Safe Food: What to eat and drink in pregnancy. Rosie Dodds

bread – especially fortified bread (check the label) and wholemeal bread

      

yeast extract and beef extract

      

milk

       Vitamin B₁₂: another B group vitamin

      There are many B group vitamins. Eating a balanced diet will give us plenty of all of them – except perhaps for folic acid and vitamin B₁₂.

      Vitamin B₁₂ (or ‘cobalamin’) is needed, like folic acid, for the production of new cells – especially new red blood cells. It also contributes to a healthy nervous system and is involved in the making of fatty acids. Vitamin B₁₂ is therefore particularly important during pregnancy.

      Vitamin B₁₂ is found naturally only in foods that come from animals – meat, fish, eggs, milk and so on. It is also added to some breakfast cereals during their manufacture. It is very rare for women who eat animal foods to be deficient in vitamin B₁₂.

      Women who do not eat meat will probably still get enough vitamin B₁₂ from other animal foods, but women who do not eat any animal produce at all (a vegan diet) can become short of vitamin B₁₂. If you follow a vegan (or near vegan) diet, it is a good idea to eat plenty of fortified foods, and consider a B₁₂ supplement. Ask your family doctor or a pharmacist to recommend a suitable supplement.

       Foods rich in vitamin B₁₂ (best first)

      

lamb’s kidney

      

other meat – beef, pork, lamb, sausages

      

fish – such as cod, tinned sardines and pilchards

      

eggs

      

milk and hard cheese

      

breakfast cereals – only fortified ones (check the nutritional information chart on the carton)

      

soy ‘meat’ and soya milk are often fortified with vitamin B₁₂

       Vitamin A: harmful if you have too much

      We all need small amounts of vitamin A to keep our skin healthy. A balanced diet containing a range of fruit and vegetables, margarine and eggs will provide all the vitamin A we need. There is no need to take extra during pregnancy.

      It may be harmful to your developing baby to have too much vitamin A. There are two ways in which this may happen: first, if you eat large amounts of liver, and second, if you take supplements of either vitamin A or fish oil.

      Animal liver and liver products may contain high levels of vitamin A. This is related to the type of food on which the animals have been fed. It is therefore best that you do not eat liver, or foods made from liver (such as pate) while you are pregnant. It is OK to eat these foods once you have had your baby.

      Fish oil supplements (tablets, capsules or medicine) may also contain high levels of the wrong type of vitamin A. Fish oil contains essential fatty acids – but it is better to eat oily fish like mackerel, herrings, pilchards and salmon, rather than take a supplement.

      If you feel you need to take a vitamin supplement, avoid ones that contain the ‘retinol’ form of vitamin A. Too much (more than 3,300 microgrammes, or mcg or μg) of this type of vitamin A may harm your developing baby. The ‘carotene’ form of vitamin A is safe – so check the label carefully and ask your pharmacist for advice.

       Vitamin C: needed every day

      Our bodies need a good supply of vitamin C to help fight infection and disease, to repair damage within our bodies, and to help heal wounds. Vitamin C also plays a role in preventing anaemia (lack of iron in the blood). Unlike other vitamins, vitamin C cannot be stored in our bodies – so we need to eat some foods rich in vitamin C each day.

      Some women may need more vitamin C than others. If you smoke, or cannot avoid the smoke of other people’s cigarettes, your body needs more vitamin C. Similarly, if you have been ill, or have had surgery, or have suffered an injury, your body will be using large amounts of vitamin C. In these circumstances, it is a good idea to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamin C.

       Foods rich in vitamin C (best first)

      

citrus fruits – oranges, grapefruits

      

citrus fruit juices – fresh juice can be expensive; carton juice is just as good

      

green vegetables – brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage

      

other fruit and vegetables – kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, tomatoes, green peppers

      

potatoes (yes, really! – especially if thinly peeled or scraped)

       Tips for preserving vitamins

      

Cook vegetables whole or cut into large pieces – this reduces the loss of vitamins during cooking. Try not to leave peeled vegetables soaking in water for a long time before cooking.

      

When cooking vegetables on the hob, use only enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring the water to the boil, add the vegetables, cover the pan and boil briskly for a few minutes. Test the vegetables with a fork or knifepoint and stop cooking while the vegetables are still crisp. Leafy vegetables such as cabbage or spinach may only take 2–3 minutes to soften.

      

Use the cooking water to make gravy or stock – to save some of the vitamins that have seeped out into the water during cooking.

      

Try steaming vegetables – it takes longer but is an excellent way of preserving both vitamins and taste (as is cooking in a microwave oven).

      

Eat some vegetables raw: grated carrot and finely chopped white cabbage in coleslaw, chunks of sweet pepper, crispy stalks of celery – maximum vitamins and maximum taste!

      

Eat most fruit raw – but do wash first in plenty of cold running water.