Folic acid, omega-3, calcium, iron and protein top the list as some of the most important vitamins and minerals to have when you’re expecting. If your diet during pregnancy consists of a variety of healthy foods, you are sure to get the nutrients you need for your baby thrive.Importance of Folic Acid and Omega-3 in a Pregnancy Diet
Medical professionals recommend women of childbearing age add folic acid to their diets, even before pregnancy. Folic acid helps reduce the risk of having a baby born with a neural tube defect known as spina bifida.
Spina bifida can cause varying degrees of paralysis, incontinence and mental disabilities. This condition usually develops in the first three weeks of pregnancy. If you are pregnant, it is recommended that you get 600 micrograms of folic acid per day.
Prenatal vitamins usually contain all the folic acid you need, but it’s still important for you to eat folic acid-rich foods like leafy green vegetables and citrus fruits.
Omega-3 is important for your unborn baby to develop his brain and nervous system. Fish is one of the richest sources of this nutrient. Although fish is an essential part of a diet during pregnancy, some types contain high levels of mercury and should be avoided.
Eating too much mercury-tainted fish can damage to your unborn baby’s nervous system. Large predatory fish like swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel contain the highest levels of mercury and are a definite no-no for you to eat when you’re pregnant.
Mercury is an element that is found naturally in the environment. When this substance is released into the air, it falls into the water and settles to the bottom. When this happens, the mercury converts to methylmercury and becomes toxic. When the fish that live in contaminated waters feed on other fish, the methylmercury enters their bodies, and accumulates over time.
Safe fish choices during pregnancy include:
- anchovies
- scallops
- wild salmon
- ocean perch
- whitefish
- shrimp
- herring
- catfish
- butterfish
- rock lobster
- sole
- squid
- tilapia
- sardines
Importance of Calcium and Iron during Pregnancy
Calcium is important for your baby to develop a strong skeletal frame. When you don’t get enough calcium in your body, your fetus will pull the calcium from your bones and leave them weak and brittle. If you believe that dairy products are the best way to get calcium in your diet, you’re wrong.
Vegetables like broccoli, black beans, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower and okra are rich sources of calcium. The calcium obtained from these sources get absorbed more efficiently by the body than calcium from dairy products. You can also get calcium from oranges, salmon, almonds and hazelnuts.
Iron builds hemoglobin that helps transport oxygen to the cells. Lack of this nutrient can lead to anemia. When you suffer from anemia, you may be weak, pale and have cold hands and feet. Lean meats, green vegetables, lentils, beans, chick peas and pumpkin seeds are all excellent sources of iron.
Importance of Protein during Pregnancy
During the second trimester of pregnancy, your baby is growing rapidly; so it’s important for you to get enough protein in your diet around this time. Protein is essential because it helps your unborn baby develop his internal organs, fingers, toes, hair and nails. Poultry, fish, nuts, whole eggs and beans are all excellent sources of protein.
Folic acid, omega-3, protein, iron and calcium are among the most important nutrients to have during pregnancy. If you fill your diet with vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, lean beef, poultry, whole eggs and fish, you’ll get all of these nutrients, plus the additional vitamins you need for a healthy baby.