The healthiest foods for pregnant women. Healthy foods for pregnant women in early and late stages

Pregnancy is a period that requires careful monitoring of your health. The expectant mother must remember that the child’s development primarily depends on her well-being. It is very important to get proper rest and eat right.

Why is nutrition paid so much attention? And are there any diets for pregnant women?

Restrictions during pregnancy

Until recently, there were strict nutritional requirements during pregnancy. Gynecologists closely monitored weight gain and urged not to overfeed the child; for some reason, allergists forbade eating honey and citrus fruits. With even minor swelling, pregnant women were not allowed to drink more than 1 liter of any liquid per day.

But do these strict restrictions have any justification? And is it worth following such recommendations?

Modern nutritional requirements for pregnant women

To date, it has been proven that there is no direct relationship between the mother’s nutrition and the child’s weight. In any situation, the baby will absorb exactly as many nutrients as he needs at the moment. And even if the expectant mother for some reason limits herself to food, first of all, the child will be provided with food. Its development will not be affected, unlike the woman’s health.

A baby's weight gain depends on various factors, including diseases of the mother's endocrine system. That is why, when sugar levels rise (diabetes mellitus in pregnant women), children weighing 4–5 kg are born, regardless of the constitution and nutrition of the mother.

Diet for weight gain

Is a diet necessary for significant gains? What to do if your weight increases rapidly? There is no clear answer to this question. Previously, normal weight gain was considered to be 11–15 kg throughout pregnancy. Today these boundaries have expanded.

It is assumed that a pregnant woman’s body is able to control its own needs. But sometimes it's better to listen to common sense. A constant desire to eat is a normal condition during pregnancy, especially in the early stages. But you need to eat not buns and cakes, but full-fledged snacks.

It is advisable to eat not 2-3 times a day, but 4-6 and do it in small portions. Such fractional meals are useful not only during pregnancy, but also after childbirth.

In case of significant weight gain, the main emphasis should be on plant foods - vegetables and fruits, meat, cottage cheese. And reduce the amount of carbohydrate foods in your diet. This is especially true for easily digestible carbohydrates - potatoes, bread, chocolate, sweets and sweet drinks.

You need to know that sometimes the usual desire to drink can hide under the mask of hunger. And a glass of plain water will help get rid of annoying sucking in the pit of the stomach.

Balanced diet

In order for food to be properly absorbed, it is necessary to properly distribute its intake throughout the day.

The most high-calorie meal should be lunch. During this time you can eat whatever you want. If possible, the menu includes a first course - soup or cream soup. They are well absorbed and do not overload the digestive system. If the desire to eat continues, lunch is supplemented with a second course - boiled, stewed, baked meat with a side dish or vegetable salad.

Breakfast is usually inferior in calorie content and volume to the lunch meal. In the early stages of pregnancy, many women do not eat breakfast at all due to severe toxicosis - nausea or vomiting. To alleviate the condition, you can drink a glass of water with a few drops of lemon juice in the morning. Orange juice helps some people. And sometimes it’s enough to chew a raw carrot or an unleavened cracker.

By evening, toxicosis usually decreases. Although there are also opposite cases. You should strive to have dinner not late, 3-4 hours before bedtime. Usually at this time you can eat porridge or other side dish with meat or fish. Cottage cheese dishes are perfect for an evening menu.

Since sometimes hunger haunts pregnant women throughout the day, snacking is encouraged. They will be appropriate between main meals. For a second breakfast, you can make a vegetable salad or a protein omelet, eat fruit, cottage cheese, and mild cheese. For an afternoon snack, kefir or yogurt with cookies is usually consumed.

For the normal development of the child and the well-being of the mother, nutrition must be balanced and varied. The following products are recommended during pregnancy:

1. Lean meats (beef, veal, turkey, quail, chicken, lean pork).
2. By-products – liver. It is consumed in limited quantities, no more than once or twice a week, to prevent excess vitamin A.
3. Porridges from different cereals. Buckwheat, rice and oatmeal porridge are especially recommended. Wheat and semolina can interfere with the absorption of iron.
4. Pasta made from durum wheat.
5. Vegetables in any form, except fried. Raw vegetables in salads and steamed vegetables are especially useful.
6. Fruits. Seasonal - in any quantity, citrus and exotic - very moderately.
7. Dill, parsley, celery are allowed in the preparation of various dishes.
8. Dairy and fermented milk products. Pregnant women can consume milk, kefir, yogurt, butter, sour cream, and low-fat cheese as they wish.

