About the importance of
Healthy foods for pregnant women
Obviously, it’s vital to eat healthy foods when pregnant. After all, you are creating a new little body out of the building blocks of nutrients YOU eat.
It’s pretty amazing to think how the foods you are consuming are being used to make your baby. And considering that, it’s an awesome responsibility to eat well and build a healthy body for your baby.
So what are healthy foods for pregnant women?
It’s back to the basics. When we’re talking health food, generally speaking, the closer a food is to the original form, the better it is. Raw foods generally have more nutrients than cooked foods. Unprocessed foods generally have more real value than foods with added chemicals, many of dubious safety.
Raw fruits and vegetables are great healthy foods for pregnant women. But if you’re not ready to eat nothing but raw food, you can still eat well!
Cooked healthy foods for pregnant women!
The key is the more minimal the cooking, the better. Steaming vegetables retains more nutrients than boiling for instance. (As an example, vitamins can get leached out into the water during the boiling process.) Choose a cooking method that produces a taste you enjoy while retaining as many nutrients as possible.
When it comes to meats, however, it’s important to make sure they are cooked thoroughly to prevent any problems with bacterial or other diseases. For instance, undercooked pork can carry Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, or trichiniasis, which is a parasitic disease. We may not like to think about unseen microorganisms or parasites in our foods, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. So be sure to cook meat so the interior reaches the proper temperatures to prevent any problems.
Also, don’t trust to the “pre-washed” labels on salads or other produce. Always wash foods again before you eat anything. There are too many instances of bad things lik E. coli or other contaminants found on foods to take a chance on your health and that of your unborn baby.
Healthy Foods for Pregnant Women Quick List
Some of the best foods for pregnant women include:
- Lean Meats
- Fatty Fish (avoid those often found high in mercury; a complete guide on mercury levels in fish can be found at the NRDC )
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Healthy Oils (such as olive oil)
For a thorough program about healthy foods for pregnant women, check out this complete exercise and nutrition program for before, during and after pregnancy. This woman practices what she preaches and looks great!
And if you are expecting, keep eating those healthy foods for pregnant women!