With all the messages about what not to eat, sometimes it’s hard to find something to “fill the gap” during pregnancy. You need to be sure that the foods you choose are safe, healthy and nutritious but they need to taste good too! As you know, pregnancy places extra demands on your emotions and body, with an increase in energy and nutrient requirements. So nutrient-ric...
It can be tricky managing a balanced diet when you have a food allergy, but the additional energy and nutrient requirements during pregnancy certainly increases the pressure. You want to make sure you and your baby are getting the goodness required within the boundaries of your allergy.
If you have a diagnosed food allergy you’ll know that it’s a reaction to a food protein. The bod...
The old saying goes ‘when there’s an egg in the house you’ve got a meal’. This is worth remembering when you’re trying to think about what to have for lunch through the fog of broken sleep. As everyone is fond of reminding you, when you’ve got a new baby or are running after a toddler, you have to look after yourself too. So quick and nutritious meals are impo...
The composition of breastmilk varies between mothers and at different stages of lactation, making it difficult to determine the exact nutritional profile. However there is no doubt that breastmilk provides the best possible source of fat, proteins, carbohydrate, water, vitamins, minerals, antibodies, immunoglobulins and energy for your baby.
As you can appreciate, breastmilk is a relatively c...
After the shock / excitement / stunned silent reaction to the news you’re expecting multiple babies has subsided, you may turn to practical matters. For example, how will you nourish yourself and your babies throughout your pregnancy?
Generally the basic guidelines for a multiple pregnancy are similar to those for singletons, with some exceptions and additional requirements. Multip...
You’ll have heard many stories – good and bad – about giving birth. Most mothers find being prepared for any eventuality is a good start and ‘packing your bag’ is part of the ritual. Labour is hard work and you might feel hungry and thirsty, especially in the early stages, so having a variety of suitable and appetising snacks to see you through is a good idea.
Con...
Summer is great but sometimes you can get too hot for comfort, especially if you’re pregnant or racing around with your baby in tow. It can be nice to take a bit of time out for you and treat yourself to a lovely long cool summer fruit cocktail.
Fruit cocktails are delightfully simple. You just make the most of the summer fruits by throwing the ingredients into a blender with some ice. W...
The chemical term for salt is sodium chloride and our bodies do actually require some sodium to function effectively. Sodium helps to maintain the fluid balance in our blood cells and is used to transmit information in nerves and muscles. Our bodies are unable to synthesise salt so we are reliant on foods to ensure we get the required intake.
Sodium is excreted from the body through urin...
You may have noticed the wide range of margarines and butters available in your supermarket. The question isn’t really margarine or butter, it’s more which margarine or butter? There are endless choices, which can lead to confusion. The following glossary will help demystify your selection.
Blended margarines are table spreads made by combining margarine and butter. They...
The butter versus margarine question is an ongoing debate and one that’s close to Kiwi’s hearts. Discussion really focuses around two attributes – the first being taste and the second, health. As taste is a personal preference this article compares the nutritional profiles of both.
Butter
The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code* considers ‘butter’ to be a p...
