Eating well in pregnancy when money is tight

Healthy eating in pregnancy can sound expensive: salmon, avocados, organic everything. But some of the most nourishing foods in the world are also among the cheapest. Whether you shop at Mile 12 market or a corner shop in Croydon, you can feed yourself and your baby well without breaking the bank.

The building blocks

A balanced plate in pregnancy has roughly:

• Plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Starchy foods for energy, wholegrain where possible.
• Protein at most meals.
• Some dairy or fortified alternatives for calcium.

None of these needs to be expensive.

Budget heroes in Nigeria

• Beans. Black-eyed beans or brown beans give protein, iron and fibre. Ewa agoyin, moi moi and akara (fried less often) are all good ways to enjoy them.
• Eggs, cooked through, are an affordable source of protein.
• Leafy greens such as ugwu, efo (spinach), waterleaf and bitter leaf, added generously to soups and stews.
• Dried fish and crayfish add protein and flavour to soups, and small fish eaten with their soft bones give calcium.
• Tinned or fresh mackerel (titus) and sardines, cooked well, for omega-3 fats.
• Groundnuts as a filling snack, unless you are allergic.
• Seasonal fruit such as oranges, bananas, watermelon, mango and ripe pawpaw. Buy what is in season; it is cheaper and fresher.
• Starchy staples such as rice, yam, sweet potato, plantain, ofada rice and millet pap. Try to balance swallows like eba or fufu with a generous portion of vegetable soup and some protein.

Budget heroes in the UK

• Porridge oats, one of the cheapest breakfasts there is.
• Tinned beans, lentils and chickpeas, which are cheap, quick and full of protein and fibre.
• Frozen vegetables and fruit, as nutritious as fresh and they will not go off.
• Tinned sardines, mackerel and pilchards for omega-3 and calcium.
• Eggs, with the British Lion stamp.
• Own-brand milk, yoghurt and cheddar.
• Potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage and bananas, staples that are usually good value.
• Wholemeal bread, often no dearer than white.

Ten money-saving habits

1. Plan your meals for the week before you shop, and write a list.
2. Cook a big pot of stew, soup or beans and freeze portions for tired days.
3. Buy staples like rice, beans and oats in bulk if you can store them.
4. Choose own-brand or market goods rather than branded products.
5. Shop near closing time when markets and shops reduce fresh produce.
6. Use every part: vegetable peelings for stock, leftover rice for fried rice the next day (cooled quickly and reheated until steaming hot).
7. Carry snacks from home so you are not buying expensive ones when hunger strikes.
8. Drink water instead of fizzy drinks and malt drinks, which are costly and sugary.
9. Split bulk buys with a friend or family member.
10. Grow something small: a pot of ugwu, spring onions or herbs on a windowsill.

Simple, cheap meal ideas

• Porridge or pap with milk and a sliced banana.
• Beans and plantain with a side of greens.
• Jacket potato with baked beans and grated cheese.
• Vegetable soup with fish and a small portion of swallow.
• Lentil and vegetable stew with rice.
• Egg and vegetable sauce with yam or bread.

Ask for help

If you are struggling to afford food, please tell your midwife. It is nothing to be ashamed of. In the UK, you may be eligible for the Healthy Start scheme, which helps with the cost of milk, fruit, vegetables and vitamins for some pregnant women and families. Food banks, local churches, mosques and community groups often offer support too. In Nigeria, ask your clinic, church welfare team or women's fellowship whether there is help available. Many churches would count it a privilege to support an expectant mum.

Your Provider knows

Philippians 4:19 holds a promise that God will supply all you need. Sometimes He provides through a full purse, and often He provides through people: the sister who shares her harvest, the neighbour who drops off rice, the midwife who points you to support. Receiving that help with an open hand is part of trusting Him.

A prayer for provision

Father, You know what is in my kitchen and in my purse. Help me to feed myself and my baby well with what I have. Provide for what is lacking, give me wisdom as I shop and cook, and let me receive help without shame. Amen.