Eating well: 21 to 24 weeks
Lorna
by Lorna Marsh | animated_fact_check Medically reviewed by Sarah Schenker, Dietitian
Fruit smoothie
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You may be starting to keep an eye on your weight now that you | re over halfway through your pregnancy, but remember that you shouldn | t be dieting. Most diets won | t give you the iron, folic acid and other important vitamins and minerals that you and your baby need.
If you | re overweight, you can improve your diet by:
eating wholegrain carbohydrates, rather than their white equivalents
eating plenty of fruit and vegetables
cutting out high-fat and high-sugar food and drink
doing regular exercise
Your doctor or midwife can also offer you plenty of advice and information on having a healthy, balanced diet during pregnancy.
Is vitamin A important during pregnancy?
Yes. Vitamin A is important for night vision, cell growth, healthy skin and red blood cell production. It exists in our food in two forms: retinol and beta-carotene.
Steer clear of foods which contain high levels of retinol, such as liver or products containing liver, like cod liver oil. Eating these foods may mean that your body builds up levels of retinol that are dangerous for your developing baby.
However, you do need some vitamin A in your diet. Egg yolks, butter, margarine, oily fish, milk and yoghurt contain lower amounts of retinol and will help to keep your skin, eyes and immune system healthy.
You can get plenty of beta-carotene from orange-coloured foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, ripe papaya and oranges. It | s also present in green vegetables, especially broccoli, watercress, spinach and spring greens.
Meal ideas
Photo by Joanna Weston
Lunch: Watercress and celeriac soup.
Snack: Papaya smoothie.
Dinner: Sweet apple lamb.
Read more about looking after yourself and your baby when you | re pregnant
Watch our video on five tips for a healthy pregnancy.
Find out what exercise is safe when you | re pregnant.
Find out how to eat well in weeks 25 to 28 of pregnancy.
24 week pregnancy diet?