It is important that your diet contains foods rich in folic acid, vitamin E, iron, and calcium.

Foods containing folic acid and vitamin E

Folic acid is needed for the proper formation of the child’s nervous system. It is usually prescribed in tablet form. But do not forget that it is also present in ordinary products. Rich in folic acid:

• spinach;
• salad;
• parsley;
• legumes;
• citrus.

Vitamin E is also necessary during pregnancy. It is found in eggs, wheat germ, soybeans, and various vegetable oils (sunflower, corn, peanut).

Iron-rich foods

Pregnancy is a time of increased iron consumption. A woman must not only maintain her reserves, but also provide this microelement to her baby. To prevent hemoglobin levels from decreasing and anemia from developing, you definitely need foods rich in iron in your diet. However, not only the percentage of this element in food matters, but also the degree of its digestibility.

Iron is best absorbed from meat, fish and other seafood. The diet of a pregnant woman must include:

• beef tongue;
• beef;
• turkey meat;
• liver;
• fish.

Meat and fish can be made into casseroles, stewed or eaten boiled. Among plant foods, the leaders in iron content are legumes - lentils, peas, beans. Among cereals, it is better to give preference to buckwheat and rice.

Vitamin C, which is found in vegetables and fruits, helps absorb iron from food. For this purpose, it is better to wash down meat dishes with orange or tomato juice. Contrary to popular belief about the high iron content in pomegranates and apples, there is not too much of it.

Products containing calcium

During pregnancy, a woman should take care of increased calcium intake into the body. After all, it is spent on building the baby’s skeletal system. If the intake of calcium from food is insufficient, the expectant mother develops brittle nails, hair becomes dull, and teeth deteriorate. This microelement is best absorbed from dairy products, although in terms of calcium content it is inferior to some plants.

During pregnancy, you need to eat cottage cheese, sour cream, hard cheeses or feta cheese, drink milk and kefir every day. You can make cottage cheese yourself, but store-bought cottage cheese must be subjected to heat treatment.

Among plant foods, preference is given to spinach, cabbage, and parsley. Canned fish can also be considered a source of calcium.

Prohibited Products

Are there foods that are prohibited to eat during pregnancy? Since pregnancy is not a disease, there cannot be an absolute ban on certain foods. But there is a list of products whose consumption during pregnancy is highly not recommended.

First of all, this applies to unhealthy foods such as chips, hot crackers and similar snacks. They contain many chemical flavors and additives that can harm the baby and mother. During pregnancy, sugar substitutes such as aspartame, sucraltose, and neotame should not be used.

Don't overindulge in sweets. This leads to rapid weight gain and creates a feeling of fullness to the detriment of other foods the body needs. You should not eat large quantities of foods that cause fermentation in the intestines - legumes, cabbage dishes. During pregnancy, this can cause severe abdominal pain.

Since constipation during this period is not uncommon, the problem should not be aggravated. It is worth giving up bread and flour products and eating more vegetables and fruits.

You should strictly not eat mushrooms purchased from your own hands - dry or pickled. However, during pregnancy it is better to avoid any mushrooms; their protein is too difficult to digest. You should also not eat raw eggs, sushi, or rare steaks.

During pregnancy, it is undesirable to eat fried and fatty foods, rich broths, and use large quantities of spices and seasonings.

Drinking regimen

You can drink without restrictions during pregnancy, if you do not forget about common sense. During this period, the woman’s circulatory system works with redoubled force to ensure normal nutrition for mother and child. If there is not enough fluid entering the body, it begins to function idle.

Edema in a pregnant woman is not a reason to prohibit her from drinking. Almost always they are associated with other reasons:

1. Increased vascular permeability.
2. Poor kidney function.
3. Decreased protein levels in the blood.

Limiting drinking does not in any way affect the solution to this problem - liquid will be lost in the same volume. But there will be less of it in the body, which means that degenerative processes will begin to develop in the placenta, and the health and development of the child will suffer.

The expectant mother should be wary if the desire to drink becomes constant and obsessive, and her thirst is practically not quenched by anything. This condition is called polydipsia and indicates the onset of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy (gestational diabetes).

A situation where a woman drinks much more often and more than she urinates also requires close observation. If at the same time there is a sharp increase in body weight, we are talking about the onset of gestosis - a dangerous complication of the second half of pregnancy.

