Protein for pregnancy

During pregnancy, the placenta needs the right amount of protein in order to supply your baby with the nutrients it needs to grow and develop². Your growing baby also needs protein to support the production and maintenance of the cells in their body³, ensuring that they have a strong and healthy foundation to build upon throughout infancy, childhood and beyond. 

Protein in pregnancy also supports your baby’s development by:

• Growing and repairing new and damaged tissues
• Making antibodies for their immune system
• Making hormones and enzymes
• Supporting muscle function
• Transporting oxygen through their blood

Other benefits of protein in pregnancy include a lower risk of preeclampsia and premature birth, and a higher likelihood of a healthy birth weight². This is important, as healthy birth weight has been shown to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes and heart disease in later life⁴. 

During your first trimester, your protein requirements will only increase by a small amount. As you reach your second trimester, your protein needs will increase, in order to support the various changes your body goes through to help your baby’s growth⁵. 

The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of protein for adults is 0.75g per kg of bodyweight per day, plus an additional 6g per day for pregnant women. So, for a woman weighing 60 kg, they will need: 60 x 0.75g/d = 45g of protein a day, and 51g during pregnancy¹.

According to the NHS, you should ensure that you’re eating protein-rich foods every day, including two portions of fish (one of which should be an oily fish) each week⁶. Bear in mind however that there are guidelines to follow when it comes to eating certain fish, and you can learn more about eating fish in pregnancy here.  

During your pregnancy, there are some foods that you’ll be advised to avoid until after your baby is born, and other dietary requirements that you’ll need to be aware of. For example:

There’s no need for you to go on a specialised diet during your pregnancy, as eating a healthy and balanced variety of foods will ensure that you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need.

As such, you won’t need to consume additional calories until the final three months of your pregnancy, where you’ll require an extra 200 calories per day⁷. Following this guidance will also help you to avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

Carbohydrates are very important during pregnancy, as they’re a vital source of energy. Try to include 30-45g (around a fist-sized portion) of starchy carbohydrates every day with each meal⁸. Starchy carbohydrates include bread, potatoes, rice and pasta - try to opt for those with whole grains where possible⁷. 

Fibre is a very important part of a healthy pregnancy diet. It has a number of health benefits including the fact that it can help you avoid constipation - a common pregnancy symptom⁶.

During your pregnancy, aim to consume 30g of fibre every day⁹ which you can get from foods like fruits, vegetables, and other carbohydrates such as whole grains and cereals.

During your pregnancy, try to cut down on saturated fats and opt for unsaturated fats instead, for example vegetable oils. Fat is high in calories, and eating too much can make it difficult for you to maintain a healthy weight whilst pregnant, and can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood⁶.

Whilst you can get the majority of the vitamins and minerals that you need from a healthy balanced diet, the NHS recommends that all pregnant women (and those who are planning to have a baby) take a daily 400mg folic acid supplement. You should continue to take this until week 12 of your pregnancy, as folic acid can minimise the risk of problems that can affect your baby’s development¹⁰.  

Sodium is a major component of salt. The NHS recommends that you limit your salt intake during pregnancy to no more than 6g per day - 2.4g of which is sodium. This is because too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and associated complications¹¹.

You can learn more about salt in pregnancy here.

Not getting enough iron in your diet can lead to a lack of energy and fatigue, and in some cases anaemia. As long as you’re eating a healthy balanced diet, you should be getting all the iron that you need, and foods containing iron include, lean meat, nuts, and green leafy vegetables¹⁰.  

During pregnancy, your baby’s liver isn’t yet fully developed, meaning that they’ll be unable to process any alcohol that passes into their bloodstream through the placenta. Due to the fact that drinking alcohol in pregnancy can cause lasting harm to your unborn baby, the NHS advises that you should avoid drinking any alcohol at all until after your baby is born¹² and limiting alcohol intake while you’re breastfeeding. Read more about alcohol in pregnancy here.  

As well as ensuring that you get enough protein in pregnancy, it’s also important for you to get your protein from a variety of different sources. That way you’ll get all the protein and amino acids that you need for a healthy pregnancy¹.

Protein deficiency is rare in western countries, as we tend to eat plenty of it as part of our everyday diet. As such, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to adjust your intake. If you’ve chosen to avoid animal products (which are the richest source of protein), you’ll be able to get many of the essential amino acids you need by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and other pregnancy superfoods.

So, which foods can help you to get enough protein in pregnancy? Let’s take a look.