Nutrition during pregnancy: requirements, tips and recipes

Find out how to adapt to the nutritional requirements associated with pregnancy

Diet and lifestyle are important determinant of both the mother and the baby’s health, even since the preconception period. According to recent research the first 1000 days of life (from conception up to 2 years of life) are crucial for the prevention of adulthood diseases.

How do nutritional requirements change during pregnancy?

During pregnancy nutritional needs increase, and the diet must provide enough energy and nutrients to satisfy the nutritional requirements of the mother and meet the needs of the growth of the fetus. Therefore, the caloric requirements undergo a moderate increase, depending on the pregnancy stage. For healthy, normal weight women with a moderately active lifestyle, the increments vary from 70kcal/day during the first trimester to 260 and 500 kcal/day in the second and third semester respectively (values by EFSA; European Food Safety Authority). This increment of energy must be accompanied by a varied and balanced diet.