Dumex introduces a healthy eating plan for pregnant mums

We were invited to the media preview of Dumex’s Parenting from the Heart gala dinner event last week at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront. To help new mums get on the right track of eating healthily from the start, the event featured a healthy 4-course gourmet meal that has been specially designed with the dietary needs of pregnant women in mind.

Freshly made using the finest and most nutritious ingredients, the 4-course gourmet meal was co-created by celebrity chef Eric Teo, a prestigious three-time winner of the World Gourmet Summit Executive Chef of the Year, together with a panel of parenting experts – Ms Tai Yee Fui, Regional Nutrition Director from Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition and Ms Fonnie Lo, ParentCraft expert from Thomson Medical Centre.

This event brought back the amazing memories of the time when I was pregnant almost 2 years ago. Like every first-time mum, I was quite careful with what I ate. I tried to keep my meals balanced and healthy as much as possible. I even took extra care to steer clear of foods on the forbidden list (my dreams of lapping up plates of sashimi and enjoying soft cheeses with crackers were short-lived!). But between juggling busy work schedules and the endless to-dos at home, it wasn’t always easy to keep my meals healthy – especially when we are surrounded by a galore of fast and easy hawker food that tend to be on the greasy side.

Recognising the challenge for busy expectant mothers to keep up with a healthy eating plan, the panel of parenting experts and Chef Eric Teo hope to instil the importance of eating well for expectant mums through the gourmet dishes. Nutritionist Ms Tai Yee Fui shared:  “Most pregnant women I meet are not aware of health issues associated with excessive weight gain [during pregnancy] or the impact of a poor diet on themselves – as well as their baby.”

At the media preview, Chef Eric Teo and the panel of experts talked about the creative process of designing these nutritious dishes – and how the cooking methods used helps to retain the nutrients that are beneficial for expectant mums.

Green apple & red onion salad with slow-cooked salmon

Salmon is the must-have oily fish for pregnant mums due to high content of DHA, the building blocks of baby’s eyes and brain. The slow-cooked salmon was presented with a generous scoop of green apple and red onion salad buried underneath and a handful of greens with citrus dressing.

I love the idea of using citrus juices to flavour the salad – definitely a healthier alternative to the creamy, highly processed dressings that we can easily get off the shelves.

Essence of fish cartilage soup & shrimp dumplings

Some mums-to-be have the habit (or craving) of drinking bowls of soup with their meals to nourish their bodies and that of their growing baby. The fish cartilage soup with shrimp dumplings is like the perfect comfort food that is packed full of flavour, thanks to the long boiling process with all the ‘secret ingredients’.

Mums can continue to enjoy this nourishing soup concoction after delivery, as it helps to give them the energy they need to pull through the sleepless nights during the early weeks.

Roulade of chicken stuffed with spinach, garden vegetables in mushroom fricassee

This healthy mishmash platter was a big win for us! Not only did we loved the taste of the chicken roulade stuffed with spinach and a drizzle of mushroom sauce, the addition of steamed vegetables helped to bring a dash of colour to the dish.

Warm bitter chocolate cake with berries

Nutritionist Ms Tai Yee Fui told us that as a general rule of thumb, pregnant mums should enjoy good foods first – and plan for occasional treats. If this was the case, I’d gladly have this warm chocolate cake for those days when I’m ‘entitled’ to a small dessert! A soft, dark chocolate cake with a warm sauce that oozes out at the centre served with berries – need we say more?

Dumex Mamil® Mama strawberry honey smoothie

We were rather apprehensive about trying out this drink at first, only because we do not like the taste of milk. But after taking the first tiny sip, we realised that it wasn’t so bad after all! It didn’t have any heavy milk taste – only the sweet and refreshing combination of strawberries and honey. Needless to say, we finished up every single drop of this smoothie within minutes!

Launch of the GDM Tool by Danone Dumex

The event also saw the launch of the new GDM Tool by Danone Dumex, which helps pregnant women find out if they are at risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM is a condition that results in high blood sugar levels, and studies have shown that 1 in 5 expectant mothers in Singapore are at risk of developing GDM*.

According to Dr Eline M. Van Der Beek, Research Director at Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, the incidence of GDM has been rapidly rising in Singapore over the past 5 to 10 years. If left unchecked, GDM can result in birth complications due to an overweight baby, a baby with breathing problems or a baby with low blood sugar level. “Women with GDM risk developing type 2 diabetes, while their child risks being obese or diabetic in adulthood,” she added.

* According to the GUSTO (Growing up in Singapore towards healthy outcomes) Study 2012.

How the GDM Tool works

The GDM Tool is essentially a series of questions that pregnant mums can fill out online at the Dumex website. This will help them assess their GDM risk so that they can seek appropriate medical and dietary management advice from their doctors early on.

The questions in the GDM Tool will delve into risk factors that puts one at risk, including age, weight/body mass index (BMI), past pregnancies (if any) and history of delivering a large baby and other health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or heart disease.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about Dumex’s GDM Tool or any of the gourmet dishes for pregnant mums featured earlier, do visit www.dumex.com.sg. You can also send in your questions to careline@dumex.sg or call the Customer Careline at 1800 265 3188.

In the meantime, do watch this space as we share the recipe for one of the gourmet dishes specially created for mums-to-be, by Chef Eric Teo and the panel of parenting experts.