Foods to eat during pregnancy

Following healthy diet practices during pregnancy and eating the right kind of foods is of utmost importance! This is the time during which your body craves for extra minerals and vitamins. There is also the possibility that in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, you might end up needing 400-500 more calories. Remember that any diet that lacks the basic and most vital nutrients, will not help either you or your baby! So here are a few foods that you need to eat during your pregnancy to make sure that you and your little one stay healthy and safe.

Legumes

There is plenty of variety when you think about legumes and these include but are not restricted to chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, peas and the likes. Legumes happen to be extremely in plenty of important nutrients, and they are also known to be an amazing source of plant protein, iron, Vitamin B9, calcium and fibre. B9, also known as folate happens to be an extremely important nutrient for the development of your little one! A deficiency of folate can lead to birth defects and even low birth weight in newborns. Apart from this, folate deficiency might also make your little one more prone to infections.

Salmon

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon happens to make an excellent addition to a pregnant woman’s diet. You see, like folate, women are also getting less of omega-3 fatty acids, and it is extremely essential as it helps in building the brain and the eyes of your baby. Although, when eating seafood, one needs to take precaution and not consume it more than twice a week due to the presence of mercury and other contaminants, seafood is otherwise is very beneficial for your’s and your baby’s health! But because of this scare, pregnant women decide to avoid seafood altogether, thus limiting the intake of omega-3 fatty acids!

Dairy Product

Your growing baby needs calcium and protein to help him/her grow healthier and this is something that you can easily get from almost every dairy product! With both casein and whey present in it, dairy products happen to be your best bet when it comes to being able to consume the needed amount of calcium, zinc, magnesium and many B-vitamins. If you are someone who isn’t fond of milk, then you will do amazingly well on yoghurt as well. Greek yoghurt especially contains the most amount of calcium. The best part is that even if you are lactose intolerant, yoghurt is something that just might end up suiting you.