It can be quite confusing to figure out what you should and shouldn't be eating when you're pregnant. Here's guest contributor David Johnson's list of what is good pregnancy food!
It’s a mind-boggling, confusing, contradictory world isn’t it? What world is that? The world of advice for pregnant women! And few areas of advice for moms-to-be are more confusing than that of nutrition. Here are seven foods that you should eat during pregnancy.
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1. Salmon
Salmon is not bad anytime and when you are pregnant it offers you a number of benefits. First of all it’s just packed with protein and is a fantastic source of omega 3 fats. Salmon has low levels of methyl mercury, a compound that is potentially very dangerous to a developing baby. This is not the case with all fish. However, even with salmon, you shouldn’t overdo it. The FDA recommends no more than 12 ounces in a week.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Your body needs Vitamin A. Preformed Vitamin A is found in foods like liver, milk, and eggs. However, you don’t want too much preformed Vitamin A. Sweet potatoes contain carotenoids (that’s what gives them their orange color). Carotenoids are plant pigments that convert to Vitamin A. And here’s the great thing: they only convert when your body is in need of vitamin A!
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3. Walnuts
Walnuts are just delicious and they’re a great source of omega 3. Omega 3 is important for the growth of your baby’s brain. Okay, you can get all the omega 3 that you need from fish and eggs, but if you are not a fish lover and eggs leave you cold: walnuts are the answer.
4. Greek Style Yogurt
Greek style yogurt is a fabulous source of protein; indeed it has double the amount of protein of ordinary yogurt. Yogurt is also a source of calcium, which is absolutely essential for all moms-to-be. If you don’t get all the calcium you need, the calcium you do take in will be delivered to your baby. That leaves you with a calcium deficit, and you need calcium for healthy bones and teeth.
5. Lean Meat
Okay, if you’re a veggie forget this one. Meat is a great source of protein. It’s best to choose lean meat with the fat removed. Try to avoid processed meats, especially avoid things like hot dogs. The risk may be small however, there is a risk of passing dangerous parasites and bacteria on to your baby.
6. Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are good not just during pregnancy but anytime. Go for all the colors you can. The more colourful your diet is, the better it is. Green and purple broccoli; green, red and yellow peppers, green beans and red tomatoes – I could go on. Different coloured vegetables will give you different vitamins, different minerals and different antioxidants.
Now, I’m not sure about this but I’ll tell you anyway. There’s a view that your baby will taste food later in your pregnancy so by eating vegetables you get your baby used to their taste.
7. Beans
The choice in beans is just so wide you can almost eat a different bean a week during your pregnancy. Beans include lentils, chickpeas, black beans and many others. Beans give you fiber and protein (more than any other vegetables). Here’s some fantastic news about beans and your diet during pregnancy: the fiber in beans is great for easing (and perhaps preventing) constipation and hemorrhoids.
So, there you have it - seven foods to eat during pregnancy. Don't forget to visit this site for some great tips. The thing about these foods is that you’ll probably find that you’ll want to keep them as a regular part of your balanced, healthy diet. Just because you’re not pregnant you are not precluded from eating foods that are good during pregnancy.