Eating for two?

Posted on 2 February 2016

No, doubling up on all your meals isn’t the healthy way to eat when you’re pregnant. But what is? Here’s a look at the foods that will ensure you and your baby get the nutrients you need.

‘When you’re in your second or third trimester, it’s mostly about eating healthily,’ says Jandri Barnard, a dietician practising at Mediclinic Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal. ‘A pregnant mom should still include complex carbohydrates in her meals: those are the whole grains, which are high in fibre. Often, by this stage of your pregnancy, you’ll experience constipation and heartburn, because of the baby growing inside you. If you tend to have heartburn, look at avoiding foods that are gas-forming. These include fizzy drinks, onions, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cucumber, etc.’

One more thing: ‘With the fibre, remember to drink water as well,’ says Jandri. ‘The fibre on its own will just increase your constipation. It needs water to wash it down.’

She also recommends protein – but specifically lean protein. ‘If you’re having mincemeat, go for the lean type,’ says Jandri. ‘If it’s red meat, trim the fat off the side – otherwise you’re just going to gain excess fat. At this stage, that’s not going to be to the benefit of the baby; it’ll just be for you, picking up weight.’

As for those complex carbohydrates… this is where sweet potatoes become a pregnancy superfood. Sweet potatoes are high in nutrients like potassium, fibre, Vitamin A and Vitamin B6 (which aids the formation of red blood cells, and helps prevent morning sickness).

For a snack that’s tasty, and healthy for you and your baby, Abigail Donnelly, Food Editor at Taste magazine, recommends homemade sweet potato chips. They’ll keep in a Tupperware for a few days, so they make a great snack.

Here’s the recipe:

Thinly slice unpeeled sweet potatoes. Slice them as thinly as possible with a mandolin if you have one.

Toss the potatoes with a seasoning of your choice. If you prefer not to have too much salt, then try smoked sweet paprika.

Lay them in a single sheet on a baking tray sprayed with Spray & Cook.

Bake for 20 minutes and turn the tray around if needed and cook for another 20 minutes.

Cool and remove from tray.