it tells us what we need to know. Claire Williamson: Yes. Definitely if you look at packages, I mean there's a lot of useful information on websites as well. All they say update information of foods to avoid as on the Foods Standard Agency website and the Department of Health purchases a book, the pregnancy book as well, which has that kind of information. So I think the foods to avoid is little bit tricky but once you got it. Emma Howard: What about people who are going out to eat in a restaurant. Do you think its a good idea to tell, whoever is taking your order that your pregnant. So if eggs are something that you're going to have, you want them to be well cooked rather than underdone, and anything else, sea foods you probably be avoided, shouldn't they? Claire Williamson: Sea food again should be fine. The recommendation is to consume two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. An oily fish is particularly important because it's the best source of essential fatty acids which are important for the baby's nerve development. Emma Howard: And yet Tuna is something you shouldn't have too much of? Claire Williamson: Yeah there are upper limits and for the pregnant women, they suggest no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Now fresh tuna counts as oily fish, so therefore it's recommended not have more than two portions of fresh tuna a week or no more than 4 cans of tinned tuna a week as well and there are certain fishes that should be avoided completely like shark, marlin and swordfish. Emma Howard: Shark yes not often consume during pregnancy. Claire Williamson: I don't think so, but these are fish, at the top of the food chain and contain high levels of mercury so that's why. Emma Howard: And it's the mercury content that we need to be careful of. Claire Williamson: Yes. Emma Howard: And the rules, that we're trying to establish here are they the same from the beginning to the end of pregnancy or can you let a few things sneak into dart at the end that you avoided at the beginning? Claire Williamson: Well the recommendations are similar throughout. The folic acid needs to be taken until the 12th week of pregnancy and like I said there's an extra requirement of energy towards the end of pregnancy. Emma Howard: And your body is going to tell you that, isn't it? You just going to be more hungry, you're going to eat more, you are going to get up in the middle of the night and have bowl of cereal. Claire Williamson: And women vary a lot as well in how many extra calories they need, very much to do with how much physical activity you take. So if somebody there reduces their physical activity level towards the end of pregnancy probably won't need very much extra calories, but some women stay active through out pregnancy and will need that extra energy. Emma Howard: And again your body is kind of telling you that, you know when you're hungry. Claire Williamson: Yeah very much hunger and I mean the best advice really is to monitor weight gain to say and if weight gain is fine then that probably means that you're reaching the right amount of calories. Emma Howard: And finally what about this thing that we hear all the time our pregnancy, go with body, whatever your body wants, it's the right thing to eat. So therefore anyway I wanted to eat donuts and cake all the time, and it wasn't the right thing to do but that's what my body wanted. I mean how, how do we keep with that argument and it surely can't be right, the body isn't always right, is it? Claire Williamson: No, I mean there's actually not a lot of evidence that foods that you crave are because you're deficient in particular nutrients. So I'm mean I think odd donut or cake is absolutely fine, but try not to eat them sort of all day long. Emma Howard: So, that's the challenge for the pregnant women. You don't one or two, you want the whole pack, right. So we've got to avoid that. Claire Thank you very much for reminding us of the ground rules, that's lovely, thank you.