What cereals are the healthiest for pregnant women? Use of rice for cosmetic purposes. How to cook porridge correctly

Ilona Vishnevskaya

11.02.2015 | 3249

Cereals – perfect option breakfast for pregnant women - tasty, satisfying and healthy. What kind of cereals should you give preference to during pregnancy?

Of course, we are talking about porridges made from natural grains, and not about instant porridges, which cannot “boast” of having a sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber, so necessary for normal digestion.

Porridge - beneficial properties

Porridges in general have mass useful properties:

1. They are able to quickly saturate the body, contain vegetable protein, fiber, vitamins and “slow” carbohydrates.
2. Have a beneficial effect on digestive system, help cleanse the body of waste and toxins.
3. Saturate the body with energy.

And what porridges are most useful for pregnant women?

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is rich folic acid. This vitamin can prevent the fetus birth defects developmental disorders such as anencephaly (a brain malformation) and spina bifida.

Vitamin B6 often helps relieve attacks of nausea that plague many women during pregnancy early stage pregnancy.

Oatmeal contains iron. This is extremely important trace element, the lack of which in a pregnant woman’s body can lead to the development iron deficiency anemia. During breakfast, it is useful to wash down oatmeal with freshly squeezed orange juice or eat an orange - this promotes better absorption of iron.

Pregnant women often suffer from constipation. Oatmeal, which, due to its high content, will help cope with the problem. fiber helps normalize digestion and forget about problems with stool.

Oatmeal is useful for women who are susceptible to sudden mood swings and stress. This porridge is even called a “natural antidepressant.”

You can add honey to oatmeal (if you are not allergic to this product). This healthy mix will greatly support the immune system and will be an excellent prevention of colds.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat contains substances necessary for the expectant mother: magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium.

Eating buckwheat is an excellent prevention:

• metabolic disorders;
• decreased immunity;
• digestive problems (such as diarrhea);
• insomnia.

Buckwheat is a product that should be consumed by women suffering from toxicosis.

You can add dried fruits and nuts to sweet porridges to improve the taste, and sautéed vegetables and herbs (basil or rosemary) to salty porridges.

Cereal dishes

• rice casserole;
• oatmeal cutlets;
• pilaf;
• oat jelly;
• semolina balls.

We told you in detail about the healthiest porridges during pregnancy - oatmeal and buckwheat. But that doesn't mean you should ignore other grains. In any case, do not forget to consult your doctor about your diet - there may be individual contraindications to the consumption of certain cereals.

Porridge is one of the most best products for pregnant women, since cereals not only contain all essential vitamins minerals, amino acids and trace elements, but also belong to complex carbohydrates that are slowly digested and provide a long-lasting feeling of satiety. If the diet of expectant mothers contains healthy and delicious porridge This means that the baby’s body receives all the necessary nutrients. Porridges are recommended by nutritionists to prevent weight gain, so pregnant women should pay attention to them.

The benefits of cereals during pregnancy

The healthiest porridges for pregnant women are buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, millet and pearl barley. Oatmeal produces mucus during cooking, which removes toxins from the body and pathogenic microbes. In addition, a serving of oatmeal contains a quarter of what is needed for gastrointestinal tract fibers and substances that improve the absorption of fats.

Rice, especially unpolished, is rich in B vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates necessary for mother and baby.

Buckwheat, which contains a lot of iron, is also very useful, so if you include this porridge in your diet more often, you can maintain normal level hemoglobin in the blood and avoid anemia. Besides, buckwheat strengthens the immune system, is the leader in protein content and has almost no fat, so you can eat porridge as much as you want!

Millet contains a lot useful microelements and has several valuable properties- it removes antibiotics from the body, strengthens the heart and contains substances that retain moisture in skin cells. In other words, millet porridge is useful for preserving beauty and youth, and this is very important during pregnancy.

Barley some time ago was considered not very healthy cereal, but now nutritionists and doctors sing her praises. The fact is that its grains contain substances that have antibacterial and antiviral effect. Barley also helps maintain muscle tone and improves brain function.

