5 healthy pregnancy diet

5 healthy pregnancy diet

Although nausea and vomiting during the first few months of pregnancy can make this difficult, try to eat a well-balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins.

Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy is very important. During this time, your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In fact, you may need 350–500 extra calories each day during the second and third trimesters.

A diet lacking in key nutrients may negatively affect the baby’s development, Poor eating habits and excess weight gain may also increase your risk of gestational diabetes and pregnancy or birth complications. Put simply, choosing healthy, nutritious foods will help ensure the health of you and your baby. It will also make it a lot easier to lose the pregnancy weight after you’ve given birth.

Here are some recommendations to keep you and your baby healthy.

1. Dairy Products

During pregnancy, you need to consume extra protein and calcium to meet the needs of the growing fetus. Dairy products contain two types of high-quality protein: casein and whey. Dairy is the best dietary source of calcium, and provides high amounts of phosphorus, various B vitamins, magnesium and zinc. Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is particularly beneficial for pregnant women.

It contains more calcium than most other dairy products. Some varieties also contain probiotic bacteria, which support digestive health. People who are lactose intolerant may also be able to tolerate yogurt, especially probiotic yogurt. Taking probiotic supplements during pregnancy may reduce your risk of complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, vaginal infections and allergies.

2. Legumes

This group of food includes lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans and peanuts. Legumes are excellent plant-based sources of fiber, protein, iron, folate (B9) and calcium — all of which your body needs more of during pregnancy.

Folate is one of the B vitamins (B9). It’s very important for the health of the mother and fetus, especially during the first trimester. However, most pregnant women are not consuming nearly enough folate .

This has been linked with an increased risk of neural tube defects and low birth weight. Insufficient folate intake may also cause your child to become more prone to infections and disease later in life.

Legumes contain high amounts of folate. One cup of lentils, chickpeas or black beans may provide from 65–90% of the RDA.

Finally, legumes are generally very high in fiber. Some varieties are also high in iron, magnesium and potassium. Legumes are great sources of folate, fiber and many other nutrients. Folate is a very important nutrient during pregnancy and may reduce the risk of some birth defects and diseases.

3. Sweet Potatoes 

Sweet potatoes are very rich in beta-carotene, a plant compound that is converted into vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A is essential for growth and the differentiation of most cells and tissues. It’s very important for healthy fetal development.

Pregnant women are generally advised to increase their vitamin A intake by 10–40%.However, they are also advised to avoid very high amounts of animal-based sources of vitamin A, which may cause toxicity when eaten in excess.

Therefore, beta-carotene is a very important source of vitamin A for pregnant women. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene. About 3.5–5.3 ounces (100–150 grams) of cooked sweet potato fulfills the entire Reference Daily Intake (RDI).

Furthermore, sweet potatoes contain fiber, which may increase fullness, reduce blood sugar spikes and improve digestive health and mobility. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which your body transforms into vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for the growth and differentiation of cells in your growing fetus.

4. Lean Meat 

Maybe you are wondering that since you are now heavy and expecting a baby, meat should be off your food table, anyway I can gladly tell you that Beef, pork and chicken are excellent sources of high-quality protein.

Furthermore, beef and pork are also rich in iron, choline and other B vitamins — all of which are needed in higher amounts during pregnancy.

Iron is an essential mineral that is used by red blood cells as a part of hemoglobin. It’s important for delivering oxygen to all cells in your body. Pregnant women need more iron since their blood volume is increasing. This is particularly important during the third trimester.

Low levels of iron during early and mid-pregnancy may cause iron deficiency anemia, which doubles the risk of premature delivery and low birth weight. It may be hard to cover iron needs with diet alone, especially since many pregnant women develop an aversion to meat.

However, for those who can, eating red meat regularly may help increase the amount of iron acquired from the diet. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin C, such as oranges or bell peppers, may also help increase absorption of iron from meals.

5. Dried Fruits

Dried fruit is generally high in calories, fiber and various vitamins and minerals. One piece of dried fruit contains the same amount of nutrients as fresh fruit, just without all the water and in a much smaller form.

Therefore, one serving of dried fruit can provide a large percentage of the recommended intake of many vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron and potassium. Prunes are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin K and sorbitol. They’re natural laxatives and may be very helpful in relieving constipation.

Dates are high in fiber, potassium, iron and plant compounds. Regular date consumption during the third trimester may help facilitate cervical dilation and reduce the need to induce labor.

However, dried fruit also contains high amounts of natural sugar. Make sure to avoid the candied varieties, which contain even more sugar.

Although dried fruit may help increase calorie and nutrient intake, it’s generally not recommended to consume more than one serving at a time.