Tús Maith - A Good Start for Mother’s and Babies’ Nutrition Starchy Carbohydrate
Vegetables
Rice/ pasta/potatoes/noodles/ cereal: A serving is 1 cup or handful (cooked) Bread: a serving is 2 thin slices
A serving is a large handful
3 - 5 a day for energy & fibre Choose 1 serving of wholegrain types at every meal; these foods are essential to supply the glucose your baby needs for normal growth; choosing breads with added seeds and nuts will add fibre, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids; choose wholemeal flatbreads, pitas or wraps and high fibre cereals like porridge oats, wheat biscuits or high fibre flakes; new potatoes and sweet potatoes have more fibre and vitamins than other types; a portion of pasta, rice, noodles or couscous covers a little less than half a dinner plate.
Fruit A serving is 1 handful/ the size of your fist
2 a day for fibre, water & vitamin C Choose 2 servings every day; ideally, eat fruit with meals or as dessert to help absorb the iron in meat, chicken, fish, eggs and beans. Fruit juices, even unsweetened, are very high in natural sugars. Limit to 1 small glass a day.
Oils: a serving is 1 teaspoon/ tip of thumb size Essential fatty acids Use good quality vegetable oils for dressing salads, in dips and pesto. Add foods like avocado, nuts, seeds and olives to your diet every day as snacks or added to salads, cereal, soups, pizza or bread. The essential fatty acids in these foods, as well as the omega 3 fats in oily fish, are good for your baby’s brain development. Tús Maith High BMI Healthy Eating Guide 2019 Author: SCurran 2016, 2018, 2019 Review:2020
At least 5 a day- more is better! Choose 5 or more servings every day; try all kindsfresh, frozen, raw and cooked. Include vegetables at every meal for fibre, vitamins and minerals. Add extra in salads, soups, stews, sandwiches, tinned tomatoes in sauces or veggie sticks as snacks. Vegetables also contain a lot of water which helps your bowel and keeps you hydrated.
Protein Meat/chicken/ fish/ eggs/ beans A serving is half the palm of your hand/2 eggs
2 a day for protein & iron Choose 2 small portions every day; try red meat 3 times a week, eat oily fish like salmon, trout, herring and mackerel at least once every week for good omega 3 fat and Vitamin D; red meat, chicken and fish are the best sources of iron but egg yolk, beans and lentils are also useful; many people eat too much animal protein - include vegetable proteins from beans, lentils and chickpeas every week as well for balance. Iron is vital for red blood cells to carry oxygen. One in three women don’t get enough iron in their diets. Pay attention to your iron intake from the start of pregnancy to prevent low levels (anaemia) later on.
Dairy Foods: Milk / Cheese / Yogurt A serving is 200ml of milk (cup), small pot of yogurt, or size of two thumbs of hard cheese
3 a day for protein and calcium One in four women don’t get enough calcium. Include any 3 portions of every day to meet your needs for healthy bones, blood pressure and muscle function & reduce the risk of preeclampsia.
Your healthy plate should look like this: Salads, soups, fresh, frozen- add vegetables of all kinds and colours to give you B vitamins & fibre. Dark green veg also provide some iron & calcium.
Vital for energy for normal growth and development. Wholegrain types are more nutritious. You may need more if you are very active.
These protein foods are rich in iron and B vitamins. Vegetarian alternatives are eggs, beans, lentils and chickpeas- try using them in hummous, curries, soups and salads.
PLUS
Add a portion of fruit to lunch and dinner for Vitamin C to help iron absorption.
Mid morning, mid afternoon and evening snacks: Make them calcium rich for healthy bones, muscles and blood pressure. Milk – try a hot chocolate or a latté Calcium and iron are absorbed better Yogurt – a probiotic style may help your gut function separately. Make your snacks rich in calcium Cheese – with oatcakes or fruit to get the most benefit. Nuts- choose plain rather than salted Tinned fish with small bones - try tinned salmon or sardines with mayo & cucumber on crackers Hummous- great on crackers or as a dip with pita, carrots or cucumber Soya, oat or nut based milk substitute with added calcium and vitamin D
You will also need to take a multivitamin with extra iodine (for brain & thyroid) and vitamin D (calcium balance). Tús Maith High BMI Healthy Eating Guide 2019 Author: SCurran 2016, 2018, 2019 Review:2020
High B.M.I. supplements checklist: ⎕ Folic Acid 400mcg: take daily from before conceiving until birth ⎕ Vitamin D 10mcg: take from Day 1 – continue until birth ⎕ Iodine 150mcg: take from Day 1 – continue until birth Risk of anaemia ⎕ Iron 300mg : From 12 weeks – 6 weeks postpartum If your B.M.I. is greater than 30, your doctor may prescribe a high dose of Folic Acid (5mg) for the first 12 weeks. Some pregnancy multivitamins will have the amounts of Folic acid, Vitamin D and Iodine needed (above). If an iron supplement is recommended, take it as a separate tablet and at a different time to multivitamins so that absorption is not affected. If you have a medical condition or if you take prescription medicines, you might need a higher dose of some vitamins. Check with your doctor or midwife about what’s right for you. Your baby will need 5mcg Vitamin D drops from birth for at least 1 year. Ask your pharmacist for advice.