No less useful corn grits, amaranth, spelt, quinoa, as well as wheat cereals - couscous, bulgur and even semolina, if, of course, you cook whole grain semolina porridge in which the bran membrane is preserved.

How to cook porridge correctly

Use whole grains rather than porridge instant cooking, which contain too many artificial additives. How less time cooking, so more benefit in porridge, so it is advisable to soak the cereal for half an hour before cooking, and the pearl barley for several hours. Cook porridge in water, and add milk at the very end - for beautiful color and mild taste. If you like sweet porridges, add honey, fruits and dried fruits instead of sugar - such porridges are not only tasty, but also healthy.

Porridge can be cooked with vegetables and mushrooms, and millet porridge is good with pumpkin. Season these dishes with butter or healthy vegetable oils- nut, olive, flax, sesame and grape.

You can add dried herbs and spices to porridges, depending on whether you are preparing a sweet or savory dish. For sweet cereals, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and saffron; for salty porridges you can take cumin, coriander, turmeric, suneli hops, ginger, mustard seeds and turmeric. Spices add to porridge pleasant aroma and spicy taste.

If you are planning to come to Miami for childbirth, you don’t have to worry about whether you will find buckwheat and other cereals here. Florida specialty stores offer all kinds of healthy foods, including those you're used to at home. There's a cult in Miami healthy image life, so all conditions for proper nutrition are created here.

Any porridge is useful a priori, being one of the most useful species dishes. The only thing is that there may be contraindications for some of them when various diseases. And you also need to be able to eat porridge correctly. Then there will be maximum benefit and no harm. Anyone should eat this dish daily, preferably in the morning.

The most healthy porridge the one that is best accepted by the body. Because in quantity and composition useful substances The porridges are almost all the same. For example, millet porridge is a little heavy on the stomach, although it is considered incredibly healthy. On the other hand, by preparing it in water, without oil and with a minimum of sugar, even a person with gastritis can eat a little.

You can also grind any porridge. In dry form - in a coffee grinder or already prepared - in a blender.

Rating of the healthiest cereals

Here are the five healthiest cereals:

1. Oatmeal. Why do the British love her so much, and why is she so useful in general? It works best on the stomach - because it is perfectly cleansed thanks to oatmeal! And all because of the fiber, of which there is a lot.

Even the liquid that remains after cooking oatmeal is incredibly useful: it is given to people who have undergone operations on the stomach and intestines as a recovery food, when severe disorders And infectious diseases Gastrointestinal tract, when you simply cannot eat anything else.

For weight loss, this cereal is simply irreplaceable, because it is also the lowest in calories and improves metabolism. It is also great for regaining lost youth and beauty. They also use it to make face masks! And what kind of oatmeal you like - milk or water, with or without additives - it doesn’t matter, the benefits will always be there.

2. Fig. Doesn’t it seem strange that the first places in health are those cereals that are considered traditional dishes in any culture? Oatmeal - England, rice - China.

First of all, rice is good for intelligence and mental work. Of all the varieties of rice, the healthiest is black, although it is very expensive, but there is also brown rice, which is not so expensive, but is many times healthier than white. It is not as processed as regular one, so it retains more of the beneficial substance.

In any case, all rice is good for the immune system and the stomach. And he is not allergenic product. Rice decoction can also be drunk during periods of exacerbation intestinal diseases and for intestinal problems.

3. Millet. And this porridge is useful, first of all, for cardiac activity. It will also be indispensable as a means for preventing diseases during dangerous periods, also for hair, nails, blood vessels, and skin. If you eat millet porridge at least once or twice a week, your body will receive many beneficial substances.

4. Buckwheat. Eat interesting fact about it: in some European countries, buckwheat is sold packaged in small bags with special labels on which it is written how it is useful and what diseases it will help get rid of. And all because of the wide variety and quantity of microelements! And there is no gluten in it, which means it will not cause allergies in anyone.

They also say about buckwheat that it increases potency and helps you lose weight. Therefore, it is quite acceptable to make this porridge a regular guest on the table of any family, for any gender and age, regardless of food prejudices.

