Eating Right for Baby's Health!

A balanced diet is ideal for everyone; however, during pregnancy, it’s important to make dietary adjustments based on your specific needs. Knowing what foods are good to eat during pregnancy will help address your pregnancy symptoms (nausea, vomiting, edema, constipation and heartburn, leg cramps and headaches, etc.) and nourish your baby well.

There is no one-size-fits-all meal plan for expecting moms. Some do not have problems with the food they eat and others may start experiencing issues. Certain types of food may worsen their symptoms, while some alleviate them. This is one reason why you might seek help from a prenatal nutritionist, who offers sound advice in terms of food restrictions. These food restrictions during pregnancy are based on several factors such as lifestyle, physical changes and hormonal changes. For now, stick to the basics described below:

Eat more vegetables

When you eat vegetables regularly, you are providing many benefits to your body. Some of the benefits of vegetables include:

• they are low in fat, calories and cholesterol
• they are good sources of fiber (to help combat and prevent constipation)
• they contain many vitamins and minerals, including folate (which helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects and spina bifida during fetal development)

Don’t be afraid to get creative with adding vegetables to your diet, such as adding them to sandwiches, mixing them into dishes or blending them into smoothies. You can also try to eat a variety of vegetables in any form (raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, canned or dried) and in a variety of colors, as they will provide different vitamins and minerals. If canned, choose ones that are low in sodium content. Vegetables are generally healthy, so you don’t need to stick to a particular kind; however, raw leafy vegetables are usually considered the best. Make sure to wash any vegetables thoroughly before eating, since you will be more susceptible to infections during pregnancy.

Among others, these veggies are full of vitamins and nutrients important during pregnancy:

Pack on healthy proteins

Fill your plate with healthy proteins. Foods rich in protein will effectively support your baby’s growth and at the same time, provide you the energy that your body needs. It will also promote your baby’s healthy brain and heart development.

Include a portion of the following in your daily meal plan:

Don’t forget the grains

Your prenatal nutrition must include whole grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, cereals and oatmeal. They are rich in fiber, iron, B vitamins and folic acid, which are beneficial for your baby’s physical development. These will also ward off constipation and hemorrhoids, which are some of the common discomforts that you may experience during pregnancy.

Color your diet with fruits

Some people will warn you against fruit consumption when you ask them about what not to eat during pregnancy. This is a myth. Fruit isn’t just delicious; it can help curb your sugar cravings and supply you and your baby the necessary nutrients. As long as you aren’t eating them in juice form too often, fruits are an important part of your pregnancy diet. If canned, choose unsweetened.

Be cautious in your preparation of fruit. Don’t use knives used for other raw foods that may have bacteria, and always thoroughly rinse raw fruit under running water. Rinsing your fruit is important since bacteria can be found on the outer rind or peel, which can cause illness or be harmful to you and baby. Cut off damaged or bruised spots to help remove any bacteria hiding out in these areas.

It is worth noting that eating fruits should be done with care. Observing how your body reacts every time you have some will help. For example, if you have a spike in your blood sugar or notice abnormal weight gain, you should cut back.

You can have moderate servings of the following fruits:

Include healthy dairy

Dairy products are good sources of protein and calcium, which help with your baby’s bone development. If taken in moderation, you do not have to worry about weight gain, but this isn’t your major concern.

When buying dairy products, look out for the word ‘pasteurized,’ especially on cheeses like cotija. During pregnancy, your body is more prone to infections, and pasteurization helps kill germs in dairies like cheese, yogurt and milk. Ideally, pick dairy products that are low-fat.

Say ‘yes’ to healthy fats and oils

Among the many food restrictions during pregnancy, oils and fats are on top. Nutritionists do not advise completely giving them up, as they are beneficial for your baby’s brain and eye development. However, your oil intake should be limited to six teaspoons every day. It is also important to consume only plant oils like olive, canola or safflower. Regarding fat intake, solid fats (like lard and butter) are foods you should avoid taking in large amounts while pregnant so you do not gain excess weight.

If you eat healthy, drink healthy, too!

Water is a wonder drink. It addresses many different kinds of health issues and pregnancy is no exception. As much as possible, drink the recommended amount of water every day. Staying hydrated may help alleviate pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness and nausea. In contrast, dehydration, especially if this occurs during your third trimester, can lead to contractions and pre-term labor. Hydrate with water but never with energy drinks.

Cut back on soda and caffeine intake. Switch to fruit drinks and juices as a substitute for soda and caffeine, but still try to limit the amount of fruit juices so you are not taking in too much sugar too quickly. Even better would be to eat a small serving of fruit to help satisfy the sugar or caffeine craving.

And by all means, avoid any kind of alcohol as this will impact your baby’s health. Even once the baby is born, you’ll want to follow these same precautions (including limiting alcohol) while breastfeeding. Continuing these precautions while breastfeeding is important because unsafe foods, like alcohol, can pass through the breast milk to the baby. We consider this the “fourth trimester” of pregnancy.