FollowNutrition During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time where it is especially important to eat well-balanced, nutritious foods. No matter where you are in your pregnancy, it is never too late to start eating healthy. Eating well during your pregnancy can help you to feel healthy and can establish building blocks for overall health of your baby.
You should eat a balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean protein, low-fat dairy and healthy fats. Whole grains are foods such as brown rice, breads, pastas and cereals. You can have any kind of fruit you want whether it is fresh, canned or frozen as long as there is no added sugar. Vegetables are perfect to eat whether fresh, canned or frozen as long as there is no added salt. Lean proteins are considered meat, fish, poultry, beans, eggs, nuts, tofu and peanut butter. You can also consume low-fat dairy products like yogurt, cheese and milk. When it comes to healthy fats, you can use olive oil, canola oil, corn oil and peanut oil.
There are three key nutrients that you want to be sure you have during your pregnancy: folic acid, iron and calcium. Taking folic acid while you are pregnant can help lessen the chance of spinal cord birth defects. Pregnant women need 600 micrograms of folic acid each day. You can either take folic acid supplements or you can find folic acid in foods such as breads, cereals and pastas. One of the most common vitamin deficiencies in pregnant women is iron deficiency. Women who are pregnant should have a minimum of 27 milligrams of iron each day. Foods such as fish, chicken, red meat, spinach, beans, leafy greens and fortified cereals are packed with high amounts of iron. Calcium is an important part of your pregnancy because it helps your baby develop healthy bones, teeth, nerves, muscles and heart. You need 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. Calcium can be found in foods such as low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt and calcium-fortified juices.
There are some things you should avoid consuming while you are pregnant. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol consumption since it has been linked to birth defects, premature delivery and low birth weight babies. You want to limit your caffeine intake to less than 300 milligrams per day. This means no more than two cups of coffee per day. You want to avoid seafood such as white snapper, swordfish, shark or king mackerel since they have high levels of mercury. You also want to stay away from raw fish like clams and oysters.
