Following a healthy diet during pregnancy ensures the health of the mother and the baby. During this period body needs additional vitamins and minerals. In fact during 2nd and 3rd trimester a pregnant woman needs 350 to 500 extra calories each day. A diet lacking in essential nutrients (poor eating habits) can affect the development of fetus and cause health problem like excess weight gain, gestational diabetes, food-borne illness and even miscarriages to the mother. Make sure both of you (you and your growing baby) are getting all the nutrients you need. Managing blood glucose level and your calorie intake is highly important for maintaining your optimum energy level. Eating a healthy, nutritious diet during pregnancy will also make it lot easier to lose weight post pregnancy. A balanced and nutritious diet involves of right balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Here Are The 15 Highly Nutritious Foods You Should Include In Your Diet During Pregnancy
During pregnancy you need to boost your protein and calcium consumption to for the proper growth and development of the fetus. Dairy product like soft cheese, milk, and yogurt are best dietary source of calcium and also provides convincing amount of B-vitamins, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc. Particularly, Greek yogurt which contains higher amount of calcium than other dairy products and are highly beneficial for a pregnant woman. The probiotic contained in yogurt helps to support the digestive health and reduces the risk of complications like gestational diabetes, allergies, vaginal infection and preeclampsia. Soft cheese like feta and berry cheese are also loaded with protein and calcium. But make sure to use eat cheese that are made of pasteurized milk. The cheese made from unpasteurized milk can be infected with bacteria listeria which are associated with risk of miscarriages and still birth.
Egg are one of best nutritious food to eat during pregnancy as it is packed with almost all the nutrients you need during pregnancy like proteins, 12 essential vitamins, minerals and good fat. Eggs contain choline which is vital for several processes like brain development of fetus and health. Low choline intake increases the risk of brain defect in the new born. A single egg can provide 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of a pregnant woman. Good quality protein essential for healthy pregnancy. A healthy woman can eat 2 eggs a day during pregnancy as a part of their healthy balanced diet.
Salmon not only contain high-quality protein, but is also high in omega-3 fats, which are essential for brain and eye development of fetus. Seafood’s are great source Omega-3s but pregnant women are advised to limit their intake of seafood to twice a week as they may contain mercury which can harm the nervous system of your developing baby. Unlike swordfish, shark and mackerel, salmon has low amount of mercury. Studies show that eating salmon twice a week can help pregnant woman get the recommended intake of omega -3. Salmon is one of the best natural sources of vitamin D, which pregnant women often lack in their diet.
4. Leafy Greens
Spinach, kale, Swiss chard and many other leafy green are powerful source of all essential vitamins and nutrients like vitamin A, C, K fiber, calcium, folate iron and potassium that a pregnant woman needs. The high antioxidants and plant compounds contained in them help to build immunity and improve digestion. High fiber content of these green veggies helps to avert constipation which many women experience during pregnancy.
5. Whole Grains
Whole grains are loaded with fiber, vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, B-vitamins and phytonutrients all of which pregnant woman needs. Whole grain may also help to meet the increased calorie requirement of pregnant woman’s body. Whole grain like oats, quinoa are loaded with protein, fiber, and several other nutrients for healthy pregnancy. Barley, buckwheat are also good choice.
6. Dry Fruits
Dry fruits are loaded with vitamins, mineral, natural sugars and plant fibers. Dried fruits are preferred over fresh fruit as each serving contains more nutrients like potassium, iron, and folate than fresh fruit because of their water content. Walnuts are richest source (plant bases) omega-3’sb besides providing protein and fiber. Prunes, dates are some of good dry fruit choices for pregnant woman. They are excellent source of fiber, potassium and vitamin k. avoid candied varieties as they contain added sugar.
7. Colorful Fruits And Veggies
Incorporate plenty of colorful fruits and veggies like, green, red, yellow orange to allow your baby get a variety of nutrients. Each color group provides distinct vitamins and minerals. Eating berries will not only help you to get nutrition but they will help to regulate blood sugar level and help to avoid unwanted spikes in your blood sugar level. They are also loaded with vitamin C, fiber and other nutrients. Avocados are another antioxidant rich fruit with enough monounsaturated fatty acids. Healthy fats aids in building the brain, tissue and skin of the fetus. Foliate contained in this fruit will help to avoid neural tube defects. Include in your diet broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers, oranges, lemon etc. which are loaded with vitamin C and host of vitamins and minerals along with fiber. These fruits and veggies contain vitamin, A, C, E, B vitamins, potassium which will help to bring relief from common symptoms like blood sugar spikes, leg cramps women mostly suffer from during pregnancy.
8. Lean Meats
Lean meats like chicken, pork and beef are excellent source of high quality protein, Pork and beef are particularly high in iron., B vitamins and choline all required for healthy pregnancy. Pregnant woman needs enough iron to deliver oxygen to all the cells of her body as well as adequate supply of oxygen to the fetus. However, meat should be cleaned and cooked properly to avoid ingestion of germs and bacteria.
Legume including lentil, peas, bean, peanuts, soybean, and chickpeas are excellent source of plant based protein, fiber, calcium, iron, foliate which a pregnant woman needs in high amount during pregnancy. Fiber can help get rid of constipation and hemorrhoids which are quite common during pregnancy. Legumes are also good source of iron, floate, calcium and zinc. Folate is highly important for the health of mother and the baby to avoid neural tube defect and low birth weight. Legume is not only high in fiber, folate and many other nutrients important for healthy pregnancy.
10. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are packed with plant compound Beta carotene which gets converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is highly important for the growth of fetus. Only eating 100 to 150 gm. of cooked sweet potato can meet the increased demand of vitamin A during pregnancy. They are also high in fiber which will help to improve digestive health and reduce blood sugar spikes.
What you eat determines your energy and well-being during pregnancy and will also affect the health and development of your baby. Choosing these nutrient dense foods will ensure healthy pregnancy.