10 foods to eat during pregnancy
- dairy products 🥛
- Legumes
- sweet potato🥔
- salmon🐟
- egg🥚🥚
- Leafy vegetables🥗
- red meat🥩
- berry 🍇
- Whole grain
- avocado 🥑
Pregnant? hungry? Looking for treats that your tummy and baby will love? You probably hear it often:
Eating nutritious foods is important during pregnancy.
We're here to make your pantry your one-stop-shop for healthy, delicious foods that can give your baby the best start in life. Focus on whole foods when creating a healthy eating plan. This will give you more of the good things you need when you're not pregnant, including:
- protein
- vitamins and minerals
- types of healthy fats
- complex carbohydrates
- fiber and liquid
1. Dairy products
During pregnancy, extra protein and calcium should be consumed to meet the needs of a growing child.Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt should be on the list.
Dairy products contain two types of high-quality proteins:
casein and whey. Dairy products are the best sources of calcium and are rich in phosphorus, B vitamins, magnesium and zinc.
Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, contains more calcium than most other dairy products and is particularly beneficial.Some varieties also contain probiotic bacteria that support digestive health.
If you are lactose intolerant, you may also be able to tolerate yogurt, especially probiotic yogurt. Ask your doctor if you can be tested. A world of yogurt smoothies, parfaits and lassies might be waiting for you.
2. Legumes
Foods in this group include lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts (also known as ingredients in all kinds of great recipes!).
Legumes are an excellent plant-based source of fiber, protein, Iron, Folic Acid and calcium, all of which your body needs more during pregnancy.
Folic acid is one of the most important B vitamins (B9). Especially the first trimester and even before that is very important for you and your baby.
You need at least 600 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily, but it can be difficult to get through diet alone. But adding legumes, along with doctor-recommended supplements, can help get you there.
Legumes are also generally very high in fiber.There are also varieties rich in iron, magnesium and potassium. Consider adding legumes to your diet with hummus on whole wheat toast, black beans on taco salad, or lentil curry.
3. sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are not only delicious cooked in a variety of ways, but they are also rich in beta-carotene, a plant compound that is converted to vitamin A in the body.
Vitamin A is important for your baby's development. Beware of overdosing on animal sources of vitamin A, such as visceral sources, which can cause toxicity when consumed in large amounts. Thankfully, sweet potatoes are a rich plant-based source of beta-carotene and fiber. Dietary fiber keeps you feeling fuller for longer, reduces blood sugar spikes, and improves digestive health (which is , very useful when constipation occurs due to pregnancy).
For a great breakfast, try sweet potatoes as a base for avocado toast in the morning.
4. Salmon
Salmon smoked on a whole-wheat bagel, teriyaki-grilled, and served with pesto is a welcome addition to this list. Salmon is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids and has many benefits.
These are high in seafood and help build your baby's brain and eyes, and may even prolong your pregnancy.
Wait a minute:
Have you ever been told to limit your seafood consumption because of the mercury and other contaminants in high-mercury fish? Fatty fish like salmon can still be eaten.
High-mercury fish to avoid include:
- Cat fish
- swordfish
- shark
- king mackerel
- Marlin
- Bigeye tuna
- Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico
- plus,
5. Eggs
These incredible edible eggs are the ultimate health food because they contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need.
Contains minerals.
Eggs are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient during pregnancy. It is important for your baby's brain development and helps prevent developmental disorders of the brain and spine. One whole egg contains about 147 milligrams (mg) of choline, which brings you closer to the current recommended intake of 450 mg/day of choline during pregnancy (although you should decide if that's enough). Further research is being done to
Here are some of the healthiest ways to boil eggs. Try it with spinach and feta wraps, or chickpea scrambled eggs.
6. Broccoli and dark leafy greens
No surprise here:
Broccoli and dark green vegetables like kale and spinach are packed with the nutrients you need. Even if you don't want to eat them, you can incorporate them into a variety of dishes.
Benefits includes:
- high fiber
- vitamin C
- vitamin K
- vitamin A
- calcium
- iron, folic acid, and potassium.
They are a gold mine of green goodness.
Adding green vegetables is an efficient way to get vitamins and prevent constipation because of their fiber.Vegetables are also associated with a reduced risk of low birth weight babies. Try this Florentine recipe with kale eggs, or mix spinach into your green smoothie.
7. Red meat and protein
Lean beef, and chicken are great sources of high-quality protein. Beef is also rich sources of iron, choline, and other B vitamins. All of these increase your need during pregnancy.
Iron is an essential mineral that red blood cells use as part of hemoglobin. More blood volume means more iron is needed. This is especially important late in pregnancy.
Low iron levels during early and mid-pregnancy can lead to iron deficiency anemia, increasing the risk of low birth weight and other complications.
It's not easy to meet your iron needs through diet alone. Especially if you're a meat averse, vegetarian or vegan. However, for those who can eat red meat regularly, it can help increase the amount of iron they get from their food. Pro tip:
8. Berries
Berries pack a lot of good stuff into a small package, including:
- water
- healthy carb
- vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants.
Berries have a relatively low glycemic index, so they don't spike your blood sugar.
Berries are a great snack as they contain both water and fiber. They offer a lot of flavor and nutrients, but relatively few calories.
Some of the best berries to eat during pregnancy include blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, strawberries and acai berries. Check out this blueberry smoothie for inspiration
9.Whole grain
Unlike refined varieties, whole grains are packed with fiber, vitamins, and plants.
Consider oats, quinoa, brown rice, wheatberries, and barley instead of white bread, pasta, and white rice. Please give me.
Whole grains such as oats and quinoa also contain significant amounts of protein.
B vitamins, dietary fiber, magnesium.
There are many ways to add whole grains to your diet, but we especially like this quinoa and roasted sweet potato bowl.
10.avocado
- Avocado is an unusual fruit because it is high in monounsaturated fat. This gives it a rich, buttery taste, perfect for adding depth and creaminess to your dishes.
- It's also rich in fiber, B vitamins (especially folic acid), vitamin K, potassium, copper, vitamin E, and vitamin C.
- Loaded with healthy fats, folic acid, and potassium, avocados are great during pregnancy (and anytime).
- Healthy fats help build your child's skin, brain, and tissues, and folic acid helps prevent brain and spine development disorders such as neural tube defects and spina bifida. Potassium can help relieve leg cramps, a side effect of pregnancy in some women.In fact, avocados contain more potassium than bananas.
- Add to guacamole, salads, smoothies, whole grain toast, or replace mayonnaise or sour cream.
