When you shared the news of your pregnancy with friends and family, you must have been showered with advice on eating a healthy diet. And, why not? When you are pregnant, your body goes through major changes. Thus, you need additional nutrients to ensure your and your baby’s health and wellbeing.
Here are certain nutrition-packed foods that you must include in your pregnancy diet.
Green, Leafy Vegetables
Your pregnancy diet is incomplete without leafy greens like broccoli, kale, spinach, etc. These foods are packed with nutrients like iron, folate, Vitamin A, K, C, potassium, and fibre that are essential for a healthy pregnancy. For instance, folate helps prevent problems like neural tube defects, while fibre helps alleviate digestion issues. So, make sure you have enough green veggies each day.
Sweet Potatoes
Your baby’s healthy development is of utmost importance to you. Which is why sweet potatoes could be a great inclusion in your diet. The food is rich in beta-carotene, which converts to Vitamin A – essential for healthy fetal development. During pregnancy, it is recommended to increase your intake of Vitamin A by 10%-40% and sweet potatoes can be helpful!
Pasteurized Eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and fats, which you need in good amounts during pregnancy. Apart from that, eggs are a rich source of choline, which is known to support brain development, thus beneficial for your baby. Start your day with good health by including eggs in your breakfast.
Yogurt
Issues like gas, gestational diabetes, and constipation, are common during pregnancy. This is because, in the process of extracting as much nutrition from the food, digestion slows down. Boosting digestion with good bacteria helps in keeping your gut clean and your baby healthy. Yogurt usually contains probiotic bacteria, which helps with digestion. Not only this, a cup of yogurt is a great source of calcium that helps maintain bone health.
Lean Meat
Meats like beef, pork, and chicken are great sources of iron, which is an essential nutrient for you and your baby. Deficiency of iron during pregnancy can put you at risk for premature delivery and low birth weight. During pregnancy, your requirement for iron increases and lean meats can help you meet that need. In addition to this, eat Vitamin C rich foods like oranges and bell peppers to let your body absorb iron.
While these were some, add beans, chickpeas, nuts, and dried fruits in your pregnancy diet. What you eat affects your health as well as your baby’s development. Eat these nutritious foods and ensure a healthy pregnancy.