Drinks during pregnancy

What can and cannot be drunk during pregnancy? Are there any requirements for drinks? During this period, it is better to drink green tea, compotes, fruit and vegetable juices, and fruit drinks. At home, you can make your own yoghurts and cook jelly.

You should not drink herbal teas without the permission of your doctor. Some herbs can cause uterine contractions or harm the development of the baby. Chamomile decoction is considered safe and can be consumed freely as a regular drink. It is not recommended to drink black tea and coffee due to its tonic effect.

During pregnancy, you should not drink alcohol, even in small quantities. Alcohol has a negative effect on the child and takes a long time to be removed from the mother’s blood. Also, during this time, you should not abuse energy drinks, since their effect on the baby’s development has not been studied by anyone.

In general, the diet during pregnancy is not too different from a balanced diet in everyday life. But the expectant mother must remember that the child’s health now depends on the quality of her food, and should not allow gross errors in the diet.

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There are recommendations from nutritionists on what a pregnant woman should eat: foods should be healthy and contain many nutrients that are involved in the construction and proper functioning of a new body. If a pregnant woman wants to eat some product, she should not deny herself. Refusal of the desired dish will lead the expectant mother to stress, which will cause more harm to the child than eating the “wrong” product in small quantities.

Nutrition for a pregnant woman

A balanced, proper diet for a pregnant woman should be beneficial. All foods that the expectant mother eats enter the baby's placenta. Some elements are used to build its body, enrich cells and tissues with necessary substances: potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc. Others can harm a small organism, so it is necessary to approach the nutrition of a pregnant woman with caution.

How to eat healthy when pregnant

Food for pregnant women should include many essential substances. A pregnant woman should not overeat or feel hungry. Basic recommendations:

1. You need to eat in small portions: 5-7 meals. Strict diets are strictly prohibited, and in the first half a pregnant woman can eat up to 5 times a day, and in the second half - up to 7 times.
2. Food should contain the right amount of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
3. Be sure to eat foods containing vitamins and microelements.
4. Heavy food should not be eaten in the afternoon, so it is better to cook meat dishes, fish, eggs for breakfast or lunch.
5. For dinner it is better to serve plant foods or dairy products, porridge.
6. It is important that the last meal occurs two hours before bedtime; at this time you can eat yogurt or drink kefir.
7. A pregnant woman should drink a lot - about 2-2.5 liters per day, but in the very last weeks the liquid must be reduced to 900 ml to prevent edema.
8. Eat more foods containing plant fibers, which improve intestinal function and prevent constipation.

What can you eat

Pregnant women can eat almost all foods, but it is advisable to limit themselves to some things, for example, sugar, fast food. However, little by little, rarely, you can try almost everything. Among the main products that a pregnant woman is allowed to eat are milk, cottage cheese, fish, meat, fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals, vegetable fats, bread, cheese, kefir and others.

Food in the first half of pregnancy

The first half of pregnancy is a very important time when early toxicosis can occur. Between 1 and 5 months, the baby’s body begins to form. To build the skeleton, nervous system, and proper functioning of the brain, we need useful substances. It is necessary to introduce liver and other by-products into the diet; you need to eat meat, fish, dried fruits, herbs, vegetables, and fresh fruits. An approximate menu of how a pregnant woman should eat during the first half of pregnancy during the day:

Nutrition in the second half of pregnancy

In the second half of pregnancy, a third of the protein consumed goes to the fetus. To avoid deficiency, you need to eat more protein foods. Otherwise, the diet may not differ much, except that the number of meals will increase by one or two times. The daily diet of a woman in the second half of pregnancy should include the following products:

Healthy food for pregnant women

If nutrition includes foods in the required proportions, then it is considered correct. There are certain dishes that meet the requirements of healthy food, among which vinaigrette occupies one of the main places. Healthy foods during pregnancy: pollock, milk and dairy dishes. You should only eat carefully prepared foods to kill all possible harmful bacteria.

The vinaigrette

A classic vinaigrette can replace many dishes, because it contains all the necessary vegetables: boiled potatoes, carrots, beets; fresh onions; pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut. It is recommended to season the salad with vegetable oil. You can add other ingredients that a pregnant woman loves, for example: lean meat, beans, mushrooms and others.

