The diet should be varied, balanced and of high quality. During pregnancy, special care should be taken to select foods that are beneficial to health and avoid foods that can negatively affect the development of the unborn child. Foods to be preferred are:
- Foods with high nutrient and vital substance density low-fat milk and dairy products, low-fat meat, offal, poultry, low-fat fish such as pollock, haddock, plaice, cod, 1-2 times a week, fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable juices, and complex carbohydrates to avoid hypoglycemia such as potatoes, cereal products based on whole grains and groats.
- Seasonal foods and foods from their own region.
- Organically grown and produced food to avoid additional exposure to pesticides and veterinary drugs as far as possible.
- Consumption of predominantly unsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids vegetable fat and oils such as sunflower, canola, soybean, corn germ and olive oil, cold water fish such as mackerel, herring, tuna or salmon.
- At least 30 grams of fiber daily whole grains, vegetables, possibly wheat bran improve with plenty of fluids the constipation that often occurs during pregnancy
- High fluid requirements, as water to build up the blood volume of the mother, to maintain the amniotic fluid and to supply the fetus fluid intake daily about 40 milliliters per kilogram of body weight in the form of medicinal and natural mineral waters, because they help to meet the additional need for minerals, vegetable and fruit juices diluted with water, herbal, fruit or green tea
- Regularly iron-rich foods such as meat, fish and foods rich in vitamin C to improve iron absorption.
- More frequent and smaller meals for example, the daily food intake spread over six meals.
Foods to avoid are:
- Refined carbohydrates such as white flour products, peeled and polished rice.
- Liver dishes, liver pate, liver sausage, as often high concentrations of vitamin A an oversupply of vitamin A can harm the fetus
- Foods that could contain bacteria such as listeria, toxoplasmosis pathogens and salmonella. These can cause infections and endanger the unborn child.
- Raw, unpasteurized milk and preparations made from it without heating, raw milk cheeses, soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, mild-matured cheeses, such as Gorgonzola, vegetable raw vegetables, as these products may contain listeria.
- Raw or insufficiently heated eggs and mayonnaise-based salad dressings; sauces and desserts that contain raw eggs, due to salmonella
- Raw or undercooked meat, especially raw minced meat, raw sausage such as tartar, salami, Mett and Teewurst due to the toxoplasmosis pathogens that may contain.
- Ready-made salads and delicatessen products, these may contain bacteria.
- Strictly vegetarian diet, as insufficient amounts of protein, vitamin B12, calcium, iron and zinc are absorbed through the diet
- Moderation in the consumption of table salt no more than 6-8 grams of sodium chloride per day.
- High-sugar soft drinks, cocoa and chocolate only in scarce quantities, a maximum of 40 grams of sugar per day.
- Quinine-containing sodas such as bitter lemon, tonic water.
- Caffeinated beverages such as coffee and black tea Caffeine is degraded at a slower rate, more than 200 milligrams of caffeine daily for 2-3 cups will block the absorption of vital substances and reduce blood flow to the placenta. This can cause an abortion (miscarriage), if necessary also in the unborn child to a developmental delay and lead to cardiac arrhythmias.
- Alcohol and nicotine damage the fetus and impair its physical as well as mental development, alcohol reduces birth weight and can cause a number of congenital malformations such as cleft palate or heart defects, brain development disorders, it passes into breast milk.
- Food additives these themselves or their cleavage products can cross the placental barrier and have a cancer-promoting effect, for example, saccharin. Aspartame can be broken down by the mother into aspartate, phenylalanine and small amounts of methanol, a highly toxic alcohol.
- Food from industry and agriculture, which may contain heavy metals mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel. Lead can cross the placenta, cause premature birth or affect fetal development or mental and motor development during childhood and reduce intelligence. Mercury causes a number of birth defects, and polychlorinated biphenyls, often used as an industrial chemical, can slow fetal growth.
There should be neither too much nor too little food. Nevertheless, about 20% of pregnant women gain weight. The main cause is incorrect and unbalanced diet with significant vital substance deficiencies, for example, addiction to sweets.