Guest post by Sofia Kelly
As a mother of a 1-month-old baby girl, I looked for the same article a few months back when I was pregnant. But different articles were promoting other food options. So, I researched and found some of the best healthy food options for pregnant women, which I am sharing with you today.
Before I start giving you my advice, I would like to say that your doctors have probably already given you some food options to include in your diet. So then, why should you be reading this article? Well, we are not only going to suggest your healthy food options, but also, we will share with you their exact benefits. Thus, you’ll know what you are intaking during pregnancy that will likely impact the growth of your offspring.
What Are the Top Healthy Food Options to Eat During Pregnancy?
Women who had experienced the coronavirus lockdown in their third trimester had suffered from emotional eating habits in the last two years. Pregnant women often suffer from insecurities regarding weight gain, but as they had to sit tight during the lockdown, their eating habits changed majorly. But, the coronavirus lockdown is still not over, so we would like to say to all pregnant ladies out there, ‘Don’t overstress yourselves, and eat what you want.’ Now, let’s look at some healthy food options;
1. Eggs
Eggs contain a little bit of every nutrient that is important for women’s dietary needs during pregnancy. However, one of the best reasons we are putting eggs on top of our list is because eggs contain choline. Choline is an essential nutrient for a baby’s brain development. If you intake at least 450 mg of choline per day, your baby’s brain development will accelerate.
One egg contains almost 150 mg of choline, so if you at least intake two eggs per day, it will take you closer to the standard rate of choline intake. Apart from choline, eggs also contain minerals, vitamins, fat, and high-quality protein. If you want to retain all the essential nutrients of eggs, you should consume them in boiled, poached, fried, baked, scrambled, or in an omelet form.
2. Whole Grains
If you are looking for healthy food options during pregnancy, whole grains must be on your list. They are packed with a fair amount of protein, vitamins, fiber, and plant compounds. In addition, most pregnant ladies tend to overlook magnesium and vitamin B in their diet, which is why whole grains are your best replacements.
If you are pregnant, we recommend you intake 6-11 servings of whole grains daily. The best part of this food is it has a variety of options. Have 2-4 servings of fruit, 4 servings of veggies, 4 servings of dairy, and 3 of protein. Wheat berries, quinoa, brown rice, and oats are some of the popular choices in whole grains.
3. Legumes
This may be one option in the healthy foods that pregnant ladies won’t like too much. The list contains some boring food items indeed, but these are a great source of plant-based fiber. Chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, peas, and beans are the most popular foods in legumes. They contain protein, iron, calcium, and folate.
You must have at least 600 mg of folate during pregnancy, which will be challenging to consume in your usual diet. So, if you add legumes to your diet plan, your target of daily folate intake would be fulfilled. You should have it during the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy so that the neural tube can form effectively.
4. Lean Meat
If you are also pregnant during the coronavirus pandemic, lean meat has probably been on your list of healthy foods. But, even if it hasn’t, you must go for this option because it is the best source of protein. In addition, you must have heard by now that pregnant ladies often suffer from anemia. So, if you intake lean meat daily, your blood volume will increase, and you won’t suffer from anemia anymore.
It’s best if you can take at least 75 grams of lean meat every day in 3 servings. This is because it will increase iron content in your blood, and thus your baby’s red blood cell formation will improve. In addition, if you can pair the lean meat with vitamin C enriched food items, your chances of absorbing iron will increase too.
5. Dry Fruits
Dry fruits contain the same amount of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and calories. But some of the candied varieties include a more significant amount of sugar. So, we won’t recommend you to intake more than one serving of dry fruits a day. Some dry fruits are also rich in potassium which can balance electrolytes and fluids in your body during pregnancy.
If you are looking for a more advanced option in healthy food, we recommend you intake dates and prunes. You can add these dry fruits with nuts and seeds if your other food choices are restricted. Dry fruits contain the same nutrients as fresh fruits but just without water.
6. Wild Salmon
One of the most important reasons we put salmon on our list of healthy foods is because it contains DHA omega-3. Your body can’t produce this fatty acid automatically, but it’s essential for building the retina and fetal brain. It can also prevent perinatal depression, so it is another popular food choice for pregnant ladies in the coronavirus pandemic.
We recommend you to intake 8-12 ounces of salmon every week. That means only 2-4 servings per week. The best way to intake salmon would be to roast it and eat it with veggies, steamed rice, or salad. If you are worried about mercury, then let us tell you salmon only contains 0.014 ppm, which won’t harm your baby in any way.
7. Sweet Potatoes
Why do we include sweet potatoes on our list of healthy foods? It’s because they have beta carotene. When you intake beta carotene, it converts into vitamin A. Now, vitamin A is essential for a pregnant lady because it takes care of the baby’s embryonic growth. Even it helps to repair the postpartum tissues in pregnant women too.
There are hundreds of ways you can eat sweet potatoes. Some people prefer it with avocado toast during breakfast, and some prefer it when they are grilled or baked. If you consume sweet potato daily when you are pregnant, it will improve your digestion ability.
Conclusion
We have included some healthy food options for pregnant women on this list. We have also included why these foods are essential for pregnant women. These will ensure a healthy birth of your offspring and provide an overall health improvement of your body itself. So, if you are pregnant, or your loved ones are, make sure you consume these foods daily, however, as for any ingredient while pregnant, consult with your physician first.
Author bio:
Sofia Kelly is a passionate blogger. She loves to share her thoughts, ideas and experiences with the world through blogging. Sofia Kelly is associated with many websites, such as Search Engine Magazine, Tech Mag News, Pluslifestyles, Social Media Magazine, Proudly Updates, Worthy To Share, Voice of Action Top Preference & Big Jar News.