Muesli

A very tasty, nutritious dish can be prepared from muesli. Cereals themselves are very important, as they provide the body with a large supply of nutrients and microelements. They improve digestion and add the right amount of carbohydrates. And in muesli they are served along with dried fruits, which contain many vitamins. By regularly eating muesli, you can stock up on the right amount of natural vitamins, so you don’t have to take additional medicinal supplements. Expectant mothers are not recommended to eat sweets, and muesli will delight a woman with natural sugar.

Pasta

Pasta is rich in carbohydrates. They are needed for the proper functioning of internal organs and to produce large amounts of energy. You can prepare many dishes from them. They are served with vegetable stew, meat gravy is prepared, minced meat is stewed, and liver is fried. Almost all dishes are served with pasta, which will allow the body to consume the maximum amount of necessary substances.

Pollock

Pollock fish is very popular because it is inexpensive, tasty and healthy. Its undoubted advantage is its antioxidant effect; it also regulates blood sugar levels. It has a good effect on the body systems: digestive, nervous, thyroid gland, mucous membrane. It contains:

• vitamin A, essential for healthy vision and skin;
• vitamin PP – for regulating the nervous and digestive systems;
• fluoride – formation of tooth enamel, strengthening of bones;
• chromium is involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, recommended for diabetes;
• potassium helps remove excess fluid;
• phosphorus is of great importance in the functioning of the brain, heart muscles, as well as in regulating the acid-base balance;
• sulfur affects the condition of hair, nails, and skin.

Milk and dairy products

You need to eat the most popular foods during pregnancy - milk and dairy derivatives, for example, kefir, natural yoghurts, cottage cheese, cheese. They contain many microelements:

• proteins;
• amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the human body;
• milk fat is a source of energy;
• essential calcium;
• phosphorus;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• potassium;
• copper, cobalt, iron - in small quantities;
• contains vitamins in small quantities of almost all possible types;
• lactose – for the development of favorable microflora in the intestines.

The most useful foods for pregnant women

The beneficial properties of some products are listed above. It’s simply impossible to single out the best one, because each one is rich in a certain set of elements, so here’s just a list of what’s best to eat:

1. Meat – animal protein, iron, B vitamins.
2. Fish – phosphorus, vitamin D.
3. Milk – vitamins B and D, calcium, fatty acids (Omega-3).
4. Raw eggs are a source of 12 types of vitamins.
5. Nuts – vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, Omega-3 acids, phytic acid.
6. Broccoli – folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamins A, E, C.
7. Potatoes – vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, carbohydrates and fiber.

What pregnant women should not eat

Just as there are healthy foods, there are also harmful, prohibited foods during pregnancy. The table shows what you definitely shouldn’t eat. Need to exclude:

What is undesirable to eat during pregnancy

There are also foods that you can eat, but you need to significantly reduce their quantity. For example, fried and fatty foods can be eaten in small quantities. It is better to replace them with baked and boiled dishes. Among the foods that you should not eat are the following:

• coffee or strong black tea, because blood pressure rises and there is a risk of miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy;
• chocolate acts as a pathogen on the fragile nervous system of the fetus, causing allergies;
• sugar and sweets contain a large amount of carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain;
• fast food - due to its high calorie content;
• exotic fruits - due to the risk of the presence of pesticides;
• meat, if poorly processed, contains harmful bacteria that can cause dangerous diseases: rabies, bird flu, listeriosis and others.

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The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Pregnancy without problems (useful tips)

How to survive 9 difficult months of waiting for a child and what should be done to make childbirth easier? In this article we tried to cover the entire range of problems that may arise during pregnancy and provide answers to them.

What to do if you catch a cold during pregnancy?

Drink ascorbic acid.
- More liquid. An ideal herbal tea. Brew 1 teaspoon of chamomile, mint and rosehip in a thermos in 1 liter of water. A fruit drink made from viburnum or cranberries is also suitable (squeeze the juice from the cranberries and dilute with water). You can dilute 1 tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water and add lemon juice - an equally healthy drink.
If you don't want to eat, then you don't need to.
- It is better to consult a doctor before taking any medications!

If your temperature rises:

Wrap yourself in a diaper moistened with alcohol (vodka) diluted with warm water.
Dilute 1 teaspoon of alcohol in 1 liter of water and lubricate the elbow, popliteal vessels, groin, and neck.
Tea (linden, rosehip, sage, yarrow, hibiscus)
1+2 ≥ after 40 minutes take a shower ≥ dry yourself ≥ dry clothes.
You can also relieve a fever in a child.

