What you eat and drink while you are pregnant can help nourish you and your baby.

Important nutrients for pregnancy include folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, omega-3 fats, and choline.

In this video we will talk about calcium, vitamin D, and choline and ways to include these nutrients in your meals and snacks.

Let's talk about foods with calcium and vitamin D.

Eating foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt, or plant-based choices like fortified soy beverage every day can help you meet your needs for protein, calcium, and vitamin D.

Calcium and vitamin D work together to keep your bones strong.

They also help your baby build strong bones.

Here are ideas for meals and snacks that include foods with calcium and vitamin D:

• Drink about 2 cups of milk or a fortified plant-based beverage each day, or:
  • use it to prepare soups and sauces
  • add it to hot and cold cereals, or
  • use it to make drinks, like smoothies and lattes.
• Blend kefir or soft tofu into a smoothie.
• Enjoy yogurt or soy yogurt with fruit and nuts.
• Use plain yogurt as a topping for curries and stews.
• Add cheese to sandwiches, pasta dishes, potatoes, eggs, and salads.

Choline is another important nutrient that helps build baby's brain during pregnancy.

Try to eat foods with choline every day.​

Choline is found in foods like beef, eggs, salmon, cow's milk, and fortified soy beverage.

Choline is also found in some plant foods, like broccoli and cauliflower.  

Here are ways to include foods with choline at meals and snacks:

• Scrambled eggs with sauteed vegetables and toast
• Hard-boiled eggs as a snack or in an egg salad sandwich
• Beef stir-fry

We hope you enjoyed this video.

Check out our other videos about nutrition for pregnancy.

If you have nutrition questions, call Health Link at 811 and ask to speak with a dietitian.

You can also complete the online form.

For information on nutrition for pregnancy and lactation, visit ahs.ca/prenatalnutrition.

Together, we do amazing things every day.​​