Top 5 Healthy Food Tips for Pregnant Women

Eating well during pregnancy is important for you and your baby. Pregnant women have special nutritional needs. Your daily meals should include a variety of foods rich in protein, as we well as starchy foods, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. The food you eat is your baby's main source of nutrition. Small regular snacks may help reduce morning sickness and nausea. Contrary to popular belief, pregnant women need more iron, protein, iodine, and folate but only a small increase in kilojoules.

Here are top five healthy food tips for pregnant women:

Adopt a Balanced Diet

With a few exceptions, you can continue to eat normally during pregnancy. A balanced diet should include regular meals and snacks such as nuts and seeds, dried beans and lentils, lean meat, wholegrain bread and cereal, fresh fruit, vegetables, and small amounts of foods high fat. The digestive system in pregnant women becomes more efficient at absorbing certain nutrients. Therefore, it's not necessary to eat larger quantities of food to get the vitamins and minerals you need.

Avoid Certain Foods

Your body is more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses during pregnancy. Eating certain foods can cause severe health problems, from poor digestion to miscarriage. It is advisable for pregnant women to avoid raw eggs, sushi, unpasteurized juice, swordfish, and tilefish. Give up alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea high in caffeine. Stay away from soft cheeses unless they are made with unpasteurized milk. Skip the hot dogs and the deli meat. When you eat fruits and vegetables, wash them well.

Get More Iron

Pregnant women can become short of iron, so you should eat more foods containing this nutrient. Drinking coffee or tea can make it harder for the body to absorb iron. This natural compound can be found in red meat, dried fruit, wholegrain starchy foods, green leafy vegetables, bread, and pulses. Taking iron supplements might help you.

Eat Healthy Snacks

If you get hungry between meals, choose nutritious snacks like fresh fruit, unsweetened fruit juices, humus with bread, low fat yogurt, pita bread filled with grated cheese and mashed tuna or ham, raisins, salads, and baby carrots. Choose wholegrain varieties because they provide more fiber and nutrients.

Consume More Folic Acid

Folic acid is needed in larger amounts during pregnancy. Eating foods rich in folic acid helps reduce birth defects. It is recommended to start taking folic acid supplements before conception. Green leafy vegetables, beans, sunflower seeds, fruits, fortified breakfast cereals, lentils, and grains contain significant amounts of this nutrient.