In the last 100 years we've consumed more and more packaged foods. The more processed the food the harder it is to breakdown and the more additives it contains. Furthermore, processing significantly reduces the nutritional content of food. For example, milling grains removes 80 per cent of vitamin E, 60 per cent of B1, 50 per cent of B5 and 75 per cent of B6.

Refined grains have become a big part of the modern diet.

A lot of the bread, cereals, cakes, cookies, pasta and crackers we eat have the fibre and nutrient rich husks removed. The husks of grains contain minerals like chromium and zinc that are needed to break down the carbohydrate within the grain (and are essential during pregnancy).

When you consume these white products your body still has to break them down, using nutrients from your body to do so. This means by eating refined grains we lose nutrition instead of gaining it, essentially making these processed and packaged foods nutrient robbers. Not ideal considering our focus during pregnancy is to eat a nutrient-dense diet. To eat nutrients for two.

Did you know?

Wheat raises blood sugar higher than refined sugar. Wheat has a higher glycemic index than sugar. Glycemic Index or GI is an indicator of how much a food raises your blood sugar when it's consumed. The higher the GI the less favourable for our health. In many cases, eating two slices of white or wholewheat bread can raise your blood sugar more than eating a snickers bar! Table sugar has a GI of 68. White bread has a GI of 74 and wholewheat bread has a GI of 75.

What should you eat instead?

Opt for whole and real foods throughout your pregnancy and beyond. Remove as much processed food as you can from your diet and replace it with foods that will nourish you and your baby. And if there's a particular food or snack you're struggling to omit for your diet, contact us and we'll help you find a more nourishing alternative. 

You can reach us via email bianka@40weeks.com.au or post your question in our private Facebook Group.