Pregnancy Nutrition: What Foods to Eat and What to Avoid

When pregnant, you have to take care of your diet. After all, you have to provide the best to your baby from the time it’s in your womb. But if you are a new would-be mother, you may not know what exact foods to eat and what to avoid during pregnancy.

Here we share a list of pregnancy food to eat and what to avoid:

Foods to Eat Regularly:

• Vegetables

You can eat all types of vegetables, as they are healthy for fetal growth.

Fresh vegetables ensure your body gets sufficient fiber, minerals, and vitamins. So, the more greens you have, the better for your body.

• Healthy Proteins

You must have a protein-rich diet to support the growth of your baby. It also gives your body the essential nutrients to repair and build tissues, such as hair, muscles, nails, and skin.

So, you need to include high protein foods in your diets, such as chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, peanut butter, and beans.

• Fruits

Fruits help you avoid the sugar cravings that you have during pregnancy. Moreover, fruits supply enough nutrients to your baby.

However, fruits can also have high sugar content. Therefore, you need to be careful with the intake.

• Pasteurized Dairy

Even dairy products, such as yogurt, milk, and cheese, are great protein and calcium sources. These are essential for the healthy development of a growing baby’s muscles, bones, and teeth. When purchasing such products, pick pasteurized products to avoid exposure to bacteria and germs.

• DHA Omega-3 Fats

Omega-3s, such as DHA, are great to support the development of your baby’s brain and some parts of their eyes. Some fish varieties like salmon, anchovies, and sardines are good food sources that offer a sufficient amount of DHA omega-3. If you don’t eat fish, you may take a good DHA omega-3 supplement after consulting your doctor.

• Choline

Choline is vital for the development of an infant’s central nervous system and brain. One egg provides 33% of the daily recommended intake of choline. The best food sources for choline are meat, egg, fish, dairy, Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, and navy beans.

• Iron and Folic Acid

Iron is essential for pregnant women. Foods with high amounts of iron are chicken, red meat, fortified cereals, fish, spinach, and beans. Even folic acid is crucial to making extra blood that your body needs at the time of pregnancy. You need to have a sufficient amount of folic acid during pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects, which may impact the spinal cord.

• Water

You must always stay hydrated, but it becomes crucial when you are pregnant. Being hydrated can alleviate nausea and morning sickness. Meanwhile, dehydration may lead to contractions or pre-term labor.

So, always aim for at least 10 cups of healthy fluids every day during pregnancy. Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby when pregnant.

Foods to Avoid:

• Raw Fish and Fish Containing High Mercury Content

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, when women are pregnant, they are 10 times more likely to get Listeria infection. Listeria is a bacteria present in undercooked or raw fish. Also, you need to avoid fish with high mercury content, such as marlin, swordfish, tuna, and king mackerel.

• Raw or Processed Meat

Even eating raw or undercooked meat can elevate the infection risk in pregnant women. You also need to avoid lunch meats and hot dogs unless they are reheated well.

• Alcohol

Consuming alcohol during pregnancy may impact a baby’s brain development or even cause miscarriage. So, avoid it.

• Minimize Caffeine

Having too much caffeine during pregnancy may also restrict the baby’s growth. So, it’s recommended to have caffeine of less than 200 mg per day.

• Runny Eggs

Having raw or running eggs during pregnancy can cause Salmonella, which leads to fever, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. So, the eggs must be well cooked or use pasteurized eggs.

Conclusion

Since pregnancy increases the body’s physical demands, make sure to tailor pregnant women food for proper fetal development. However, you must consult a professional dietician or nutritionist for a diet plan during pregnancy.

Also, Visit here: Baby Cereal: Parents’ Guide to Introduce Cereal to Infants