Runny nose

Rinsing with salt and soda (dilute 1 teaspoon of salt and soda in water). We inhale into one nostril and it flows out of the other.

Sore throat?

Rinse with chamomile or soda (1 teaspoon of soda per glass of boiled warm water) or with furatsilin.

What is better not to do during pregnancy

Don't lift heavy things.
- Do not smoke, do not drink alcohol. But 50 gr. Red wine occasionally won't do any harm.
- Don't drink coffee.
- Do not sit at the computer in front of the monitor for more than 4 hours a day.
- Try to be less nervous. You can sometimes drink valerian (in tablets, not in alcohol tincture).
- Try to do without pills.

What is the best thing to eat during pregnancy?

I didn't follow any special diet. Eating “for two” is absolutely not worth it. You need to eat the same amount as before, maybe a little more. It is advisable to exclude all canned food from your diet and eat natural products. It is better to eat a piece of boiled beef than a sausage. Fruits (green apples are healthy - a source of iron), vegetables, meat - a source of protein (not fatty), fish (contains a lot of phosphorus), dairy products (calcium), juices. It is better not to overuse spices. It is better to exclude smoked meats, sausages, pickles, pickled cucumbers and all that from your diet. In the first half of pregnancy you need to drink a lot, but in the second half it is better to limit yourself to liquids, especially if your weight increases significantly and swelling appears.

Just useful:

Vitamin cocktail: 100 gr. dried fruits, 50 gr. nuts, 50 gr. honey, grind 1 lemon in a meat grinder or blender (one teaspoon in the morning).
- Vitamin salad: carrots, beets, cabbage, oil.

Vitamins

You definitely need to drink. Preferably special ones for pregnant women. Not bad vitamins Elevit, Vitrum, Pregnavit. Be sure to check if your vitamins contain iodine and folic acid. Elevit and Pregnavit, for example, should be taken in combination with Iodomarin.

Nausea

In the morning, without getting out of bed, drink half a glass of warm milk with cookies, or simply (you can prepare a thermos with hot milk in the evening) and lie down for 10-15 minutes.
- The aroma of a lemon wedge or mint leaves can save you from an attack of nausea. (I put a saucer with a cut lemon on my desk, this saved me from the smells of borscht and sausages heated in the microwave coming from the kitchen. They also gave me a small sandalwood elephant, which also helped me out more than once.
And I cooked dinner for my husband, wrapping a towel around his face.
- Sour candies or with menthol (the main thing is not to overdo it with candies.

So that there are no breaks

Drink fish oil capsules.
- Lubricate the perineum with cream.
- Perform special exercises every day to strengthen the muscles of the perineum: retract the anus (you should feel how the vaginal muscles contract) and keep the muscles tense for several seconds, then relax, repeat 30 times (several times a day).

Is the uterus in good shape, is there a threat of miscarriage?

You need to drink vitamin E, noshpa, valerian and, again, try not to get nervous.

Edema

Exercise: rise on the floor with your fingers and lower yourself.
- Limit yourself to liquids in recent months.

Convulsions

To avoid stretch marks

Every time after a shower, lubricate the chest, stomach and thighs with a rich baby cream (without zinc) or a special cream for stretch marks.
- Light massage of the skin of the abdomen and thighs.

Preparing your breasts for feeding

Lubricate your breasts with a rich cream after a shower.
- Rub the nipples with a dry towel so that they harden a little, and there will be no cracks later when you start feeding the baby.

Phlebeurysm

You can purchase special tights that prevent the possibility of varicose veins from appearing with increasing stress on the legs in the last months of pregnancy.
- Douse your legs up to your knees with cold water after a shower.
- There are special “stockings for childbirth”. Many women develop swollen veins in their legs after childbirth.

"Runny nose in pregnant women"

A drink with lemon juice and honey will help make your breathing a little easier.
- You can do rinsing with salt (see above, runny nose with a cold).

