Top tips to eating organically during pregnancy

Is the food you give your family safe? Did you know that a baby’s health may be more at risk from harmful substances because its brain and other organs are still developing? Can organic food prevent allergies?

Giving your family organic food is the best way to avoid the possible risks of pesticides and additives.

Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables helps you to enjoy a healthier diet. By choosing to eat organic you can help to ensure your body, at this vital stage in your baby's development, is less exposed to toxins.
Fruit is a super convenience food – ready 'packaged' with no cooking or preparation required. Organic fruit tastes really good and, with no harmful pesticide residues or other nasties to worry about, there's no need to peel organic apples or pears.
Organic carrots also make a great snack – they're juicy, crunchy and full of flavour. Prepare a bag of mixed crunchy organic vegetables such as carrots, red and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, celery and radishes, and keep it in the fridge at home or at work to dip into.
Feeling sick? Nibble on dry organic crackers or wholemeal toast. Ginger is often recommended to help prevent nausea – try organic ginger biscuits. Eating little and often will help if you are feeling sick early on or don’t have much room for food later in pregnancy.
Pregnant women are advised to avoid too much caffeine. Decaffeinated organic coffee is readily available in supermarkets and you’ll find it hard to tell any difference. Organic Fennel tea is also very soothing (and is naturally caffeine-free) – especially if you’ve 'gone off' ordinary tea and coffee.
Many companies will deliver organic 'boxes' – a selection of organic fruit and vegetables. This has the added bonus of reducing the amount of shopping you have to carry. Find a local company for the very freshest produce.
Organic canned chickpeas, beans and lentils make quick and easy, tasty and nourishing additions to salads – take a mixed bean salad as a healthy packed lunch. You can add organic sunflower or pumpkin seeds for extra goodness too.
If you enjoy pizzas, heap some extra organic vegetables on top – it will help you to achieve the government’s recommendation of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. Spinach, sweetcorn, sliced courgette, mushrooms and red peppers are all good choices.
Up your folic acid intake (and avoid those pesticide residues) with organic folate-rich foods such as broccoli, spinach, boiled potatoes, brown rice, orange juice, baked beans or bread.
Dairy foods will supply you with calcium, which you and your baby need. For good quality select the organic yogurt varieties (there’s plenty of choice of fruit or plain). Organic milk has been found to taste better and to have higher levels of essential nutrients.
Try to eat good amounts of iron-rich foods. These include pulses, bread, broccoli, spinach and other green vegetables, and iron-fortified breakfast cereals. Red meat is an excellent source of iron. Organic meat comes from trusted sources, from animals reared properly, fed well (and naturally) and treated humanely. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron, so include something rich in vitamin C, such as fruit juice, at the same mealtime for extra benefit.
There’s no need to stop eating chocolate! Many researchers suggest that dark chocolate is actually quite good for you (in moderation, of course). But the cocoa used in chocolate can be one of the most heavily-sprayed crops, so make sure any chocolate you eat is produced organically.
You don’t have to avoid convenience foods either. Organic ready meals (yes, they can be found) are made with wholesome, natural ingredients – potentially harmful additives such as hydrogenated fat or monosodium glutamate are not permitted.
It is important not to skip breakfast – have some organic cereal with organic milk for lots of fibre and calcium. Adding dried fruit such as prunes or apricots will help to prevent constipation, but choose the organic varieties as these are not treated with sulphur dioxide.

Alternative tips

'Take Five', 'Eat a Rainbow' – no, not songs, but government advice on eating more healthily by increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables and eating as wide a variety of them as possible (this will maximise the different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients - including beneficial antioxidants).
'Take five' portions daily and eat a 'rainbow' of colours such as those found in red and yellow peppers, dark leafy vegetables, oranges, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
What does one 'portion' of fruit or vegetables mean?
One apple, pear, orange, banana or similar size fruit
2-3 smaller fruits, e.g. plums or apricots
A small bunch of grapes
A handful of cherries
Half a punnet of strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
Around 80g or 3 heaped tablespoonfuls cooked carrots, peas, sweetcorn
A cereal bowl of mixed salad
A glass of fruit juice (but you can only count this as one of the five portions, no matter how much you drink in a day)
And sorry, but potatoes (even organic!) don't count as one your five portions.