How can moms-to-be incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly food choices into their pregnancy nutrition plan to support both their health and the environment?
To ensure everyone is fed sustainably and healthily by 2050, we need a major shift in agriculture and nutrition – and that includes what we eat before and during pregnancy. The “Planetary Health Diet” provides the global framework for a healthy and environmentally friendly diet.
Planetary Health Diet: The diet of the future
The Planetary Health Diet is perfect for “flexitarians” who only eat meat sometimes. For pregnant women, the daily menu of the future could look something like this:
- Drinks: 1–2 liters of sugar-free drinks like tap or mineral water, herbal and fruit teas. Coffee or black tea, should be consumed in moderation.
- Fruits & veggies: 5 servings a day – 3 veggies and 2 fruits. One serving is about a handful (120g). Go for seasonal and colorful choices.
- Grains & potatoes: 3 servings a day, with whole grains as the go-to. For example, 100g of bread, 300g of potatoes, or 50g of oats, pasta, rice, or quinoa counts as a serving.
- Dairy: 3 servings of unsweetened dairy products, like 200ml of milk or 150–200g of yogurt and cottage cheese. From the fourth month of pregnancy: 4 portions of dairy products!
- Protein (pulses, eggs, meat, fish): At least 1 serving, which could be 60g of raw pulses (legumes), 120g of tofu, 2–3 eggs, or 100–120g of meat or fish. Mix it up for variety!
- Nuts & seeds: Grab a handful of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, linseed, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds or others daily.
- Oils & fats: Go for plant-based oils. To meet the need for Omega-3s, have 2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil (canola), or walnut oil daily. Or take Omega-3 supplements.
- Sweet drinks, sweet and salty snacks: Max. 1 portion! 1 portion corresponds to 200 ml of soft drinks, sweetened milk and fruit juice drinks or 20 g of sweets such as chocolate, sweet cookies or 20 g of potato chips.
Protein intake during pregnancy: alternate legumes, eggs, meat and fish
Your protein intake during pregnancy is essential, so mix up your protein sources daily with foods like legumes (pulses), tofu, eggs, meat, poultry, or fish. Aim to include legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and beans at least once a week, while limiting meat to 2-3 times per week, including poultry and sausages.
Animal products have a bigger environmental footprint than plant-based foods, so try to opt for meals with plant-based proteins more often, like lentil Bolognese, lentil Dal, chickpea salad, hummus or tofu stir-fry.
Planetary Health Diet for vegetarians
Vegetarians can continue to avoid meat and fish during pregnancy. It’s just important to choose the right foods – such as pulses, tofu, eggs and dairy products for that extra portion of protein!