Reduced hemoglobin

Freshly squeezed beet juice
- Pomegranate juice
- Honey (1 tablespoon before meals)
- Grind buckwheat and add to food
- Greenery
- Flower pollen, aperactose (usually sold in the same place where honey is sold)
- A little dry red wine diluted with water

Constipation

Prunes
- Dried apricots
- 1 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil before meals
- Raw water on an empty stomach
- Bran
- Sea kale
- Baked potato
- Whole wheat grains

Bandage

At the courses that my husband and I attended, we were advised not to wear a bandage only if our back hurt badly or in the last months of pregnancy for a long walk. You shouldn't wear a bandage at home at all.

Lingerie

The bra should support the breasts well so that they do not lose their shape. It (the bra) should have wide straps, no wires and be made from natural fabric, such as cotton.
- Panties should also be made of natural fabric and either low or special for pregnant women so as not to tighten the belly.

Walks

Sport

Walking (outdoor walks)
- Ideal option - swimming pool
- Simple exercises:
Stand with your back to the wall. Press your back firmly against the wall and relax. Repeat 15-20 times.
Special exercises to strengthen the muscles of the perineum:
Hold an inflatable ball between your legs and pull in your anus. Walk 10 steps forward and the same number back. Then stand on your toes and walk 10 steps forward and backward with the ball. Lie on your back and alternately raise and lower your legs (not very high).
- Exercises in the pool are very useful: 1) somersaults in the water back and forth (this exercise should be performed where it is deep enough), 2) dive, reach the bottom, repeat several times, 3) swim to one side of the pool on one side, to another on the other, 4) swimming on your back and “like a dolphin”, 5) turn your back to the side, holding on with your hands, perform a bicycle exercise, 6) also swing your legs in the water at the side, 7) straighten your legs and imagine that you you walk, or rather march (this exercise should be performed where it is deep enough).

Almost every woman during pregnancy changes her usual tastes in food to the most unimaginable things: for example, she can happily eat herring with condensed milk or eat lime (chalk). This, of course, sounds strange at first glance, but every woman who has already become a mother remembers how she wanted some kind of exotic gastronomy, even to the point of holding nails in her mouth.

But in fact, in order not to want to eat, you need to adhere to certain rules, because a mother’s nutrition during pregnancy is the key to the health of the unborn child, which is why it is so important to maintain a balanced diet and supply the body with macroelements and vitamins. You can find a list of products for pregnant women in this article, and at the same time find out which products for pregnant women must be consumed by the mother during this important period.

So, what foods should pregnant women eat? Below is the TOP 10 gastronomic joys that a woman preparing to become a mother cannot do without. So, here are the healthiest foods for pregnant women.

Fresh vegetables and fruits

More specifically: avocado, broccoli, carrots and mango.

Avocado is useful because it contains a lot of folic acid, which is very necessary for the baby developing in the mother’s tummy. With its help, the nervous system is formed, as well as parts of the brain. This acid also increases the chance of not losing a child in the early stages of pregnancy. Vitamins C and B6, also contained in this fruit, save you from excess toxins.

Carrots are a vegetable rich in vitamin A. It is important both for the mother’s vision and for the eyes, teeth and bones of the unborn baby.

Broccoli also contains a large amount of folic acid, which was mentioned above, and in addition to it, calcium.

Mango can be replaced with carrots and vice versa, because the main active vitamin here is A. This fruit is great for both salty and sweet dishes. It can be eaten both raw and, for example, boiled. Salads with mango are delicious, as well as various side dishes for meat and fish dishes.

Nuts

Nuts are a storehouse of various minerals and macroelements, and of course they are one of the healthiest foods for pregnant women! And walnuts are very good for the brain, but you can’t abuse them, because the calorie content of nuts is quite high.

Eggs

Chicken, quail - there is no difference! The main thing is to eat this product regularly. But there are some nuances here: pregnant women should not eat raw eggs. Also prefer boiled to fried, because it is much healthier.

Lentils

Of all the legume-type cereals, lentils benefit the intestines many times more than others. Lentils contain substances such as iron, vitamin B6, and folic acid.

Spinach

This useful herb is easy to grow even on your windowsill or in the garden! But there are a lot of benefits from it: vitamin A, folic acid, calcium. All this is contained in the thin green leaves of spinach, which takes its rightful place in the list of the healthiest foods for pregnant women. Soups, purees, side dishes - you can prepare a bunch of healthy dishes from this plant.

Oatmeal (Hercules)

This cereal contains a lot of fiber, B vitamins and iron. It is possible (and, by the way, most useful) to cook porridge with milk. Oatmeal is also added to various types of baked goods, such as cookies.

