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Vital Foods to Eat When Pregnant
June 20, 2012
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Expectant
mothers generally have a lot on their minds -- aside from preparing a
nursery, choosing a pram and car seat and negotiating the world of maternity dresses and breastfeeding tops,
pregnant women also need to think carefully about their diet and know
which foods to avoid, as well as those to consume in plentiful
quantities.
While
pregnant women should steer clear of some foods in order to protect and
best ensure their own health and wellbeing and that of their baby,
there are many foods that should be eaten to provide the nutrients that
are needed by both mother and child.
Eggs:
Eggs are a great inclusion in a pregnancy diet because each egg
contains more than 12 vitamins and minerals, significant amounts of
quality protein and contains only 90 calories. Importantly, eggs are
abundant in choline, which is important for a baby’s overall health and
brain development and can help to prevent neural tube defects.
A further benefit of eggs is that they are inexpensive, versatile and easy to prepare.
Salmon:
Salmon is full of high-quality protein and is a wonderful source of
omega-3 fats. Salmon is also a fish that has low amounts of
methylmercury, which can be harmful to a growing baby’s nervous system.
Expectant mothers should carefully check guidelines in their state or
country in order to understand how many portions of salmon and other
low-mercury fish are recommended per week.
Beans:
With so many varieties of beans available and so many versatile ways
in which they can be eaten and used in recipes, beans are a wonderful
food to eat while pregnant. High in fibre and protein, beans contain
many health benefits for mothers and babies.
Foods that contain fibre are often nutrient-rich and beans are an especially good source of calcium, zinc, folate and iron.
Sweet potatoes:
Carotenoids provide sweet potatoes with their orange colour and it is
these plant pigments that become vitamin A in the human body. As well as
vitamin A, sweet potatoes provide vitamin C, folate and fibre, all of
which are needed by pregnant women and are beneficial to the babies they
carry.
Popcorn and whole grains:
Whole grains are high in fibre and nutrients (such as vitamin E,
selenium and phytonutrients) and because of these attributes, whole
grains are very important in a pregnancy diet. As well as popcorn, whole
grains can and should be consumed, including the superfood quinoa,
oatmeal, barley and whole grain bread.
Walnuts:
Walnuts are yet another excellent source of omega 3s, which are
incredibly important for a baby’s brain growth and development. Walnuts
also make a perfect snack that can be eaten when on the go and enhance
many dishes, including salads.
Greek yoghurt:
A number of people understand the health benefits of natural yoghurt,
but because Greek yoghurt contains twice the protein of regular yoghurt,
it is a highly recommended, and in fact vital, pregnancy food. Calcium
is essential in a pregnancy diet and yoghurt is a wonderful and quite
‘easy’ source of calcium.
Dark green, leafy vegetables:
Vegetables such as spinach and kale abound with nutrients and vitamins
(including: vitamins A, C and K) and are especially important for the
amounts of folate that they contain. Folate is vital in a pregnancy diet
and has health benefits (including eye health) for both the baby and
mother.
Lean meats:
High quality protein can be sourced from many lean meats. Pregnant
women should seek out meat that has the fat trimmed off, and beef and
pork are excellent choices because they contain choline as well as
protein. Generally speaking, deli meats and hot dogs are best avoided
(because of the risk of passing on salmonella) unless they are served at
a steaming hot temperature.
Colourful fruits and vegetables:
Pregnant women are advised to eat different varieties and different
coloured fruits and vegetables in plentiful amounts. Fruits and
vegetables provide mother and baby with a great range of nutrients and
different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can be found in different
types of vegetables -- whether they’re green, red, orange, yellow,
purple or white in colour.
It
is also important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables because in
the later stages of pregnancy the baby tastes the foods that are eaten
by the mother through the amniotic fluid. By exposing a baby to a range
of healthy fruits and vegetables while in utero, it is believed that
they will better recognise and accept the same tastes when they are
eating solid food.
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