The role of macronutrients in pregnancy
How well-nourished the mother is can have a heavy impact on both hers and her child’s health. The requirements for macronutrients during pregnancy increase to maintain the body functions of the mother and supply for the growing fetus. It is important to point, however, that even though an increase in caloric intake is needed, there is no need to extrapolate, as the average daily caloric intake should be topped by only 300 to 400 calories. Those calories will likely come from macronutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Knowing how much of each macronutrient to eat to maintain a healthy pregnancy is never easy. I remember when I was expecting Samuel, it was so difficult to know what to eat. While my family, having all the best intentions, would always tell me to eat everything that I wanted, my midwives would never provide me with a definitive answer, as long as the baby vitals and mine were okay, I should not worry about. But I was worried. So this article is for you. If you feel as lost as I felt, I hope this will bring a bit of light and confidence.
Balancing it all out
It is important to increase protein intake by 25g/day, carbohydrates by 45g/day- that means carbohydrates should represent between 45% and 60% of the calories in a healthy diet during pregnancy. Pregnant women should eat between 25 percent to 35 percent of their daily calories from fat, they should also be including DHA fatty acids in their diets to support the brain development of the fetus. One good thing is that most of us will only need to focus on increasing the intake of only one macronutrient, which is protein. Protein is needed for the formation and growth of new cells in both mother and baby. As for the other macronutrients, we usually get more than the recommended amounts from our regular diets, so most women already eat more than enough fats and carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates (energy)
I was surprised to learn that the energy requirements for the first trimester do not change from non-pregnant to pregnant women, this is because the fetus isn’t growing so much yet. So although we may feel like we need to eat more, there isn’t a real necessity for a higher energy intake. This will change from the 10th to 30th gestational weeks, as the growth levels of the fetus peaks. Now it is time to start boosting the amount of carbs you add to your diet.
We need to be cautious of the carbohydrates sources we are choosing and how much energy we are eating in general. Too little can cause low fetus weight gain and too much could impact the mother’s health - higher risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and high blood pressure. For women that are already over-weight, restricting the energy intake can be a way to prevent the occurrence of the above-mentioned diseases and babies that are too large at birth. However, women that are normal weight or under-weight should not restrict caloric intake.
The normal recommended energy intake for pregnant women ranges from 1800 kcal/day to 2213 kcal/day and women are recommended to eat between 45% and 60% of the calories in carbohydrates during pregnancy. Most women already consume this on a regular basis. If that is your case you may not need to increase your intake at all.
Here are some good sources of carbohydrates that you can add to your diet:
Sweet potatoes
Brown rice
Wild rice
Oats
Pumpkin (any variety)
Fruits (any ones you like)
Dried fruits (are sources of important minerals such as potassium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium)
Pasta and bread are good too, but make sure you are getting the right ones. When buying avoid anything that contains sugar and any other additives which names you can’t pronounce - bread usually has only three ingredients flour, water, and salt. Whole grains are your best bet as well.
Protein
Proteins are needed for basically two major functions: hormone syntheses and the creation of new body cells. Because of its important roles, protein is indispensable during pregnancy, a moment when the woman’s body is constantly producing more hormones and new cells - for her own and the new baby. The amount of protein recommended for pregnant women varies from 10–25% of total daily energy intake, and it is recommended that stays at a moderate level (within 25% of total energy).
Globally the main sources of protein are plant-based foods such as legumes, grains, and nuts (57% of daily intake) followed by animal-based foods such as meat (18%) and dairy (10%). The debate around protein sources focus on whether the protein is complete (has all needed amino acids) or incomplete (is missing one or more amino acids). Animal proteins are complete while plant proteins are not. This is not to say that there is any issue eating plant proteins, they only need to be combined so we get the full spectrum of amino acids.
Great sources of plant-based proteins are:
Dark leaf greens
Grains such as quinoa, amaranth, wild rice, millet, couscous, oats, buckwheat, cornmeal
Seeds such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
Beans
Peanuts
Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, miso
Fat
Most current recommendations say total fat intake during pregnancy should stay between 20% to 35% of total daily calories. Most fats should come from unsaturated sources such as fish, vegetable oils, nuts, and flaxseeds.
Pregnant women are also recommended to add extra DHA fatty acids to their diets. DHA is an unsaturated fat that is important for babies’ brain and eye development. The recommendation is to get 200 mg of DHA per day. Oily fish such as salmon and tuna contain DHA. But DHA is also found in vegetable sources such as flaxseed oil and algae. One can also get DHA from capsule supplementation or from a prenatal vitamin that contains DHA (make sure to talk to your health care provider before start supplementing).
Some great sources of fats are:
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetable oils (cold-pressed, unheated)
Wild fish (cooked, avoid eating raw)
Avocados
Dark chocolate
Yogurt (I recommend coconut yogurt if vegan)
What about fibers?
Fibers are present in vegetable foods, mainly carbohydrates. Different carbohydrates are digested differently. Slow digesting carbs have a lower impact on the blood sugar levels and are classified as low-glycemic carbohydrates. Carbohydrates that are digested quickly, cause a more rapid spike in blood sugar levels, thus called high-glycemic carbohydrates. Low-glycemic carbohydrates have more fiber content, which slows digestion and inhibits sugar spikes in the bloodstream. Diets high in fiber and with a low glycemic index (GI) can promote laxation, reduce blood cholesterol and modulate blood glucose and hence may be beneficial in pregnancy. Fiber can help treat and prevent the onset of gestational diabetes and reduce the risk of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants. Eating higher amounts of fiber at least 3 months before and during pregnancy has shown a reduced risk of preeclampsia.
High-glycemic foods
Pasta
White bread
Potatoes
Rice
Low-glycemic foods
Fruits
Dark-leaf greens
Nuts
Grains
Seeds
Conclusion
Basically, you should aim for a 50% carb, 25% protein, and 25% fat intakes during pregnancy. It is important to eat lots of carbs as this is the main energy source for you and your growing baby.
I hope I was able to bring some light to your concerns regarding the ratio of macronutrients you should be eating and also their quality. If you need some cooking inspiration please visit the recipe session of the website.