 Fats
and sugars during pregnancy
A healthy diet normally needs only very small quantities of fats and
sugars, and the same applies during pregnancy.
Occasional treats of sweets or crisps are fine but there are often hidden fats and
sugars in processed foods. Read food labels and look for alternative foods containing less
fat and less added sugar.
Hidden fats
- A serving of roast potatoes - 9g of fat (boiled potatoes 0.2g)
- A 50g (2oz) chunk of Cheddar cheese - 19g (low fat hard cheese 8g)
- A samosa - 26g
- An individual pork pie - 30g of fat
(For comparison, one of those small wrapped rectangles of butter used in cafes is about
5g.)
Hidden sugars
- A serving of tomato ketchup - 1 teaspoon of sugar
- A serving of sugary breakfast cereal - 3 teaspoons
- Small pot of fruit yoghurt - 4 teaspoons
- Can of soft drink - 7 teaspoons
If you can’t give up sweet foods you may prefer to use artificial sweeteners, such
as aspartame, saccharin and acesulfame K. There is no evidence that small amounts of these
are harmful during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Reviewed by the babyworld midwife
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