A healthy pre-pregnancy diet: What does that mean?

If you’re planning to get pregnant, eating a healthy, pre-pregnancy diet will help you stay well throughout pregnancy and be good for your baby’s health.

What does that mean in practical terms?

• Choose foods high in fiber (whole-grain bread and pasta, brown rice)  instead of processed foods (white bread, rice and pasta)
• Eat more fruit and vegetables, including lentils and beans (legumes)
• Avoid saturated ‘bad’ fats, such as fried foods, pastry, biscuits, pies and cakes
• Eat more unsaturated ‘good’ fats, such as avocados, nuts, oily fish and seeds
• Avoid sugary foods, such as sweets, biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks.

Eating well before you conceive can help your future baby have the best possible start in life. Here is how to get some of the essential pre-pregnancy nutrients you need now: Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Iron, Iodine and Zinc.