Pregnancy usually brings many joys but also many doubts and anxiety, especially for new mothers. Especially with the issue of food is something that worries a lot. What foods should I avoid? What foods are better? Keep reading to solve all your doubts about the changes in diet if you are pregnant.
Eat well during pregnancy
If nutrition is already important without being pregnant, when we are even more so. The baby will feed only on what the mother eats. We will have to take a Healthy diet so that the baby can develop properly and avoid health problems. Try to eat in a varied way to provide all the nutrients you and your baby need. Do not skip any meals, try to eat 5 times a day in small amounts and try not to go more than 9 hours without eating.
We will have avoid eating for two to gain too much weight or that we have problems such as gestational diabetes. A woman should eat about 2100 calories a day, and a pregnant woman needs about 2500 calories a day. As you can see, a pregnant woman does not need to eat twice as much for the baby to grow well.
It is also not advisable to eat littleas the baby is at risk of low birth weight. The important thing is to eat healthy, it is not necessary to diet. Normally a pregnant woman gains about 9-14 kilos, it is not something that you should obsess over since you must gain weight, but it is not advisable to eat excessively either. You have to strike a balance.
Essential foods for pregnant women
- Folic acid. As it is difficult to find it in the diet, it is usually given as a supplement before conceiving and during the first months of pregnancy. It is very important for prevent risk of the baby being born with spinal problems like spina bifida. You can find it naturally in dark leafy vegetables, fruit, broccoli or egg yolk for example.
- Vegetarian food. Fruits and vegetables are the healthiest thing we can put into our diet, they are already products that are not processed.
- Foods rich in calcium, zinc and iron. They are essential minerals that you will need during your pregnancy. Normally your doctor will prescribe a supplement but it is always good to supplement it with a healthy and varied diet. As a source of iron we have peas, green leafy vegetables and nuts. As a source of zinc we have dairy and meat. And as a source of calcium, dairy products, oily fish, broccoli, legumes and nuts.
Foods to prohibit or reduce in your diet if you are pregnant
- Raw foods should be avoided: such as cold cuts, smoked meats, undercooked eggs, sushi or unpasteurized milk, since they can cause poisoning and infections that reach the baby. If they have been cooked at least at 66ºC there are no problems or if they have been frozen below 20ºC for at least 24 hours. Fruits and vegetables must be washed well before consuming them.
- You have to avoid fish with high concentrations of mercury, which is usually found in very large fish such as swordfish, shark, bluefin tuna and Pike. The shellfish It also has a high concentration of mercury, which can cross the placenta and cause damage to the baby's central nervous system as well as cognitive development.
- Caffeine. It is not only found in coffee, but it is also present in tea, chocolate and cola. You have to reduce your consumption as much as possible, less than 300 mg / day.
- Alcohol. For obvious reasons. There is no safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy, not even wine or beer. It is recommended not to drink any alcohol during pregnancy to prevent the baby from being born with developmental disabilities.
The ideal is to eat with your head, knowing what foods we should not eat and which ones we should eat more of since we already have the basis of our diet during pregnancy. You have to bring one balance diet where there are all the food groups (as long as we can consume them) and enjoy this new stage. There will be time to eat everything.
Because remember ... the health of your baby is at stake, it is better not to risk it.