A healthy balanced diet is good for us at any time in our lives and it’s even more essential if you’re trying for a baby or you’re already expecting. Eating well prepares you for a healthy pregnancy, keeps you fit and well and if you’re already expecting, helps your baby to develop and grow.

Get your 5-a-day

Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (and you can eat many more if you like), helps you reap the benefits from lots of vitamins and minerals plus fibre (to help keep things regular – you know what we mean!). Enjoy a wide variety and have them fresh, frozen, or canned in fruit juice (try to avoid canned fruit in sweetened syrup). Fruit and vegetables are great snacks too.

Want to know what counts as a ‘portion’? click here

Starchy foods (also known as carbohydrates)

These foods are a good source of vitamins and fibre, and are satisfying for the appetite without containing too many calories. Lots of foods come into this category including potatoes (ideally with their skins), rice, pasta, noodles, bread, breakfast cereals and much more.

For extra fibre and filling power opt for wholemeal pasta, wholegrain rice and wholemeal (not brown) bread.

For health it’s advised that about 50% of our daily intake comes from this group of foods. While the foods are generally low in calories, what’s added to them can often pack in the calories so watch out for creamy sauces, butters and mayonnaise that may take the calories soaring!

Protein

Protein is vital for growth, maintenance and repair in the body and we should eat some every day. Foods which are rich in protein include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, pulses and nuts. Some vegetarian options like Quorn, Soya and Tofu products are good sources of protein too.

To reduce the fat content opt for lean meat and remove all visible fat, remove the skin from poultry and opt for lower fat cooking methods eg grill instead of fry, use light oil sprays instead of oil or butter.

For health it’s recommended we eat 2 portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish (eg salmon, mackerel or sardines).

Health note: Avoid liver if you’re trying for a baby or are pregnant as this contains high levels of vitamin A which can be harmful to a baby. Ensure eggs and meats are well cooked through. There are some types of fish which it is advised to avoid or limit in pregnancy. Find out more here...

Dairy

Milk, cheese, yogurts and fromage frais are all dairy foods rich in calcium and other key nutrients which are important for both you and the baby.

If you're trying to manage your weight, opt for low fat options where possible. Plus, reducing the fat content doesn’t reduce the calcium content. For example skimmed milk is actually higher in calcium than full fat milk.

Health note: it is advisable to avoid some soft and mould ripened cheese during pregnancy. Read more about food safety in pregnancy here...

High fat and sugar foods

These foods we all know and love. Whether chocolate, crisps, biscuits or pastries are your thing you don’t need to cut these out altogether but reducing/limiting the amount of these foods you eat will help when managing your weight and be better for your health. Plus these foods tend to be pretty low in other nutrients.

Try these nifty swaps to reduce calorie intake:

Try out these delicious healthy recipes and snacks...