Frozen foods are a convenient way to meet your nutritional needs during and post pregnancy.

So, while the ‘fresh’ produce section may look tempting when you’re shopping, do remember that frozen can be just as nutritious – sometimes more so.

Frozen fruit and vegetables are frozen at the point of harvest – trapping in the nutrients. Fresh produce, on the other hand, can be up to 14 days old before hitting your basket, due to lengthy transportation times. And this means valuable nutrients are lost… For instance, evidence has shown that two days after picking, spinach has already lost 75% of its vitamin C. This loss is reduced to less than 20% when it is frozen.

So, frozen is a great way of easily adding in extra portions of fruit and vegetables and getting the most from the foods you eat – particularly at a time when you need to make sure your diet is providing you with enough energy and nutrients for your baby to grow and develop, and for your body to deal with the changes taking place.

Fertility and pregnancy expert Yvonne Bishop-Weston says “Reports show up to 50% of women of childbearing age in the UK have low iron stores 1. Some of the other key essential nutrients you need to watch during this time are Vitamin C, Calcium, Vitamin D, Anti-Oxidants and essential fats – and frozen foods can be an excellent and convenient source of all of these.”

Iron – Foods rich in iron help prevent tiredness and anaemia. Iron can be found in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds and red meats.

Vitamin C – Eating foods rich in vitamin C will enhance iron absorption by up to twice as much. Vitamin C can be found in fruits, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, blackcurrants and even potatoes.

Calcium – Foods rich in calcium are vital for making bones and teeth. Calcium can be found in wholemeal bread, almonds, tofu, figs, parsley, watercress and green vegetables.

Vitamin D – This essential nutrient helps keep you and your baby’s bones healthy and is vital for the immune system. While the sun is the best source, new babies need to be protected from strong sunlight. Vitamin D can also be found in foods such as oily fish, margarine and fortified foods.

Anti-oxidants – These may be useful to protect your immune system and can be found in the different bright colours of fruit and vegetables – so try and eat a wide variety. Don’t over-cook or vitamins will be lost!

Essential Fats – These are essential for baby’s brain and nervous system development and mother’s skin, mood and general health. Good sources of basic omega 3 fats can be found in cold pressed fresh rapeseed, hemp and flax oil.

It’s well worth stocking up your freezer with nutritious frozen foods before you become too busy preparing for your baby’s arrival or trying to manage once he or she has arrived!

Stocking up will help give you the nutrients you need. You’ll be saving on preparation time, as frozen doesn’t need chopping and washing, and you’ll be cutting down on waste and costs, as frozen won’t go bad before you get around to using it. On average, UK households throw away a third of all the food they buy – 6.7 million tonnes ₂

All the Nutrition a mother and baby need

The Fresh from the Freezer chef and our nutritionist have worked together to create a recipe that doubles up as a soup or paté for Mum and as a baby food for Junior …a real timesaver containing just about everything you and your tot need!

Mum’s Lentil and Mixed Vegetable Soup / Baby food. For an easy way to get all of your vitamins and minerals, check out Yvonne’s Mum’s Lentil and Mixed Vegetable Soup/Baby Food and Pate recipes.

Yvonne and her nutritionists offer one-to-one fertility, pregnancy and baby consultations either in her London or Surrey clinics or on the telephone, for more details see: http://www.optimumnutritionists.com/pages/health-issues/pregnancy-nutrition.php

1 BNF Briefing Paper: Nutrition in Pregnancy by British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin, March 2006

2 Wrap and Resources Action Programme

Click below to download detailed nutritional guideline charts:

First Trimester

Second Trimester

Third Trimester

Post Birth