Pregnancy Nutrition: Protein

Pregnancy Nutrition: Protein

Protein power

The importance of protein during pregnancy

With a vital supporting role for every cell in the body, protein is essential for you and your baby. Learn how many portions to eat as part of a well-balanced pregnancy diet, and why oily fish is an excellent source.

What is protein and why is it important during pregnancy?

Proteins are found in every cell of the body, making up skin, muscles, hair, fingernails and all other tissues. They provide structure to cells and help them function properly, as well as helping cells repair themselves.

During pregnancy, the protein you eat helps your baby grow normally while contributing to other important areas of their development, including:

Growth and repair of new and damaged tissues
Making antibodies for their immune system
Making hormones and enzymes
Helping muscles function properly
Transporting oxygen through their blood

Your own need for protein increases during pregnancy too, with a healthy intake needed to support the various changes your body is going through.

A healthy intake of protein during pregnancy supports your baby’s growth and helps their rapidly multiplying cells to function normally.

Which contains more protein per portion?

Salmon

Correct answer

Salmon – a 140g portion of grilled salmon contains 33.88g of protein.

Red Lentils

Incorrect answer

Red lentils contain significantly less protein than salmon: around 7.6g per 100g portion.

The building blocks of good health

A good supply of protein during pregnancy enables your baby’s cells to function well from the start. All future growth and development then has a strong foundation to build upon, throughout infancy, childhood and beyond.

Foods that contain protein

With a vital supporting role for every cell in the body, protein is essential for you and your baby.

Getting the right amount of protein to support you both

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein for women is 0.75g per kilogram bodyweight per day. So for a woman weighing 55 kg, they will need around 41g protein per day. During the second half of pregnancy, this requirement increases by 10g per day. But it’s not just the quantity that matters. It’s also important to eat a variety of protein sources because different proteins provide different amino acids.

Good sources of protein include:

Lean meat & chicken
Fish
Eggs
Dairy foods
Beans, pulses and nuts

Because these foods are frequently eaten in the average western diet, most people in Ireland get enough protein without giving it special attention. Unless you are vegetarian or vegan, you probably don’t need to adjust your intake to meet your increased needs. People who choose to avoid animal products can obtain many of the essential amino acids by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.

A good rule of thumb is to include a portion at every meal so that you’re getting 2-3 portions per day. A portion is generally equivalent to the size of your palm.

A particularly beneficial source of protein is oily fish, such as sardines and salmon, which have high levels of brain-building fatty acids

Try to eat 2 portions per week

Good protein sources and their protein content:

One portion is equivalent to:

50–75 g (half the size of the palm of your hand) cooked lean beef, lamb, pork, mince or poultry
100g cooked fish
2 medium eggs
40g unsalted seeds or nuts
100g cooked soya or tofu