Leafy Greens The Darker The Better
You have free rein to enjoy plentiful broccoli, spinach and kale during pregnancy, and by doing so youll be getting a big dose of nearly every mineral you could possibly need.
Aim for one or two portions of greens per day and you and baby will both be in tip top health.
Why?Broccoli and dark leafy greens will give you a big hit of vitamins C, K, and A, as well as fiber, potassium, folate, and iron. Then theres the B vitamins, copper, calcium, zinc and choline.
There isnt much on that list weve missed out from your entire nutrition needs. There are extra antioxidants to add in too which can help boost your immune system.
In fact, studies have shown that regular consumption of these types of greens can help you avoid the problem of low birth weight.
Another good reason to eat broccoli and other dark leafy greens, is that they can help you avoid pregnancy constipation.
This is a big problem for many women but the high fiber content of these types of vegetables can be a huge help.
Craving Ice Cream Try Yogurt Smoothies
If you want something cold and rich, try a yogurt smoothie. Yogurt is a good source of calcium, which is necessary for the development of your babys bones and teeth, as well as heart, nerve and muscle function. If you dont consume enough calcium, your body will take it from your bones. Yogurt also provides protein the building block of tissues as well as probiotics .
Just be sure to watch out for additives in the yogurt you choose. Many flavored varieties are loaded with sugar. Also, if you like the tartness, opt for Greek yogurt because it contains more protein.
Healthy add-ins include:
- Avocado
Seafood High In Mercury
If you think that seafood is harmless, think again. Some seafood types are on the list of what foods to avoid while pregnant due to their high mercury content. It is true that shellfish and fish provide good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, protein and zinc. But a select few are high in mercury. Mercury is relatively harmless for most adults, but not for pregnant individuals. Regularly eating large servings of seafood high in mercury can damage your babys nervous system and brain development. Heres a list of seafood you should steer clear of:
- Tilefish
- Consuming more than 12oz of fish and shellfish a week
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Health Conditions Help Determine What Not To Eat During Pregnancy
Pre-pregnancy, you may already have an existing health condition like diabetes or hypertension. Your dietitian will take this into consideration before setting any food restrictions during pregnancy. For example, fruits are highly beneficial for your health, but you may have to take a break from some of them if your blood sugar spikes every time you eat one. The same goes if you develop an allergic reaction to other foods.
Nausea, vomiting, morning sickness and fatigue are common symptoms of pregnancy that occur during the first and second trimesters. Food may have something to do with the degree of these symptoms. They can be worse or almost non-existent. To know exactly how to alleviate them, it is important to talk to a certified prenatal nutritionist near you, who will provide you sound guidance on what to eat during pregnancy.
Raw Fish And Shellfish
- Sushi: The common advice from doctors is to not eat raw fish sushi while youre pregnant, as raw fish can contain parasites and bacteria that can make you sick. However, if you regularly go to a sushi place and havent gotten sick there, you may be okay to keep eating there during your pregnancy.
- Raw shellfish: You should avoid eating things like raw oysters while youre pregnantthose parasites and bacteria again.
And dont forget: fish thats low in mercury is good for you and your babythose omega 3 fatty acids can help your babys brain and visual development. So dont shy away from eating cooked fish like salmon and mackerel.
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Raw/unpasteurised Cheeses And Milk
Pasteurisation is a process where heat is applied to kill potentially harmful bacteria. During pregnancy, it is therefore advised to stay away from unpasteurised milk and cream, as well as all mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white rind made from unpasteurised milk, including brie, camembert, chèvre , roquefort, gorgonzola and Danish blue cheeses. These cheeses may contain Listeria, a bacteria that can cause an illness called listeriosis.3 Unpasteurised cheeses are safe when they are cooked thoroughly, for example on a pizza or quiche.
Other cheeses are still safe to eat! You can eat all soft cheeses made from pasteurised milk, such as quark, feta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and cheese spreads.4
All hard cheeses are safe to eat, even when they are made from unpasteurised milk.3These cheeses, such as parmesan and gruyere, contain less water which makes it less likely for bacteria to survive and grow.
Figure 1. Types of cheese than can be safely eaten during pregnancy or that should be avoided/cooked before eating.
Avoid Foods Causing Allergies:
Newborns are vulnerable to allergies or irritants that come with breast milk. If you find your little one experiencing them, you may have to stop the food that you ate lately. Check with your healthcare provider.
Follow the diet or a food journal suggested by the doctor. It will include what you should eat, when, and the time of breastfeeding. You will also find a column to note any reactions or fussiness your baby might have suffered post-feeding.
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Unpasteurized Milk And Its Products
Milk is very important during pregnancy since it provides nourishment and strength to the unborn baby and the mother. Milk should always be boiled before drinking, especially during pregnancy. Boiling milk helps kill all germs that cause microbial infections that could harm the unborn baby.