5. Pearl barley. This is a porridge “for sleep”, since after its consumption phytomelatonin is better produced, which helps against insomnia. Pearl barley contains more substances that are beneficial to health than other cereals. Therefore, she is a real “vitamin” of health!

It is worth noting that porridge is very useful for pregnant women, with their help unborn child will be formed faster and better, and will be born healthy. And in general, it’s not for nothing that hospitals, schools, kindergartens and other institutions always bring porridge for breakfast and dinner. Because it's undeniable useful product, which must be present in your life and on your table!

Video on the topic of the article

Rice has been recognized as a source of important for the body nutrients in many Asian countries. One serving of dishes such as porridge or pilaf contains a lot of vitamins and beneficial microelements that are necessary for the harmonious development of a child.

Composition of the product

Rice contains the following beneficial substances:

• magnesium;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• zinc.

The product is also rich in B vitamins, which take an active part in the metabolic processes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman.

Rice is quite low in calories, making it ideal for dietary nutrition. Pregnant women who have intestinal problems should definitely pay attention to this product. Rice helps remove toxic substances and waste from the body. The product does not contain gluten. Therefore, rice can be eaten by women prone to allergic reactions.

You should not forget about the habit of regularly preparing rice dishes even after the birth of your baby. Due to the absence of gluten in the product, it can be considered a dish safe for the health of a newborn. Rice does not provoke the appearance allergic rash at the baby's.

The product contains quite a lot of lecithin. This substance activates brain activity and stimulates the creative process. Rice helps improve memory, improves concentration, and allows a pregnant woman to focus on some task that is important to her.

Eating rice during pregnancy

Rice porridge provides a pregnant woman with a powerful charge of positive energy. In addition, the fair sex can prepare delicious pilaf. Meat should not be added to the dish fatty varieties. Rice goes well with a variety of sauces. But a pregnant woman should be careful. Hot sauces can cause digestive upset in a pregnant woman.

Rice goes well with the following foods:

• vegetables;
• seafood;
• meat;
• fish;
• fruits.

You can prepare a lot of delicious dishes from rice:

• stuffed pepper;
• rice pudding topped with strawberry sauce;
• porridge with the addition of cottage cheese, honey and apple;
• tomato soup with rice.

The beneficial properties of rice are known throughout the world. Residents of China make noodles, delicious flatbreads and wine from it. In Japan, rice is actively added to sushi. In Italy they make risotto based on it, in Spain they make paella, in England they make pudding.

Rice in the treatment of various diseases

Rice is not only a source of nutrients. If a pregnant woman has a sore throat, you can prepare a special cream consisting of water and rice. It carefully envelops the tonsils, removes painful sensations in the throat, eliminates inflammatory process. Special rice cream cannot replace medicines prescribed by the doctor. He is only auxiliary, perfectly eliminating the symptoms of the disease.

The cream should be prepared as follows:

1. You need to take half a glass of rice.
2. It must be rinsed thoroughly, changing the water twice.
3. Rice needs to be cooked for 60 minutes.
4. After this, it is cooled and the cream is carefully squeezed out through gauze.

The resulting cream is consumed 2-3 times a day.

Use of rice for cosmetic purposes

While waiting for a baby, many women experience a variety of skin problems:

• allergic rash;
• rashes on the face;
• dryness;
• irritation.

Skin problems can overshadow the serene joy of motherhood. If acne or irritation occurs, wash your face with rice water. Natural remedy absolutely safe for the child. Rice water should be wiped over the face and neck area twice a day.

The product can also help pregnant women who have blemishes on their faces. dark spots. To do this, you need to add it to the pre-cooled rice broth. a large number of lemon juice. The resulting liquid should be soaked into gauze, in which slits for the eyes are carefully made. The compress should be kept on the face for 20 minutes.

A pregnant woman can also use the following recipe:

1. You need to carefully fry 100 g of rice on small quantity olive oil.
2. Then the product is boiled until cooked.

After straining, the rice is allowed to be eaten. And the liquid remaining after filtering can be used to smooth out wrinkles. To do this, soak a cotton pad in it and gently wipe the previously cleansed problem areas of the face.

