Pregnancy Tips & Advice

Pregnancy Food Plans, Preparing for Birth, and Beyond

Get pregnancy meal plans, tips, and advice for healthy mummies-to-be! We’ll talk about foods to avoid during pregnancy as well as the best foods to eat while pregnant so you don’t have to stress about what’s allowed and what isn’t.

Here you’ll find everything you need to know about food, pregnancy, health, and so much more – plus everything from labour and stretch marks to fascinating baby names.

Pregnancy food plan...

Pregnancy food plan: safe and delicious meals for a healthy pregnancy

Not sure what food is okay to eat now that you’re pregnant? We’re here to help. Let’s go through the facts so you can come up with a pregnancy meal plan with the best foods and nutrients for you (and the precious little bundle you’re growing!).

Foods to eat while pregnant...

Foods to eat while pregnant

Here are some key nutrients (and food sources) that you’ll need to increase during your pregnancy:

Nutrient	Daily recommended amount during pregnancy	Why it’s essential	Food sources
Folate	400 micrograms of folic acid via supplement	To prevent birth defects like spina bifida.	Green leafy vegetables, and as ‘folic acid’ when added to bread/cereal and via your prenatal supplement.
Iodine	220 micrograms	To produce thyroid hormone for essential functions.	Seafood, milk, and vegetables.
Iron	22mg	To account for the 50% extra blood volume you’ll need.	Red meat, chicken, fish, leafy green vegetables, legumes, and iron-enriched breakfast cereals.
Zinc	9mg	To help regulate gene expression.	Lean meat, whole-grain cereals, milk, seafood, legumes, and nuts.
Protein	40-70g	To keep up with rapid growth.	Lean beef, pork, beans, chicken, salmon, nuts, peanut butter, and cottage cheese.
Vit D	400 iu	For healthy bones and teeth.	Oily fish, fortified margarines, and some breakfast cereals.
Vit C	40mg	To form collagen and help absorb iron.	Fruits and vegetables.
Calcium	1000 mg	For healthy bones and teeth.	Dairy products, fish with edible bones, breakfast cereals, dried fruit, bread, almonds, tofu, and green leafy vegetables.
Fibre	25-30g	To avoid constipation, which is common during pregnancy.	Whole-grain breads, cereal products, legumes, nuts, vegetables, and fruit.
Water	2.3L, or to thirst	To help absorb essential nutrients and transport vitamins, minerals, and hormones to the blood cells – and to your baby.	Water!

Sources: Pregnancy Birth & Baby, Healthline, American Pregnancy

Please check with your doctor – nutrient amounts required and appropriate food sources will depend on your family history and circumstances.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy...

Foods to avoid during pregnancy

Some foods (and drinks) are not recommended when you’re expecting, because they come with higher risks for you and baby. It’s best if you avoid:

Alcohol – risks include miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, fetal alcohol syndrome, and other issues
Caffeine – limit your intake to 2-3 cups of coffee per day
Raw egg – presents a higher risk of salmonella
Raw sprouts and unwashed fruits and vegetables – presents a higher risk of listeria
Soft cheeses like brie, feta, and ricotta – presents a higher risk of listeria
Unpasteurised dairy – although dairy products in Australia must be pasteurised before they’re sold, it’s best to check
Large fish – shark, swordfish, and tuna are high in mercury and best avoided
Raw fish – risks salmonella, listeria, and other bacteria
Undercooked or processed meat – rare meat is best avoided when you’re pregnant, as is processed deli meat unless you reheat it until steaming hot

Pregnancy food plan...

Pregnancy food plan: 7 days of bump-friendly dinners

The following meals are excellent sources of essential nutrients for pregnancy, including protein, fibre, iron, calcium, vitamin c, folate, iodine, and zinc.

Day 1: Healthy Mexican Lasagne
Day 2: Healthy Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice
Day 3: Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Day 4: Chunky beef and vegetable pie
Day 5: Protein-packed chicken burrito bowl
Day 6: 4 ingredient spinach and ricotta baked chicken
Day 7: Pesto, spinach and ricotta rolls

Get the knowledge, get help, and get healthy!

The best way to choose healthy pregnancy food is to empower yourself with knowledge and get the support you need. So join the biggest mums-only healthy eating, exercise and wellness destination in the world, our Healthy Mummy app. And yes, we have pregnancy programs in the app! You’ll get pregnancy exercises and recipes, information, and support to plan healthy, nutritious, and delicious food for your pregnancy (and beyond – for when you’re ready to start losing any weight after pregnancy).