New Year, New Mama : Nutrition

New Year may have once been the wake-up call to start eating a little healthier, but now that you’re pregnant it's more important than ever to make sure you’re putting the best types of food and nutrition possible into your body.

It’s OK to treat yourself and finish off the festive left overs but then it’s time to start eating better and feeling great. Happy mama= Happy baby! Here's our top tips on how to easily make a few changes to your diet to make you feel like a whole new you.

Be Nutrition Wise

Protein, Folate, Calcium, Fibre and Fats are all things you need to monitor to make sure you have the best possible nutrition available. Your body needs an extra 10 grams of protein each day to support a growing fetus so make sure to incorporate beef, soy, dairy, eggs, dried beans, milk and peanut butter into your diet.

Folate is especially important during your first trimester as it has been said to potentially prevent neural-tube defects that occur in early pregnancy. Find it in orange juice, spinach, lentils, rice, oatmeal broccoli and strawberries to name a few.

Keep both your bones and your baby's healthy and strong with a high calcium diet, graze on nuts and avocados for healthy fats and find your fibre in whole grain cereals, nuts, seeds and fruits.

Snack Good

There's nothing wrong with grazing in between meals, if you're hungry you're hungry! However you do need to make sure you are snacking on the best possible things to ensure you and baby are getting the correct nutrients.  Snack on some refreshing salad vegetables, such as carrots, celery or cucumber and dip into hummus. Ready-to-eat apricots, figs or prunes are bursting with amazing anti-oxidants to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need.

Know Your Don'ts

Now you're pregnant it's important to monitor what you put into your body to make sure you're not ingesting anything that could be potentially dangerous to your baby. Things to avoid include pate, raw or partially cooked eggs, liver, raw seafood and alcohol to start with. It seems like a lot to think about- and it is!- but making a few changes to your diet will really make a difference to the health of both you and your baby.

For a full list of what to avoid take a look at  the NHS website

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

We know that the constant trips to the bathroom are driving you crazy, especially when you're up in the middle of the night every hour. However unfortunately that doesn't mean you should slack off on topping up your fluid intake. Staying hydrated is always important but it is even more so now you're pregnant. Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and remember all non- caffeinated beverages count. Plus low-sodium broth based soup and veggies can all keep you hydrated!

Remember mamas you're going to gain weight- you're growing a mini miracle- you're supposed to! So whilst it's important not to eat unhealthily whilst pregnant make sure not to drastically slash calories or follow super strict diets. Focus on a couple small and healthy changes to ease you into the new year and into being a new mama.