What types of rice should you avoid eating when expecting a baby?

There are no special contraindications for eating rice. But a pregnant woman still needs to be vigilant when choosing a product. For example, refined rice is the result of processing natural grains. Due to prolonged cleaning, it loses some of its beneficial properties. Refined rice practically does not contain vitamins that are necessary for the harmonious development of the unborn child. The value of the product for a pregnant woman is quite questionable. Pregnant women with disabilities should avoid eating refined rice. chronic diseases of cardio-vascular system. The product may cause an exacerbation of related diseases.

During pregnancy, brown rice that is not subjected to pre-treatment. The product retains approximately 90% of the nutrients. Rice husks dyed in Brown color, also rich minerals and vitamins.

In the second half of pregnancy, it is better to switch to 5-6 meals a day (in smaller portions, respectively). This will reduce the load on the digestive system, food will be digested and absorbed more fully, which means that undigested foods will not accumulate in the intestines, leading to increased gas formation and heaviness after eating.

Pregnant woman's menu: there is a time for everything

To choose the right foods for a pregnant woman’s diet, you need to know the features biological action individual nutrients. For example, proteins increase metabolism, stimulate nervous system(it's connected with high content nitrogenous extras active substances in foods rich in protein) and linger longer in the stomach. In this regard, it is recommended to consume meat, fish and eggs in the first half of the day, and not at night. But for dinner, you can recommend dairy or plant-based dishes. So, let's start creating the menu.

What should a pregnant woman eat for breakfast?

Starting from 9–10 a.m., the production of digestive juices is activated, so the absence of food in the stomach at this time full breakfast can lead to so-called hungry gastritis (the stomach, as they say, digests itself). At the same time, it is better to start the day with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, which are slowly digested, do not lead to a rapid release of insulin and do not burden the pancreas, and proteins ( hot porridge, yogurt, muesli with milk, omelet, etc.).

To combat morning sickness, which often worries expectant mothers in the first trimester of pregnancy, it is recommended to eat light yogurt or an apple, a few nuts, crackers or dried fruits without getting out of bed.

Breakfast menu:

• main course: steam omelette with tomatoes and sweet peppers, green vegetable salad ( fresh cucumber, celery, lettuce, dill, parsley and lemon juice);
• grain bread with butter and cheese;
• tea with milk.

Cholesterol, which a pregnant woman needs to limit and which is so rich in the yolk of an egg, can be neutralized by combining eggs with non-starchy and green vegetables (cucumbers, White cabbage, onion and green onions, bell pepper, eggplants, green pea, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, radishes, lettuce, beet leaves, dill, celery and parsley).

This is due to the fact that the fiber in which these vegetables are rich binds bile acids and cholesterol, preventing their penetration into the blood, and also stimulates intestinal motility, accelerating their elimination from the body.

In addition, vegetables are poor in the essential amino acid methionine, and egg whites fully compensate for this deficiency. This amino acid is extremely important for the expectant mother, since it is not synthesized in the body and must be supplied with food. Methionine helps accelerate fat metabolism, stimulates hemoglobin synthesis, enhances protective function liver. Special meaning it is essential for the development of the fetus, since it is involved in the synthesis of collagen and many other proteins necessary for the construction musculoskeletal system child.

Advice

The expectant mother is recommended to cook eggs as a steam omelet or soft-boiled. In this case, all protein amino acids (including methionine) and yolk lecithin (which acts as an anti-atherosclerotic factor and, like non-starchy vegetables and herbs, smoothes out the adverse effects of cholesterol on the body of a pregnant woman) are fully absorbed.

Salads made from non-starchy vegetables, served as a side dish for egg dishes, should not be seasoned with fatty sauces (sour cream, mayonnaise), since the yolk of the egg contains enough fat for absorption fat-soluble vitamins contained in vegetables. Natural pomegranate and lemon juices will be a useful dressing for such salads.