Yogurt

Natural yoghurts contain much more calcium than the usual milk. It also contains bifidobacteria, which are necessary for normalizing intestinal functions. But store-bought yogurts are often not as healthy as manufacturers promise us: they contain a lot of preservatives, dyes and flavors. So it’s better to buy a special sourdough machine and make your own delicious and healthy yogurt. Or kefir can serve as an alternative.

Liver

It contains simply a huge amount of vitamin B, iron and protein. All this is useful not only for the unborn baby, but also for the mother herself, who is experiencing various health problems during these difficult but happy 9 months. For some, during this period, the level of hemoglobin drops, which the liver will help restore - not only useful, but also a must-have product for pregnant women.

Fish

Everyone knows that fish is a traditional source of calcium and phosphorus. Only during pregnancy you should not eat everything, but only seafood and not fatty ones. Fish also contains vitamin D, which strengthens the nervous system. This is one of the healthiest foods for pregnant women.

Lean meat

That is, boiled meat, lean and practically without seasonings. Products such as chicken, rabbit, pork, and beef are perfect. Meat is the main source of protein, which, in turn, is the building material of all body cells.

Be sure to make sure you have all these foods in your diet!

Some general words about healthy foods for pregnant women

The menu for pregnant women should include only freshly prepared food: no stale foods or stale fruits.

It is worth ensuring that nutrients enter the body without excess. Otherwise, you risk changing your metabolism, and at the same time the functioning of the endocrine glands will be disrupted, which will lead to the appearance of a child with excess body weight, weak muscles and underdevelopment of any individual organs. Therefore, make your personal food list for pregnant women and follow it when eating.

You should eat approximately the following amount of nutrients per day that are found in the above-mentioned foods for pregnant women:

• Calcium - 1500-2000 mg
• Magnesium - 300-500 mg
• Phosphorus - 1-1.5 g
• Potassium - 3-5 g
• Sodium - 4-6 g
• Chlorine - 4-6 g
• Iron - 18 mg

Consult your doctor: let him create a personal menu for you for all three stages of pregnancy, and tell you what foods pregnant women should eat.

The diet of the expectant mother greatly influences the speed of metabolic processes in her body and the absorption of nutrients necessary for the development of the baby. The rate of metabolism determines the supply of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and beneficial microelements to the fetus, its uniform growth and development, as well as weight gain, the functioning of the kidneys, heart and blood vessels of the woman herself.

On the one hand, there are many foods that pregnant women should not eat. On the other hand, some expectant mothers are on a strict diet.

You shouldn’t go to extremes, you just need to figure out how unhealthy nutrition during pregnancy can actually harm you.

Why is proper nutrition so important during pregnancy?

Many expectant parents imagine the “harmfulness” of a particular food product literally: if a pregnant woman eats something, it will reach the fetus and harm it. However, this is not so: in reality, the situation with “forbidden” products is much more complicated. There is no direct digestive tube between the body of mother and baby. Food eaten by a pregnant woman is broken down in her digestive tract into the basic products necessary for the normal functioning of the body and the development of the fetus - proteins, fats and carbohydrates. These substances are necessary for energy metabolism. Through the intestinal wall they are absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered through the blood vessels to the baby.

The placental barrier (a unique double microfilter from the walls of the capillaries of the uterus and placenta) protects the baby from most harmful components of modern food products - food additives, flavor enhancers, preservatives, dyes, flavors. If the placenta does its job well, then the molecules of harmful substances literally do not pass “customs control” and do not enter the fetal bloodstream.

Among the foods that we traditionally eat, there are none that could directly affect the health of the fetus. There is no such dish, drink, fruit or vegetable, nut, berry, etc., which is usually healthy, but becomes harmful during pregnancy. However, this does not mean at all that the expectant mother can safely eat whatever she wants without fear for the health of the unborn baby. Pregnancy is an additional burden on a woman’s body, and a very significant one at that. All its organs and systems work in “wartime mode”, sometimes in the most literal sense: the growing uterus puts pressure on neighboring organs, including the stomach and pancreas, liver and gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, bladder and a large number of large blood vessels. With this mode of operation, any error in nutrition, which in normal times would manifest itself as a slight malaise or would go unnoticed, can seriously affect the metabolism and worsen the well-being of the expectant mother.

