Healthy Food to Eat During Pregnancy

So, you’re having a baby! It’s the most exciting time of life, and you’re busy planning and purchasing what you’ll need. You’re also busy worrying. You want your baby to be healthy, and you want yourself healthy as well. By learning about healthy food to eat during pregnancy, you are starting on the right path you keeping you and your baby’s health good. What foods you eat during pregnancy play a monumental role in having both a healthy baby and healthy mom.

The first thing you must know, and never forget, is you never want to make any big changes during pregnancy, even in your diet, without first talking to your OB/GYN. This is crucial.

Having said that, let’s move on to the good stuff – food! Every cell in your baby’s body depends on you. What you eat and drink is your baby’s fuel, and it’s the only fuel it’s got to depend on for nine months. That’s why it’s so important to make it count. You and your baby have different nutritional needs during pregnancy, and both those needs must be met.

If you’re several months along, you may have all ready learned that foods that were among your favorites before you got pregnant no longer agree with you. They either make you sick to your stomach or give you terrible heartburn. If that’s the case, give them up – for now. Yes, you’ll miss them and may crave them, but is the discomfort really worth it? It’s likely you’ll be able to enjoy your favorites again after the birth of your baby. You may also discover that foods you couldn’t stand before are now what you’re craving. That certainly is not unusual when you’re expecting, so don’t worry.

There are certain foods that all pregnant women should probably avoid while pregnant or nursing, even if they are your favorites. According to the web site www.WebMD.com, foods such as Swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel shouldn’t be among your diet due to the high content of methyl mercury, which can be detrimental to your child’s brain and nervous system during pregnancy. You should also limit your intake of canned tuna for the same reason. The Food and Drug Administration supports this by stating that pregnant women should limit themselves to 12 ounces per week of low-mercury seafood.

WebMD.com goes on to state that fish caught in lakes, rivers and streams should also be avoided during pregnancy because of possible contamination from bacteria and chemicals.

Avoid raw meat, eggs and either that’s been undercooked, non-pasteurized milk and juice, alcohol, and tap water in underdeveloped countries.

As you can see, most of the foods to avoid are simply a matter of common sense. You can find out more about what foods to avoid during pregnancy by visiting www.WebMD.com.

But what about what you can enjoy eating that will also be good for you and baby? The FDA states that an expectant woman needs about 300 extra calories per day to maintain both the health of herself and the unborn child. This certainly doesn’t mean that you can eat a Twinkie and that counts as the extra 300 calories! They recommend a balance of fruit, vegetables (the darker, the better), whole grains and protein, with a minimum amount of sweets, sugar and fat.

One can never go wrong with fruit, especially raw fruit. Canned fruit is okay, too, but try to avoid purchasing the cans of fruit packed in heavy syrup. Raw fruit, and vegetables, of course, should always be washed thoroughly before eating and looked over very well to ensure they are rinsed well.

Proteins can be gleaned from peanuts and peanut butter, lean meats, and eggs that have been cooked well. Other foods that are very beneficial are lean turkey, whole grains in breads and cereals, yogurt, raisins, tomatoes – the list is long and leaves you with more choices than you may think you have.

Pregnant women usual eat several times a day because they can’t eat big meals like they used to – there’s just not enough room in there! And that’s fine, because smaller meals throughout the day will help to avoid over-eating and the usual heartburn and discomfort that comes with it.

For breakfast you may try a slice of whole-grain toast with cream cheese sprinkled with raisins. Perhaps fruit for breakfast is more your style, topped with yogurt. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with having an egg, bagel or English muffin, a nice chilled glass of juice and a small dish of strawberries and blueberries for breakfast.

For snacks, I always enjoyed slicing pieces of sharp cheddar cheese, scooping a cup of cottage cheese topped with diced tomatoes and having a few crackers. Sometimes I’d add a fruit into the picture, such as a banana or orange.

If you love chicken, try it baked or grilled with the skin off. You’ll get the chicken you love with its benefits but avoid the fat from the skin. A plain baked potato is packed with nutrition, but I can’t think of too many people who like a baked potato plain. So add minimal toppings, making sure they are low-fat.

Salads are always a favorite among pregnant women because they are so versatile and there are so many different ingredients to add in. Spinach leaves are an excellent start, with grilled chicken slices, black olives, shredded cheese, perhaps low-fat croutons and your favorite dressing (not too much).

Choline is important during pregnancy and promotes brain growth. Choline can be found in eggs and beef or chicken liver. When liver is on the menu, compliment it with dark veggies, brown rice or whole grain pastas, cottage cheese, fresh fruit and milk. What a healthy and delicious dinner.

I spoke of turkey earlier. This is a very healthy and lean meat. Sliced and eaten plain or made into a sandwich – it’s always delicious. Compliment turkey with pasta, beans, or rice, a slice of whole grain bread, a small salad and a refreshing glass of cold milk.

There are times when the cravings for sweets are just too strong to resist. Go ahead! Indulge a bit. Treat yourself to a delicious milkshake or some dark chocolate. Slice a big hunk of watermelon and enjoy! But if your cravings involved fried food, like mine did, take it easy! While I melted at the smell and taste of French fries, fried chicken and fried fish, I was careful to indulge only once in a while. Not only did I not need the fat intake, but the oil in these foods can cause some wicked heartburn!

Regardless of what healthy choices you make, the smartest of them is to take the prenatal vitamins your OB/GYN advises you to take. Another smart choice is to talk to your doctor about your diet during pregnancy and healthy foods to eat during pregnancy – he/she can give you vital information about nutrition. Finally, use common sense. We are all educated enough to know what should be eaten in moderation, what’s good for us and what isn’t.

You are where good health starts for you child.

Reference:

• www.WebMD.com