Second breakfast is a must during pregnancy

After two hours, a pregnant woman already needs a second breakfast of products that also contain complex carbohydrates and fiber, with added small portion(about 80–100 g) low-fat protein product: buckwheat or oatmeal, salad fresh vegetables in combination with fish or lean meat boiled, stewed or baked or cottage cheese with dried fruits and honey. This is necessary so that the woman’s body accumulates enough energy to have enough strength during the day.

For example, this option would be useful:

• main course: porridge with a piece of boiled turkey;
• carrot-apple juice;
• banana.

What is the benefit of the main dish? The classic combination is meat and porridge (buckwheat, brown rice, oatmeal, pearl barley) as a side dish - is not only familiar, but also scientifically proven for a pregnant woman.

The fact is that in grain products (this includes porridge from whole grain) are contained phytosterols which reduce intestinal absorption bad cholesterol meat. In turn, the meat enriches the porridge with the vitamin-like substance L-carnitine, which is completely absent in grain products. Its main significance for a pregnant woman is that it provides cells with substances from which the energy necessary to maintain and normal operation all organs and systems. In addition, L-carnitine is called a fat burner, since it activates the process of fat breakdown in the fat depot and prevents the development of obesity in expectant mothers. It is important to remember that during pregnancy, all reserves of the mother’s body are mobilized for the growth of the fetus, and therefore her own reserves of L-carnitine always decrease sharply.

Thus, the combination of meat with cereals allows you to balance the intake of this essential substance into the pregnant woman’s body, which will have a beneficial effect on the development and viability of the fetus and improve the functioning of the lungs and cardiovascular system of the woman herself.

Advice

The maximum content of L-carnitine is concentrated in lean meat products: turkey, beef, veal, lean pork, chicken, rabbit.

It is best to combine these meat products with buckwheat, pearl barley, oatmeal and a side dish of wild (brown) rice.

Pregnant woman's lunch menu

Peak activity of the digestive system occurs at 13-15 hours of the day, so it is at this time to the expectant mother you need to have a full lunch.

Lunch during pregnancy may look like this:

• the vinaigrette;
• vegetable soup with broccoli in beef broth;
• main course: fish baked with potatoes;
• dried fruits compote;
• apple.

What is the benefit of the main dish? Fish is rich in amino acids (methionine, lysine, tryptophan), which contribute to the growth and development of the fetus, as well as big amount microelements (iodine, zinc, chromium, manganese, iron, etc.) necessary for normal hematopoiesis and work thyroid gland. But potatoes are deprived of these advantages, but in a properly prepared side dish from this vegetable there is a record amount of potassium (568 mg per 100 g), necessary for the prevention of edema in a pregnant woman (this fact is due to the fact that potassium enhances the removal of fluid from the body through the urinary tract). system).

Advice

If possible, it is better for a pregnant woman to buy fresh or chilled fish, since it is in it that all the important amino acids and microelements are maximally preserved (which are easily released with juice when frozen fish thaws).

Potatoes as a side dish for fish are best baked or boiled in their skins. This will maximize the retention of potassium in the product, which is concentrated immediately under the skin and is easily lost when the product is boiled in water.

Menu for pregnant women for afternoon tea

Considering that during pregnancy the need for dairy products is increased, it is good to prepare a cottage cheese casserole for an afternoon snack (even if you already had dairy dishes for breakfast).

• main course: cottage cheese casserole with sour cream;
• fruit juice.

What is the benefit of the main dish? Cottage cheese, like other dairy products, is necessary for a pregnant woman because it is a source essential amino acids, easily digestible calcium and phosphorus, vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E.

