Pregnant women should give importance to good diet and proper nutrition because the nutritional status of their babies depends on them. A healthy diet can make a great contribution to a healthy pregnancy.
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology developed a new food guide for pregnant mothers and lactating women. This is called Pinggang Pinoy. This tool helps individuals choose a variety of foods from the Go, Grow and Glow groups on per-meal basis.
Be sure to include food items, which are rich in carbohydrates (Go foods), proteins (Grow foods), fats (Go foods) and vitamins and minerals (Glow foods) and a lot of fluids. Confining food choices to a few kinds of foods usually result in an imbalanced diet.
Half of the plate represents Glow foods consisting of fruits and vegetables. Eat more vegetables than fruits. Go and Grow foods should fill up the other half of the plate, with Go foods (e.g. rice, corn, bread, oatmeal and root crops) taking a bigger portion than Grow foods (e.g., meats, eggs, poultry, fish, beans and legumes).
Other health tips for pregnant and lactating women included in Pinggang Pinoy are the following:
- Eat less salty, fried, fatty and sugar-rich foods to prevent chronic diseases;
- Take folic/iron supplements to meet daily requirements;
- Do not smoke and drink alcoholic beverages; and
- Understand nutrition information on product labels to make smart food choices.
The Pinggang Pinoy also suggests that pregnant women have regular prenatal checkups and deliver their babies in health-care facilities.