Foods to be preferred
- Foods with high nutrient and vital substance density (macro- and micronutrients) – low-fat milk and dairy products, low-fat meat, offal, poultry, 1-2 times a week low-fat fish, such as pollock, haddock, plaice, cod, fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable juices, and complex carbohydrates to prevent hypoglycemia, such as potatoes, whole-grain and meal-based cereal products
- 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 fats 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 – with plenty of fluids improve constipation, which is common during pregnancy
- With breast milk, a lot of water is passed on to the baby, which means that the mother should add about 40 milliliters of fluid per kilogram of body weight daily in the form of medicinal and natural mineral waters (because they help to meet the extra need for minerals), vegetable and fruit juices (diluted with water), and herbal, fruit or green tea to maintain milk production
- Regularly eat iron-rich foods, such as meat, fish and vitamin C-rich foods to improve iron absorption.
- More frequent and smaller meals, for example, the daily food intake spread over six meals.
Foods to avoid
- Refined carbohydrates, such as white flour products, peeled and polished rice.
- 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 crudités, as these products may contain listeria
- Raw eggs or eggs not heated long enough and mayonnaise-based salad dressings; sauces and desserts that contain raw eggs due to salmonella
- Ready-made salads and deli products, these may contain bacteria.
- Strictly vegetarian diet, as too small 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 can pass into breast milk and is broken down by the infant’s metabolism is slow, frequent caffeine consumption causes caffeine to accumulate in the body of the newborn, the consequences include sleep disorders, irritability, impaired physical and mental development, cardiac arrhythmias.
- Alcohol and nicotine – harm the infant by passing the substances to the baby through breast milk, affecting its physical and mental development, as well as causing lack of participation and interest, impaired consciousness and drowsiness.
- Food from industry and agriculture containing heavy metals – mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel – can impair the mental and motor development of the infant, lead to learning and performance deficiencies and reduce intelligence.