Cottage cheese has a number of advantages compared to milk: it contains beneficial lactic acid microorganisms and bifidobacteria, more vitamins group B (they are additionally produced by lactic acid flora) and there is a natural antibiotic substance - nisin, which suppresses putrefactive intestinal microflora. There is also a lot of folic acid, necessary for normal development nervous system of the baby, and the optimal ratio of calcium and phosphorus (100 g of product contains daily norm calcium and 1/3 daily requirement in phosphorus), which has a beneficial effect on the construction bone tissue fetus

Advice

It is better to buy low-fat cottage cheese (from 1 to 5%): calcium from low-fat cottage cheese is absorbed better than from fatty cottage cheese. But even with complete absence fat (from low-fat cottage cheese) the complete absorption of calcium is also impaired. If the cottage cheese is in in kind you don't really like it, try cooking with it various dishes. For example, regular or lazy dumplings, casseroles, sochniki, pancakes, baked rolls with cottage cheese and fruit.

Preference should be given to cottage cheese enriched with calcium and bifidobacteria.

Dinner during pregnancy: preference for dairy products

It must be remembered that in the evening and at night digestion and metabolic processes slow down in the body. That's why generous reception food in evening time provides increased load on the digestive system of a pregnant woman and can lead to disruption of night sleep.

In this regard, the last meal should be at least 2–2.5 hours before bedtime. In this case, dinner should consist of dairy and vegetable dishes, since food rich in carbohydrates helps to inhibit the central nervous system and improves sleep. In addition, in dairy products (which, like meat, are protein), unlike meat, there is an insignificant content of nitrogenous extractive substances, which can strongly excite the nervous system. That is, if you eat meat at night, a pregnant woman may experience insomnia, but milk does not cause such problems. Moreover, if you cannot fall asleep, then you can use everything known folk recipe natural sleeping pill - drink a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey before bed.

Dinner menu:

• main course: milk porridge;
• carrot salad with nuts;
• rosehip decoction.

What is the benefit of the main dish? The most useful are milk buckwheat and oatmeal, since they are optimally balanced in protein and mineral composition. Thanks to milk, porridge, which is deficient in amino acid composition, is enriched important amino acids. This is due to the fact that grain protein contains few essential amino acids, and milk rich in them completely compensates for this deficiency. So, for example, cereals do not contain such important for intrauterine development The fruit contains an amino acid like taurine, which is what milk is rich in. This substance takes part in the regulation of the development of brain tissue, the retina, and the baby’s adrenal glands. By the way, this is why children's artificial milk formulas necessarily contain taurine.

Advice

It is best to first cook the porridge in water and then pour it in. warm milk and leave it warm. This is due to the fact that if you cook porridge directly in milk, the substance phytin, which is contained in the cereal, binds milk calcium, and it is poorly absorbed by the body. In addition, boiling milk partially destroys the milk protein. After all, the foam that forms in this case is nothing more than a folded and destroyed protein.

It is better not to add large amounts to milk porridge. butter, because fats also interfere with calcium absorption. So the well-known saying “You can’t spoil porridge with butter” is essentially harmful culinary advice.

Why you shouldn't cook for several days

It is clear that it is much easier and more convenient to prepare dishes for several days, so as not to stand at the stove every day. But this approach has its significant disadvantages:

• When preparing food for one time, it is guaranteed to be preserved maximum amount vitamins, minerals and other biologically active substances. But when heated and especially when the dish is boiled again, their quantity disappears. In addition, they are clearly deteriorating taste qualities products.
• Remember that when reheating a dish, an additional 50 to 70% of water-soluble vitamins are destroyed, and vitamin C is completely lost.
• In addition, food stored for a long time, even in the refrigerator, creates favorable conditions for reproduction pathogens and the risk of food poisoning increases.
• Freshly prepared food should be stored for no more than 2 hours at room temperature, and in the refrigerator for no more than 24–36 hours, depending on the type of product.
• To be fair, it is worth noting that mineral substances are almost not destroyed during heat treatment: they simply pass from the products into the water in which they are boiled. Therefore, it is better not to pour out a decoction (especially vegetable) rich in minerals, but use it as a base for soups.
• In addition, when preparing salads, it is better to cut vegetables immediately before eating and immediately season them with oil so that they come into contact with oxygen as little as possible, since this will preserve all water-soluble vitamins as much as possible (they are easily oxidized under the influence of atmospheric oxygen).
• If you had to reuse the dish, then you should only reheat it in the amount that you will eat at one time.