Eating healthily when pregnant or planning to be pregnant is vital for maintaining good health and supplying the baby in the womb with all the nutrients needed for normal growth and development. Your diet must be balanced, containing nutrients like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. If you seek professional Fairfax, VA OBGYN services, you may also get advice to limit your intake of certain diets that can negatively affect your pregnancy. These diets include undercooked or raw fish, processed meat, unpasteurized juice, and alcoholic or caffeinated beverages.
Subsequently, below are the best foods you need to eat that support a healthy pregnancy.
- Eggs
Before you eat eggs, prepare and cook them safely. Pasteurizing and cooking eggs before you eat them is essential for destroying potentially harmful microbes they may have, such as salmonella.
Naturally, eating raw and unpasteurized foods puts you at risk of bacterial infections or food poisoning. Moreover, do not forget that your immune system is often weaker than normal when pregnant and more susceptible to food poisoning or infections.
Eggs are a rich source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals like lutein and zeaxanthin. Proteins are essential in promoting the proper growth of your baby’s tissues and organs, especially the brain.
- Salmon
You need to eat a healthy amount of salmon when pregnant to receive a constant supply of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in improving eye health, promoting the growth and development of the brain of a fetus, reducing inflammation, and relieving depression and anxiety.
Salmon is another great natural source of vitamin D, which helps regulate the body’s calcium and phosphate and keeps muscles, bones, and teeth healthy.
Other seafood options include herring, trout, sardines, and anchovies.
However, you may need to avoid some seafood as they often contain dangerous contaminants like mercury. These types of seafood are swordfish, king mackerel, and bigeye tuna.
- Beans
Beans contain folic acid, which assists in the formation of the neural tube. The neural tube forms about a month after conception and grows and develops into the spinal cord and brain. Without proper neural tube development, your baby is at risk of a spinal cord or brain defect.
Beans also contain iron and fiber. Iron helps create red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body and to the baby in the womb.
Fibers can protect you against pregnancy discomforts, such as constipation and swollen, enlarged veins inside or outside the anus and rectum.
Other options for beans are soybeans, chickpeas, peas, and lentils.
- Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes have a rich supply of beta-carotene, a compound that promotes the healthy development of the fetus.
Sweet potatoes also contain a lot of fiber that can help improve your digestion, eliminate constipation and reduce a spike in blood sugar levels.
Other best foods for pregnancy include dark leafy green vegetables, lean meat, berries, avocados, whole grains, walnuts, and colorful fruits and vegetables.
For instance, avocados are packed with healthy fats for building the baby’s skin and brain and nutrients that can assist in preventing or relieving leg cramps, constipation, morning sickness, and nausea.
Contact Capital Women’s Care today to schedule an appointment and learn more about the importance of healthy nutrition before and during pregnancy.
