Healthy Foods, Menu and Diets for Pregnant Women

Healthy foods are essential when you are pregnant because you are not only eating for yourself but for the baby in your womb as well. When you are pregnant it is important to take note of your diet and as much as possible you should be ready to change your eating style plus habit. When I was pregnant, I saw to it that I eat the healthy foods and diet required for a pregnant woman. The health provider who is an ob-gyn provided me with a list of foods necessary to meet my requirement as a pregnant mom plus my baby. This hub is about eating healthy foods and diets for pregnant women.

This is part of a series of hubs I am writing about health during pregnancy. In this hub, I will talk about the health benefits of healthy eating when you are eating for two plus what what are the necessary foods you should take and in what amount. You can check out my other hubs about health during pregnancy in the links provided in this hub below.

• According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), when you are pregnant you need to eat an additional 300 calories than you normally eat  as you are eating for two and your baby needs the necessary nutrients for the fetus development ----  mentally and physically.

Aside from the proper nutrients you need when you are pregnant the following are essential for the healthy foods and diets for pregnant women :

• Folic acid - is the Vitamin B required for proper health and this is very important for the development of the spinal canal and the brain during the first month of pregnancy. Folic Acid is naturally found in green leafy and yellow vegetables. Some of the examples are : spinach, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, broccoli, etc. in dark yellow fruits--- oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe-- meat and pork -- chicken liver, lentils, sunflower seeds, pinto beans, lima beans, kidney beans, chick peas -- plus grain products -- whole wheat bread and bran cereal.
• Calcium intake is very important for pregnant women as the baby you are carrying get some nutrients form you depleting your own supply of nutrients. The baby needs to develop in your womb fully in terms of physical development and Calcium is needed for it. Osteoporosis is a consequence of lack of calcium. According to the US Recommended Daily Allowance, when one is pregnant she needs to take 1000 mg of Calcium per day. You need to eat and also drink foods which are rich in calcium everyday.
• Calcium rich foods are dairies and milk, yogurt, sunshine, cheese and lots of green leafy vegetables, eggs and fish. Vitamin D -- the sunshine vitamin also heps in the absorption of calcium.
• Iron is very important in the development of the brain of the baby plus to avoid fatigue o the part of the mother. Lack of Iron is bad for pregnant mother as she might experience anemia -- red blood cell is inadequate which causes poor memory and disposition, plus tiredness.. The red blood carries the red blood cells through your system so when you lack it, I may cause difficulty in breathing. Irritability and depressive moods. According to the USDA, a pregnant woman should take 27 mg everyday.
• The best sources of iron are : meat, pork, poultry, fish, grains, and green leafy green vegetables and liver.

In general according to the experts the following should be adhere to when you are pregnant :

• Eat a variety of foods to meet the daily requirements
• Choose foods high in fiber -- whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits plus vegetables.
• Make it sure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet
• Since you need Vitamin C everyday, choose one good source of vitamin C
• Eat a wide variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need.

• My Pyramid Plans for Mom is a guide for a mothers diet if she is breastfeeding or pregnant, all you need to do is to fill up some basic information by selecting pregnant or breastfeeding and your age, then you can click next. You will be asked for more information and you can complete the form and submit it. his guide is recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture and is part of the Pyramid plan.

According to the USDA Here are the Different Food Groups Essential for Pregnant Women

Grain -- Carbo group

• Fortified ready-to-eat cereals, fortified cooked cereals, wheat germ

Vergetable Group

• Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, cooked greens (such as kale, collards, turnip greens, and beet greens), winter squash, tomatoes and tomato sauces, red sweet pepper
  

Milk Group

• Fat-free or low-fat yogurt, Fat-free milk (skim milk), Low-fat milk (1% milk)

Meat & Beans Group

• Cooked dry beans and peas (such as pinto beans, soybeans, white beans, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas), Nuts and seeds (such as sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts, and peanut butter) , Lean beef, lamb, and pork , Shrimp, clams, oysters, and crab, Halibut, cod, rainbow trout, herring, sardines, rockfish, and yellowfin tuna

Fruit Group

• cantaloupe, honeydew melon, mangoes, prunes or prune juice, bananas, apricots, oranges and orange juice red or pink grapefruit,avocado

 A pregnant woman should have a healthy diet as she is eating for two. healthy foods for women are rich in folic acid, iron, calcium. A complete healthy foods for pregnant women thus includes the basic food groups  : fruit, meat and beans, milk group, vegetables group and grains.