Breastfeeding is very important for mothers and babies. It plays a vital role in preventing obesity. Good foundations for health are laid down by eating well while you are pregnant, and breastfeeding your baby continues that good work. During pregnancy, your body prepares for your new baby’s needs for nutrition in breast milk from as early as 16 weeks. When you breastfeed, your milk is designed to change according to how your baby feeds, and to meet their needs. This helps your baby to grow and develop in the best way for them. If your baby is born early, you can express early milk, and the neonatal team will give it to your baby as a ‘medicine’ to protect their gut – every drop is useful. Information and support is available at our NMH antenatal classes and at www.mychild.ie. There is also a helpful booklet available from the NMH.
Tús Maith High BMI Healthy Eating Guide 2019 Author: SCurran 2016, 2018, 2019 Review:2020
Newborn tummies Your new baby will have a little tummy! It only takes a teaspoon of colostrum (the first milk you make) to fill it on day 1. It gets a little bigger from day 3 onwards when your milk ‘comes-in’, but it doesn’t need to stretch too much because breastmilk is absorbed really well. This helps breastfed babies not to overeat. Your baby will get enough nourishment from breastmilk alone until he is almost 6 months old. It’s best not to introduce solid foods too soon. For more information go to www.mychild.ie
Healthy weight gain in pregnancy is important. You can expect to gain 0.2 – 0.3kg (0.5 – 0.6 lbs) every week from week 12. It’s not a good idea to lose a lot of weight until after your baby is born. It is very important to focus on eating well, because nutrition in the womb helps your baby’s health for life. Eating well and being active when you’re pregnant is a ‘Diabetes Prevention Plan’ to help reduce your risk of Gestational Diabetes. It also helps your blood pressure and may reduce your risk of Preeclampsia. Be sure to choose healthy foods for meals and snacks so that you are not hungry, and to give you the balanced nutrition you need. Cut out junk food and fizzy drinks. Please ask for the support you need if you struggle with food issues.
Foods to Avoid? There is a short list of foods not to eat when you are pregnant because they can contain harmful bacteria (listeria, salmonella, toxoplasma) or contaminants (mercury, dioxins). These bacteria are destroyed by heat, so be sure to cook fresh food through and re-heat chilled meals until piping hot.
Mould ripened cheese e.g. brie, camembert, goat’s cheese, blue cheese unless cooked (listeria) Unpasteurised milk, cream or yogurt (listeria) Cured meats/ fish (smoked salmon, salami) unless they are cooked (listeria, toxoplasma) Pate (listeria, Vitamin A) Raw or undercooked meat, chicken or eggs (salmonella, toxoplasma) Unwashed salad or fruit (listeria, toxoplasma) No fish like shark, marlin, swordfish & bluefin because of mercury contamination. Up to 480g of tinned tuna or 280g fresh tuna steak per week is fine. Alcohol and caffeine cross the placenta. There is no safe limit for alcohol, but you can drink 3-4 cups of tea, weak coffee or cola drinks per day.
Follow the food safety guidelines on www.safefood.eu
Tús Maith High BMI Healthy Eating Guide 2019 Author: SCurran 2016, 2018, 2019 Review:2020
Useful Websites: The National Maternity Hospital site has info on all aspects of your care in pregnancy www.nmh.ie Useful information on all aspects of pregnancy & childcare 0-3 years www.mychild.ie safefood: good nutrition for all the family, recipes & tips www.safefood.eu The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute: factsheets on nutrition & lists of private dietitians in Ireland www.indi.ie Healthy Ireland: Info on all aspects of health including quitting smoking, drugs, alcohol, mental & sexual health www.healthyireland.ie Weight management program: free online monitoring, guidance and support www.weigh2live.eu The Diabetes Federation of Ireland www.diabetes.ie The Coeliac Society www.coeliac.ie Bodywhys: support agency for people with eating disorders www.bodywhys.ie
My Goals Based on the class today, list 3 goals that you would like to put in place in your life at the moment.
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TĂşs Maith High BMI Healthy Eating Guide 2019 Author: SCurran 2016, 2018, 2019 Review:2020