Pregnant women know that they need to have a healthy diet, but that can be easier said than done.

In week 9, your sense of smell is likely to be heightened and you may be suffering from morning sickness. Although your appetite may have waned, it's more important than ever to feed your body with nutritional foods. Here's some tasty inspiration of what you can choose to have today:

Breakfast

• 2 slices of wholemeal bread with 1 slice of low-fat hard cheese or 1 boiled egg and tomato (optional)
  
• 1 glass of low-fat milk (250ml) or high calcium, reduced sugar soybean milk
  

Mid-morning snack

• 1 small vegetable pau or 3 pieces of wholemeal crackers or a tub of low-fat yoghurt
  

Lunch

• 1 bowl of sliced fish beehoon soup (preferably with brown rice beehoon)
  
• 1 wedge of papaya (130g) — add a squeeze of fresh lime for added zest
  

Afternoon snack

• Vegetable snacks with dip
  

(Crunchy carrots and cool cucumber are nutritious and satisfying. Dip these into some homemade hummus made from a can of drained chickpeas blended with some lemon juice and paprika for an afternoon pick-me-up).

Dinner

• 1 bowl of rice (preferably brown rice)
• 1 palm-sized piece of grilled chicken (pep it up with a spice rub or shredded ginger and a squeeze of lime)
• ¾ of a plate of stir-fried mixed vegetables (the more colours the better!)
• 1 apple or pear

Supper

• 1 glass of low-fat milk (250ml) or high calcium, reduced sugar soybean milk
• 4 plain biscuits or 1 handful of roasted nuts
  

How much does your body need daily?

• Rice and alternatives: 6–7 servings per day
• Whole-grains: 3 servings per day
• Fruit 2 servings: per day
• Vegetables: 3 servings per day
• Meat and alternatives: 2½ servings per day
• Milk: 500ml per day

It's important to limit food that's high in fat, salt and sugar and ensure that you get a good mix of vitamins and minerals.

What's in a serving?

Rice and alternatives

• 2 slices of bread (60g)
• ½ bowl* of cooked rice (100g)
• ½ bowl of cooked noodles, spaghetti or beehoon (100g)
• 4 plain biscuits (40g)
• 1 thosai (60g)
• 2 small chapatis (60g)
• 1 large potato (180g)
• 1½ cup plain cornflakes (40g)
  

Fruit

• 1 small apple, orange, pear or mango (130g)
  
• 1 wedge of pineapple, papaya or watermelon (130g)
  
• 10 grapes or longans (50g)
  
• 1 medium-sized banana
  
• ¼ cup** dried fruit (40g)
  
• 1 glass pure fruit juice (250ml)
  

Vegetables

• ¼ plate*** or ¾ mug+ cooked leafy vegetables (100g)
  
• ¼ plate or ¾ mug cooked non-leafy vegetables (100g)
  
• 150g raw leafy vegetables (make sure they're washed thoroughly)
  
• 100g raw non-leafy vegetables (make sure they're washed thoroughly)
  

Meat and alternatives

• 1 palm-sized piece of fish, lean meat or skinless poultry (90g)
  
• 2 small blocks of soft bean curd (170g)
  
• ¾ cup cooked pulses (e.g lentils, peas or beans) (120g)
  

*Rice bowl
**250ml cup
***10-inch plate
+250ml mug

Explore more

• Pregnancy and diet 
• Important nutrients: What should you eat more of? 
• Do's and don'ts in pregnancy 
• 6 foods you must keep off the menu 
• Debunking 5 common pregnancy food myths

By Associate Professor TAN Thiam Chye Head & Senior Consultant, Dr Michelle LIM Senior, O&G Resident, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital

Sources:
The New Art and Science of Pregnancy and Childbirth 2008, World Scientific
Healthy Start for your Pregnancy 2012, Health Promotion Board Singapore

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