In fact, no food product can directly harm the baby. However, the consumption of harmful foods always has a detrimental effect on the health of the expectant mother herself, on which the course of pregnancy and the development of the fetus depend. Thus, reviewing your diet during pregnancy is not an empty reinsurance, and you need to take it wisely and seriously.

What a pregnant woman should not eat: “black list” of toxic foods

Of course, the expectant mother should create a “forbidden list” for herself, which includes all products that are known to be hazardous to health. Pregnant women should not eat chips, chemically sweet drinks, food with flavoring additives and artificial colors, and canned food.

They contain harmful substances that impede digestion, liver and kidney function, and are toxic to the body as a whole. During pregnancy, these dubious delicacies are strictly prohibited: the woman’s body experiences a double load, and improper nutrition during this period can much more quickly lead to serious health problems, which will immediately affect the condition of the fetus.

The most common consequences of eating unhealthy foods during pregnancy include cholelithiasis. These diseases, accompanied by severe pain and a significant deterioration in the well-being of the expectant mother, often require urgent surgical intervention, which significantly increases the risk of miscarriage.

In addition, while waiting for the baby you should not use coffee and alcohol– these products can provoke a rise in blood pressure, uterine hypertonicity and the risk of placental abruption. In addition, the half-life products of alcohol circulating in the blood of a pregnant woman are toxic to the fetus.

Nutrition during pregnancy: how to avoid excess weight?

In addition to the “prohibited list,” there are other products that it is desirable to significantly limit for various reasons. So it is better to reduce the consumption of bread, pasta and all kinds of baked goods, confectionery, as well as meat and meat products high in fat (lard, bacon, fatty sausages), since they contribute to excessive weight gain.

They literally harm the health of mother and baby, sometimes jeopardizing the very fact of pregnancy. Excess weight creates increased stress on the cardiovascular system.

Against the background of pathological weight gain, a pregnant woman’s blood pressure often increases, the tone of the uterus increases, and placental blood flow decreases. As a result of such changes, the fetus experiences a lack of nutrition and oxygen - fetoplacental insufficiency develops, often leading to (oxygen starvation) of the fetus.

Pregnant women with significant weight gain (15 kg or more) are at risk for the development of late toxicosis, or gestosis, characterized by the appearance of edema, increased blood pressure and loss of protein in the urine. Without timely treatment, this complication can lead to premature placental abruption, the development of eclampsia (convulsive syndrome due to an uncontrolled rise in blood pressure), and uterine bleeding.

Unfortunately, these most dangerous complications, threatening the lives of mother and child, in the vast majority of cases (82%!) develop in pregnant women with pathologically overweight. Therefore, the expectant mother needs to monitor uniform weight gain and limit pleasant “excesses” in her diet.

Foods that interfere with digestion during pregnancy

During pregnancy, it is recommended to significantly limit consumption smoked, spicy, fried foods, as well as legumes, corn and highly carbonated drinks. The reason why the listed dishes fall out of favor is simple: during pregnancy, due to the pressure of the growing uterus, the digestion process becomes significantly more difficult, so foods that are difficult to digest cause the expectant mother particular discomfort.

An abundance of spicy and fried foods can cause hepatic colic and vomiting even in a completely healthy expectant mother, and legumes and soda can cause prolonged flatulence (bloating), which gives the pregnant woman a lot of discomfort and often becomes an indirect cause of increased uterine tone.

Avoiding allergens during pregnancy

The expectant mother should use “allergenic” foods with caution - citrus fruits, exotic fruits and dishes.

During pregnancy, a first-time allergic reaction to foods that a woman ate without any consequences before pregnancy is often discovered. Allergies are dangerous for an expectant mother because they are a predisposing factor in the development of early and late toxicosis of pregnancy - complications that sometimes cause miscarriage. Therefore, you should not rely on “recognized” allergens.

Many people believe that if the expectant mother eats allergenic foods during pregnancy, then... This is the most common misconception about the diet of a pregnant woman. But it is important to understand that there are no food products that directly affect the health of the fetus. Allergies are genetically determined at the time of fertilization or acquired during life under the influence of external unfavorable factors (for example, poor ecology or hazardous production). However, it is precisely in the embryonic period (during intrauterine development) that a person is reliably protected from the influence of unfavorable factors with the help of the placental barrier. Thus, the development of allergies in a child has nothing to do with the mother’s consumption of allergenic foods during pregnancy. You should only avoid those foods that provoke allergies in the pregnant woman herself.