A nutritious diet is extremely beneficial to your baby while pregnant. It is critical for your baby’s growth and development to consume adequate nutrition during pregnancy. You should eat about 300 more calories per day (600 more if you’re carrying twins) than you did before getting pregnant. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout pregnancy, as well as before and after, is essential for both the baby and the mother.
Eating a balanced diet, gaining the appropriate amount of weight, engaging in regular physical activity, taking a vitamin and mineral supplement if recommended by a doctor, and avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful substances are all important steps toward a healthy pregnancy.
A well-balanced nutritional approach has far-reaching implications for living a long and healthy life. Here are 9 super nutritious foods to eat while pregnant to help you meet your nutrient requirements.
1) Whole grains:
Whole grains, such as oats, quinoa, flaxseed, barley, jowar, and millets, are full of fiber, as well as selenium, proteins, calcium, and other nutrients necessary for a baby’s brain development. Create new ways to incorporate whole grains into your daily diet to reap the benefits.
Explore recipes that go beyond rice, chapati, bread, and baked oats. Oatmeal is extremely beneficial to both your body and your developing baby. They’re high in vitamins, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, all of which contribute to your energy levels throughout the day.
2) Green leafy vegetables
During pregnancy, it is critical to maintaining a healthy diet. However, what you eat has a significant impact on both your health and the development of your fetus. Even if you despise them, you should know that they are the best pregnancy foods available. Make a habit of eating spinach, green peas, broccoli, fenugreek, mustard greens, collard greens, and leafy lettuce.
They are high in folate and calcium, as well as a variety of other essential micronutrients such as manganese, potassium, fiber, iron, and trace amounts of other vitamins green leafy vegetables are high in fiber and antioxidants, as well as a variety of well-known vitamins and minerals, all of which help your baby grow and develop.
3) Fruits
Everyone realizes the importance of fruits. We are all aware of the benefits of fruits and how important they are in maintaining good health. Pregnant women require vitamin C, which can be obtained from oranges, bananas, apples, mango, avocadoes, watermelons, custard apples, lemons, guava, berries, cherries, pomegranates, and other fruits and vegetables. These fruits also contain the majority of the essential nutrients that may be required during pregnancy, such as magnesium, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, vitamin k, vitamin B, and so on.
Guava is particularly high in polyphenols and carotenoids, which aid in the development of your body’s nervous system. So, three to four servings of fruits could be included in your diet. Organic fruits must always be preferred over synthetic fruits. Because it may be harmful to the body. If you buy it, wash the fruits thoroughly before tasting them. Fruits are always refrigerated to keep them fresh.
4) Dry fruits and Nuts
Making healthy choices is essential during pregnancy time. So, why not incorporate some healthy foods into your diets, such as dry fruits and nuts, to ensure the health of both you and your baby? Most dry fruits and nuts, such as apricots, figs, apples, walnuts, almonds, raisins, and pistachios, are beneficial to pregnant women because they contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and so on.
These are just a few dried fruits and nuts that are high in vitamins and minerals. The fluids extracted to make jams, juices, and other food supplements would also aid in iron retention and muscle and bone strength. Both the baby and the mother must be healthy during and after the pregnancy. Dried fruits and nuts should be consumed in between meals to keep you full.
4) Cereal
Everyone is aware of the importance of cereals to our health. Cereals are rich in nutrients. Different varieties have varying nutrient values that are necessary for pregnant women; some are high in vitamins and minerals, while others are high in proteins and iron.
Cereals are a staple food for many people all over the world because they are available all year. Cereals aid in disease prevention and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. Cereals also provide enough energy to keep you going throughout the day.
5) Dairy Products
Dairy products are high in calcium, protein, and vitamin D, all of which are essential for fetal growth. According to the World Health Organization, drinking milk during pregnancy reduces pregnancy-related complications by 24%. Furthermore, milk consumption during pregnancy has been linked to a lower risk of premature birth and neonatal death.
It is important to note that the consumption of yogurt and cheese during pregnancy is considered just as important as the consumption of milk, and is especially recommended in cases of lactose intolerance. This is due to the presence of the enzyme lactase in yogurt and cheese, which breaks down lactose and converts it to lactic acid, preventing the unpleasant symptoms of lactose intolerance.
6) Meat
Meat has an amazing nutritional profile that is beneficial to anyone, but it is especially important during pregnancy. Because of the high bioavailability of protein, vitamins, and minerals found in quality meat, it could be considered a superfood.
Because pregnancy necessitates an enormous amount of energy and nutritional resources, grass-fed meat is a dietary staple for many expectant mothers. During pregnancy and lactation, meat helps to replenish the body of other important nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, the B vitamins, vitamin D, and some omega -6 fats such as arachidonic acid.
7) Fish
It is strongly advised to consume fish frequently during pregnancy in order to obtain the valuable long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are present in lower quantities in meat. DHA is one of the main structural components of cell membranes and is required for the formation of new tissue, particularly the fetal development of the brain, nervous system, and retina, which continue to develop throughout the first months of life
8) Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are delicious and packed with vitamins and nutrients that everyone should include in their diet, especially pregnant women. It contains vitamin A, which is essential for both the pregnant woman and her unborn child. During pregnancy, the American Pregnancy Association recommends that mothers consume 700 mg of vitamin A per day. Vitamin A aids in the development of a baby’s immune system and is required for healthy skin and eyes.
9) Beans
Beans such as green beans, broad beans, lima beans, peas, soybeans, and kidney beans qualify for inclusion in the daily diet of expectant mothers because they contain at least 9-11 percent protein and calcium, as well as significant amounts of iron, vitamin B6, magnesium, and vitamin C.
Because they are high in fiber, they help to prevent common digestive problems such as constipation and hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Include at least one cup of boiled beans in your daily diet. Make interesting recipes with different types of beans to avoid becoming bored with them.
Conclusion:
To Summarize, proper nutrition should be maintained throughout the pregnancy to achieve a healthy pregnancy and, ultimately, a healthy baby. A healthy BMI should be achieved before pregnancy, and if this is not possible, the mother should exercise caution to avoid gaining too much or too little weight.
A typical well-balanced diet can meet nutrient needs during pregnancy, with an emphasis on calcium, iron, and folic acid. Healthy eating is becoming more popular nowadays, as it holds the promise of better health for future generations. After all, everyone’s common goal is the same, it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl, as long as it’s healthy!
Contact Dr. Vaishali Chavan, the best Gynecologist guarantees to provide excellent, affordable, and quality healthcare to women of all ages who have issues with obstetrics, gynecology, and fertility, and advise a proper healthy diet.
