Why is healthy eating important for me right now?
You can help support your health and the health of your baby by eating well before you become pregnant.
During pregnancy, your body will need more nutrients. You can get ready right now by choosing a variety of food from Canada’s food guide each day.
Folic acid is important in the very early weeks of pregnancy. This is a time when people often don’t know they are pregnant. That is why it is important to eat foods high in folate and take a multivitamin with 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid in it before becoming pregnant. Learn more about taking a multivitamin with folic acid in it before pregnancy here
Your body also needs more iron during pregnancy. This mineral helps to build your body’s iron stores before you become pregnant. Low iron (anemia) during pregnancy is linked to lower pregnancy weight gain and to preterm and low birthweight babies. Learn more about iron and food sources of iron here. To read about iron during pregnancy, see Healthy Parents, Healthy Children and Iron Foods for Pregnancy
Talk with your health care provider about:
- the amount of folic acid that’s right for you. Sometimes more folic acid is needed.
- checking your iron levels. You may need more iron if you are an athlete, if you don’t eat a lot of iron-rich animal foods or if you have heavy menstrual periods.
You can call Health Link at 811 and talk with a Registered Dietitian. They can discuss nutrition and healthy eating in preparation for a healthy pregnancy. This may be helpful if you’re following a way of eating that limits certain foods (e.g., celiac diet, multiple food allergies or sensitivities, vegan diet).
