Maintaining a healthy diet is always important for your health. However, when you’re pregnant, it’s twice as important to ensure you’re getting all the right nutrients that you and your baby require.
When pregnant, a women may need to eat between 350-500 extra calories each day! However, a poor diet that lacks important nutrients could negatively affect a baby’s development, and may also increase risk of gestational diabetes or pregnancy and birth complications.
To help you during the crazy months of pregnancy, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best foods to eat during pregnancy to help keep you and your baby healthy. Keep reading to learn more about these pregnancy super foods!
Eggs
Not only are eggs an egg-scellent source of protein, they’re also jam packed with over 12 vitamins and minerals important to fetus development and growth during pregnancy. Eggs are also rich in choline, which promotes cell growth and fetal brain development, while also preventing neural tube defects.
While eggs are a perfectly safe source of protein and nutrients during pregnancy, it’s important to make sure the eggs are fully cooked as undercooked or raw eggs can leave you vulnerable to salmonella bacteria.
Colourful Fruits and Vegetables
When filling your plate, you want it to look like a rainbow with a variety of vibrant fruits and veggies. The more colourful, the more packed with nutrients and antioxidants, which can help prevent various different birth defects.
Dark Leafy Greens
When creating your rainbow platter of nutrient rich fruits and veggies, make sure to include lots of dark leafy greens. During pregnancy it’s important to consume dark leafy greens as they hold a ton of important vitamins, like vitamins A, K, C, and folate, that are known to promote fetal development and eye health.
Salmon
Salmon is a great source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for your baby’s development. And unlike other forms of seafood and fish like mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish, salmon contain very low levels of methyl mercury, which could be hazardous to your baby’s health.
Beans
Beans, beans the magical fruit! Beans come in a variety of forms and are chock full of protein and fiber, which is important during pregnancy to relieve constipation and hemorrhoid symptoms. Beans also contain a ton of important nutrients for the baby such as iron, calcium, zinc, and folate, which all play an important role for fetal development.
Sweet Potatoes
Not only are sweet potatoes one of the tastiest vegetables, but they are also one of the greatest foods to eat during pregnancy. Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, Vitamin A, folate, and Vitamin C, and they’re also a good way to naturally relieve constipation and hemorrhoid symptoms associated with pregnancy. They also have a low glycemic index, meaning that they don’t surgar blood sugar levels when consumed.
Whole Grains
During pregnancy, it’s recommended that women ingest 28 grams of fiber per day. This might seem like a lot, but this can be easily met by including whole grains into your diet. Grains like whole wheat, barley, and corn, not only have high amounts of fibre, but are also packed with nutrient content, including vitamin E, selenium, magnesium and phytonutrients, which help protect the fetus during development.
Walnuts
Walnuts are an excellent and filling source of Omega-# fatty acids, which are vital for your baby’s brain development. Walnuts are also great for relaxing blood vessels, which can help keep you blood pressure in check during pregnancy. The high fiber, protein and healthy fat content in walnuts can also keep your newly active appetite satisfied throughout the day. With all these benefits, walnuts are a healthy and delicious go-to snack during pregnancy.
Greek Yogurt
Not to say regular yogurt is bad for you, but Greek yogurt is better for you. Greek yogurt contains a whopping 15 grams of protein per serving, which is twice the amount of protein as regular yogurt, and is also an excellent source of calcium. Consuming adequate protein and calcium is important during pregnancy because your developing baby can potentially feed off your nutrient stores, which can potentially make a mommy-to-be nutrient deficient.
Quinoa
As one of the only plant-based proteins, quinoa contains all essential amino acids, which is fantastic mother’s trying to limit their meat intake. This grain comes equipped with high amounts of both protein and iron, which is healthy for both the baby and mommy.