Pregnancy is an exciting time in a woman’s life. It is a time of change and unknowing. Due to evolving science, the rules always change on us. For instance, when my mom was pregnant with me there was no surgeon general warning about not smoking while pregnant. When her mother was pregnant with her, pregnant women still thought drinking alcohol while pregnant was okay. We know better.
Instead of being told what a woman shouldn’t be doing while pregnant, I’d like to have been told what I could do to stack the pregnancy cards in my baby’s favor. Here are a list of pregnancy super foods, good for you and your baby.
Frozen Wild Blueberries: Contain double the amount of antioxidants as conventionally grown blueberries.
Leafy Greens: A great source of folate, key for preventing neural tube defects in early stages of fetal development.
Spelt: High in fiber and helps to alleviate the constipation that is common in pregnancy.
Eggs: Nutrient-dense, supply a great deal of nutrition for a very small calorie count.
Water: Try for ten cups of water a day; as your blood volume doubles during pregnancy so does the amount of water you need.
Kidney Beans: Packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and iron, which is imperative to your baby’s cognitive development.
Lean Meat: Great source of iron, and the protein in lean meat helps repair and replace tissue.
Sesame Seeds: Loaded with calcium, which your baby needs for bone development.
Almonds: Rich in vitamin E and high in fiber, helping to fight off constipation and hemorrhoids.
Plain Yogurt with Live Cultures: Stay away from the fruit flavored ones; they are high in sugars.
Apparently, the pizza I craved with baby #1 and the Ding-Dongs that I craved with baby #2, are not pregnancy super foods.
What were your “super†foods during pregnancy? What would you add to this list?
Photo Source: MCar
