Healthy Eating for a Healthy Baby

Eating healthy is important long before pregnancy to make sure that right from the beginning a mother’s body can meet the demands of her developing baby. Canada’s Food Guide is designed to meet the nutritional needs of pregnancy. Every day eat a variety of foods from each of the four food groups. In the second and third trimester include an extra 2 to 3 Food Guide Servings each day. It is also encouraged that pregnant women eat at least 150g (2 servings) of low mercury fish each week. Fish contains omega-3 fats and other important nutrients for pregnancy. See our “Facts on Fish and Seafood” factsheet below for a list of healthy fish choices.

All women who could become pregnant and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding need to take a multivitamin containing 0.4 mg of folic acid every day. Pregnant women also need to make sure that their multivitamin contains 16-20 mg of iron. Speak to a health care professional to help you find the multivitamin that’s right for you.

Factsheets:

• Healthy Eating for a Healthy Baby
• Facts on Fish and Seafood
• Folic Acid Food Sources

Questions on Healthy Eating?

Call a Haldimand-Norfolk Public Health Dietitian at: 519-426-6170 or 905-318-6623. Or call Eat Right Ontario at: 1-877-510-5102.

Related Resources

• Mother Risk – Safe Medications While Pregnant and Breastfeeding
• The Sensible Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
• Take the Healthy Pregnancy Quiz

Related Topics

• Artificial Sweeteners in Pregnancy
• Caffeine and Herbal Teas
• Food Safety During Pregnancy
• Healthy Weight Gain in Pregnancy
• Mercury and Fish in Pregnancy
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal Care
• Vitamins and Minerals