Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy pregnancy.
The food you eat provides nutrients that support your own health as well as your baby's growth and development. But no individual food — or combination of “superfoods” — can guarantee a more intelligent baby or a higher IQ.
Instead, the aim during pregnancy is much simpler: eat a varied, balanced diet that provides a broad range of nutrients for you and your developing baby.
Here are ten nutritious foods and food groups that can form part of that approach.
10 Nutritious Foods to Include During Pregnancy
1. Oily Fish
Fish is a valuable source of protein and several vitamins and minerals. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel and herring also contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
The NHS recommends trying to eat two portions of fish a week during pregnancy, with one being oily fish. However, pregnant women should eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week because it can contain pollutants.
Shark, swordfish and marlin should be avoided during pregnancy, and there are separate limits for tuna. Check current NHS pregnancy guidance when choosing fish.
2. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds can provide protein, fibre and unsaturated fats as part of a balanced diet.
Walnuts, almonds and a variety of seeds are easy additions to breakfasts, yoghurt and salads or can simply be eaten as a snack.
Unless you have an allergy or have specifically been advised otherwise by your doctor or midwife, the NHS says peanuts and other nuts are safe to eat during pregnancy.
3. Leafy Green Vegetables
Vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, including folate.
Folate is particularly important around conception and during early pregnancy. However, food sources of folate do not replace the recommended folic acid supplement.
The NHS recommends taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day when trying for a baby and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Some women need a higher prescribed dose.
4. Berries and Other Fruit
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and other fruits can make it easier to include a variety of vitamins, minerals and fibre in your diet.
There is no need to choose particular berries because they are claimed to improve your baby's intelligence.
Variety matters more.
The NHS recommends aiming for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day during pregnancy.
5. Avocado
Avocado provides unsaturated fats, fibre and a range of vitamins and minerals.
It can be included in meals alongside other fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced pregnancy diet.
You may see claims that avocado can prevent or relieve pregnancy nausea. Individual women may find particular foods easier to tolerate when feeling sick, but avocado should not be presented as a treatment for pregnancy sickness.
6. Oats and Other Wholegrains
Oats are a useful source of carbohydrate and fibre and can make a simple breakfast or snack.
Other starchy foods include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals. The NHS recommends including starchy foods during pregnancy and choosing wholemeal or higher-fibre versions where possible.
Rather than thinking of these foods as enhancing a baby's cognitive performance, think of them as one part of a varied diet that provides the energy and nutrients needed during pregnancy.
7. Eggs
Eggs provide protein as well as a range of vitamins and minerals.
One piece of advice in the original version of this article has changed significantly.
British Lion hen eggs and eggs produced under the Laid in Britain scheme can be eaten raw or partially cooked during pregnancy, provided they are within their use-by date. Hen eggs without these assurances should be thoroughly cooked, as should duck, goose and quail eggs.
So you don't necessarily have to give up your runny egg.
8. Beans, Lentils and Other Pulses
Beans, lentils, chickpeas and other pulses provide protein, fibre and a range of nutrients and can be particularly useful in vegetarian and plant-based diets.
They can also contribute dietary iron.
Iron is needed to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Your iron levels are routinely checked during pregnancy, and if they are low, your GP or midwife may recommend an iron supplement.
9. Yoghurt and Dairy Alternatives
Milk, yoghurt and cheese provide nutrients including calcium and protein.
If you prefer dairy alternatives, look for unsweetened products that have been fortified with calcium and other nutrients.
Not all plant-based alternatives are nutritionally equivalent to dairy products, so checking the label can be useful.
10. A Variety of Fruit and Vegetables
Rather than singling out hemp seed oil as a special pregnancy food, we'd make the tenth choice much broader: eat a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Different foods provide different combinations of nutrients, which is precisely why a varied diet is more useful than concentrating on one fashionable ingredient.
Fresh, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables can all contribute to your daily intake.
What About Pregnancy Supplements?
Even with a healthy diet, there are some supplements specifically recommended during pregnancy.
The NHS recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before pregnancy and until 12 weeks pregnant, with a higher prescribed dose required in some circumstances.
Vitamin D supplementation is also recommended during pregnancy. Current NHS guidance recommends 10 micrograms daily between early October and late March, while some people may need to take it throughout the year.
Iron supplements aren't routinely something everyone needs to take simply because they are pregnant. Iron levels are checked during pregnancy and supplementation may be recommended if levels are low.
Pregnant women should not take cod liver oil or supplements containing vitamin A (retinol), as too much vitamin A can harm a baby's development.
If you're unsure about supplements, speak to your midwife, GP or pharmacist.
Can Food Make Your Baby More Intelligent?
This is where we'd like to correct the original premise of this article.
A baby's development is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, biological, environmental and social factors. It isn't scientifically appropriate to promise that eating particular foods during pregnancy will produce a baby with a higher IQ.
Good maternal nutrition does matter. It provides nutrients needed for normal growth and development — and that is reason enough to eat well.
Pregnancy doesn't need another impossible standard for women to live up to.
You don't need a perfect diet, and you certainly don't need to eat ten particular foods every week.
Aim instead for variety, balance and sensible pregnancy food-safety guidance. If nausea, food aversions, dietary restrictions or a medical condition are making that difficult, your midwife, GP or dietitian can provide individual advice.
Final Thoughts
Eating well during pregnancy isn't about trying to create a “smarter” baby.
It's about nourishing yourself and providing the range of nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop.
Fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, protein-rich foods, dairy or fortified alternatives, and appropriately chosen fish can all have a place.
Keep it varied. Keep it realistic. And don't let claims about “perfect” pregnancy nutrition turn food into another source of pressure.
Further Reading
Nourishing Your Pregnancy: Vitamins, Minerals and Delicious Meals for You and Your Baby