Making yogurt and paneer at home from raw milk also poses risks. Unpasteurized milk and milk products should be avoided by pregnant women during the first trimester.
Indian Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy
Once the initial excitement of conceiving settles down, you begin getting lots of advice on what to eat and what not to do during this crucial period, especially in India. Women have umpteen customs, fads, food habits, and religious customs in India that can confuse them about what to eat and what not to eat. When it comes to what not to eat, this article lists 8 Indian foods to avoid during pregnancy.
The taboo foods that most Indians steer clear of during pregnancy include pineapple, papaya, brinjal, and sesame seeds. Read on to see the foods to avoid during pregnancy how they are harmful to you and your baby growing within you.
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Raw Or Undercooked Eggs:
You should not eat raw, undercooked, or soft-boiled eggs as they contain harmful salmonella bacteria which cause food poisoning. You may experience diarrhea, severe vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, and high temperature. All these symptoms are unlikely to harm your baby, but your immune system will become weaker, which may impact the babys development.
The foods that contain raw egg and must be avoided are: homemade Caesar dressings, custards, ice creams, mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauces, Béarnaise sauce, Aioli sauce, desserts including mousse, tiramisu, and meringue.
Solution: Buy pasteurized egg products. You can choose commercially manufactured ice cream, mousse, eggnog, and dressings. Eat cooked eggs that contain firm yolks or a well-cooked omelet, and salads .
Raw Or Undercooked Meat
Cook all meat and poultry thoroughly so it is steaming hot and there is no trace of pink or blood. Take particular care with poultry, pork, sausages and minced meat, including burgers.
Don’t eat rare meat. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite that can be found in meat, soil, cat faeces and untreated water. If you are pregnant the infection can damage your baby, but it’s important to remember that toxoplasmosis in pregnancy is very rare.
If you feel you may have been at risk, discuss it with your doctor, midwife or obstetrician. If you are infected while you’re pregnant, treatment for toxoplasmosis is available.
Wash all surfaces and utensils thoroughly after preparing raw meat. It’s also important to remember to wash and dry your hands after touching or handling raw meat. This will help to avoid the spread of harmful bugs such as salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli that can cause food poisoning.
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What You Can Eat
- all hard pasteurised cheeses such as edam, cheddar and Stilton
- soft pasteurised cheeses such as cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, paneer, ricotta, halloumi, goats’ cheese without a white coating on the outside and processed cheese spreads
- hard unpasteurised cheeses such as parmesan, raw milk cheddar and Gruyere
- thoroughly cooked soft unpasteurised cheeses, until steaming hot
- thoroughly cooked soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside, until steaming hot
- thoroughly cooked soft blue cheeses, until steaming hot
- pasteurised milk, yoghurt, cream and ice cream
Certain Kinds Of Fish
Fish is a good source of many vitamins and minerals. If fish is part of your diet, you should aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week. You should also aim to eat one portion of oily fish a week, such as salmon, trout, mackerel or herring. Oily fish helps your baby’s nervous system to develop. However, you should not eat more than 2 portions of oily fish a week as they may contain pollutants that can harm your baby.
You should also limit how much tuna you eat, because it has more mercury in it than other fish. If you eat too much mercury, it can be harmful to your unborn baby. You should eat no more than 2 tuna steaks or 4 medium-size cans of tuna per week.
There are some other types of fish you should limit. Don’t eat more than 2 portions a week of:
- dogfish
- cola and other energy drinks
- chocolate.
It is recommended to reduce your caffeine intake as much as possible below 200mg a day during your pregnancy.
You can work out how much caffeine you have each day with this caffeine calculator.
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Foods To Avoid During Early Pregnancy
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If youre a first-time mom who just found out youre pregnant , its time to figure out what foods to avoid during early pregnancy.
Its a good idea to question the foods you eat because while some foods seem harmless they might not be good for your growing fetus during early pregnancy.
I remember being so confused about what foods to avoid during early pregnancy or any time in my pregnancy for that matter.
What do I really have to avoid?
What foods should I eat in moderation?
The confusion that surrounds foods to avoid during pregnancy inspired me to help new moms out to clear the air so to speak and set you on the right path for a healthy pregnancy.
Now, Im not a doctor I can do the research and tell you about my own experience but if you have any concerns about the foods to avoid during early pregnancy then talk to your doctor and they can provide medical advice.
That might just give you peace of mind.
So, lets take a look at what foods to avoid during early pregnancy.
If you want to do more than just learn about foods to avoid, I also highly recommend a Pregnancy Nutrition Course from a fellow mama. As a certified nutritionist, she breaks it all down so you know EXACTLY what to eat for a healthy pregnancy.
