Technology : Food : Diets.

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Technology : Food : Diets

Pregnant women have special dietary requirements. Many women have busy lifestyles and so a cooked meal with the correct balance of nutrients can be quite time consuming.

I am going to make a packed lunch with the correct dietary requirements for a vegetarian, pregnant women in the third trimester.

Plan

Priorities

· Protein - I have decided to make the packed lunch for a lacto-ovo vegetarian. This means that she does not eat meat, poultry or fish, but does eat dairy products and eggs. Pregnant women need to eat plenty of protein, because she does not eat meat, she will need extra protein from other foods such as eggs, dairy products, pulses, cereals, flour, pasta, nuts and seeds.

· Folic Acid - Folic acid is very important for pregnant women. It helps to prevent the child being born with neural defects such as Spina bifida and helps to produce healthy blood cells - it must be in the diet before, and during pregnancy. Folic acid supplements should be taken, but foods rich in folic acid should also be eaten. Good sources of folic acid include fortified breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread, yeast extracts, green leafy vegetables, nuts and pulses.

· Iron - Iron is needed by pregnant women as an iron deficiency may cause anaemia, so foods such as red meat, oily fish, fortified bread and breakfast cereals, pulses, dried fruit and nuts. Because the packed lunch is for a vegetarian, I will not be able to use red meat or oily fish. Vitamin C helps iron absorption, so fresh fruit and vegetables should be eaten with the iron rich foods.

· Foods to avoid - Listeria can harm the unborn baby so soft cheeses (such as Brie and Camembert) and patÉs must be avoided during pregnancy. But soft cheeses such as cheese spreads, cottage cheese and cream cheese and hard cheeses can be eaten. Raw eggs may contain salmonella, so foods containing it, such as home-made mayonnaise, should be avoided. If eggs are to be eaten, they must be cooked thoroughly until the both the white and the yolk are solid to avoid salmonella. Liver contains large quantities of Vitamin A, which can be harmful to the baby, so liver and liver products (such as Liver patÉ) should also be avoided.

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I am going to make an egg and avocado salad, tabbouleh and chewy granola bars. To drink I am making a vegetable cocktail.

Ingredients

Egg and Avocado Salad

1 ripe avocado

1 egg, hard boiled

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped chives

4 lettuce leaves

4 sprigs watercress

Handful of mustard and cress

1/2 small red pepper

Dressing

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tabbouleh

90 g burghul

20 g mint leaves finely chopped

60 g parsley, finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

3 tablespoons ...

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