Nutrition in a Nutshell
We have covered a lot in the sections above regarding food, nutrition and balanced eating. In this section we show you how to put it into practice with a handy food checklist and a sample meal plan.
Food checklist
To maintain a balanced diet, you should eat a wide variety of foods from the core food groups. The table below shows the recommended daily amount of food that is required by women planning for pregnancy.
Sample Meal Plan
Breakfast |
| 1 piece of wholegrain toast with a scrape of margarine and jam Small bowl of bran flakes topped with fresh strawberries ½ cup of reduced fat milk Small glass of orange juice Provides: 1 ½ serves of breads/cereals, 2 serves of fruit, ½ serve of dairy. |
Morning Snack |
| Tub of reduced fat, natural vanilla yogurt with some chopped dried apricots Provides: 1 serve of dairy, 1 serve of fruit. |
Lunch |
| Toasted asparagus, cheese, tomato and avocado foccacia: 2 thick slices of foccacia bread, 4 slices of tomato, 2 slices of avocado, fresh/canned asparagus spears 2 slices of reduced fat cheddar cheese Cup of reduced fat milk with MILO (served hot or cold) Provides: 2 serves of breads/cereals, 1 ½ serves of vegetables, 2 serves of dairy. |
Afternoon Snack |
| 4 wheat biscuits with cottage cheese and 2 tablespoons of drained, chopped sun dried tomatoes Provides: 1 serve of breads/cereals, ½ serve of dairy, ½ serve of vegetables. |
Dinner |
| Beef & vegetable stir fry with noodles: 100g of lean beef stir-fry strips 1½ cups of vegetables (broccoli, red capsicum and asparagus) ½ tablespoon of olive oil Oyster sauce 1 cup of cooked 99% fat free noodles Provides: 1 serve of breads/cereals, 3 serves of vegetables, 1 serve of meat, ½ serve of extra food. |
Evening Snack |
| Fruit salad and 1½ scoops of low fat ice cream Provides: 1 serve of fruit, 1 serve of extra food.
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More articles to help you plan your pregnancy |
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