Want weekly pregnancy tips and a free Get It Done Checklist? Sign up here!
Can Pregnant Women Drink Fruit Juice
Pregnant women are strongly advised to avoid fresh juices for the simple reason that non-pasteurised juices can lead to digestion-related illnesses. So when you are consuming fruit juice make sure that it is pasteurised.
If you are craving for a glass of juice, drink prune juice as it can help alleviate constipation. You can even try drinking Vitamin C juice which has folic acid and can enable your foetus to develop normally while preventing conditions such as spina bifida. But overall, it is a good idea for all expectant women to avoid fruit juices.
Now that you which fruits are not safe for consumption during pregnancy, avoid them at all cost. In the beginning, it will be difficult for you to give up some of your favourite veggies and fruits, but keep in mind that it will help you carry your pregnancy to term and ensure good health both for you and your baby. Have a healthy pregnancy!
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Herbal And Green Teas
We do not have much information on the safety of herbal and green teas in pregnancy. Therefore, it is best to limit how much you drink. You should drink no more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day. It is important to remember that green tea contains caffeine, which should be limited as much as possible during pregnancy.
You should ask your GP or midwife if you are unsure about the safety of any herbal products.
Raw Or Underdone Seafood
Got a taste for some tuna sashimi? Obsessing over those oysters on the half shell? Before you visit your favorite raw bar or local sushi joint, keep in mind that uncooked or even seared seafood is off-limits during pregnancy the risk of ingesting bacteria and parasites along with your meal is too high.
So you’ll just have to say “no” to raw oysters, clams, ceviches, fish tartares and carpaccios, along with the smoked stuff that can also harbor illness-inducing parasites and bacteria.
While this doesn’t mean you should shun your favorite Japanese restaurant for the next nine months, it does mean that you’ll need to be careful about what you order. Most places, for example, offer rolls made with cooked seafood or vegetables right at the sushi bar! Just make sure that any seafood you order is well cooked: Fish should flake and shellfish should be firm.
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Raw Sprouts And Nuts Which Cause Allergies
Raw sprouts are an amazing source of protein and minerals, but they are still in the list of food not to eat when pregnant. This is because they may contain harmful viruses and bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Make sure that every time you eat sprouts, you either shallow fry them or better even, cook them thoroughly. They can still taste nice with proper seasoning.
You may enjoy various kinds of nuts in moderate amounts during pregnancy as they are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, and are highly beneficial for foetal development. But there are some nuts that can cause allergies and rashes on your body. Even if you werent initially allergic to them, you could develop allergies over time with extended exposure. Too many nuts can cause constipation & other issues, too. Therefore, ensure that you consult with your doctor to know which nuts you can include in your diet, in what quantities, and which nuts you should avoid entirely during pregnancy.
No Need For Extra Calcium During Pregnancy
Until 2006, Australian dietary recommendations advised increased calcium intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This advice has since been revised. Although the baby has a high requirement for calcium during the third trimester of pregnancy , the motherâs increased capacity to absorb dietary calcium means that there is no need for extra intake.The recommended dietary intake for non-pregnant women remains unchanged during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Dairy foods and calcium-fortified soy milk are excellent dietary sources of calcium.
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Undercooked Or Raw Fish
This one will be tough for you sushi fans, but its an important one. Raw fish, especially shellfish, can cause several infections. These can be viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, such as norovirus, Vibrio, Salmonella, and Listeria.
Some of these infections may only affect you, causing dehydration and weakness. Other infections may be passed on to your baby with serious, or even fatal, consequences.
Pregnant women are especially susceptible to listeria infections. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , pregnant women are up to 10 times more likely to get infected by Listeria than the general population. Pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more at risk.
This bacteria can be found in soil and contaminated water or plants. Raw fish can become infected during processing, including smoking or drying.
Listeria bacteria can be passed to your baby through the placenta, even if youre not showing any signs of illness. This can lead to premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, and other serious health problems, according to the CDC .
Its definitely advised to avoid raw fish and shellfish, including many sushi dishes. But dont worry, youll enjoy it that much more after baby is born and its safer to eat again.
Snack Foods To Eat While Pregnant
What you eat becomes more important than ever when youre pregnant. You need more vitamins and minerals to help your baby grow and maintain your own health. And because your body is working hard at supporting both of you, you need to consume more calories in the second and third trimester.
While it may be tempting to think of those extra calories as a green light to indulge in less healthy snacks, dont head to the vending machine just yet, say nutrition experts. If youre regularly having healthy, balanced meals, a treat here and there isnt going to hurt. But ideally, you want most of those extra calories to come from nutritious food.
If youre mostly snacking on things like dessert, chips or another less healthy food, think about what makes that food so appealing to you right now, try to get that same quality in something that provides more nutrition.
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