It's surprising to learn that when you're pregnant, you are not actually eating for two; rather you're just like having an extra snack a day. More so, you need to take in enough vitamins but be careful not to have too much. It's not just the amount of food that changes, there are so many recommendations and rules that it can be hard to keep. Fear not, The Guardian has created a simple list of health advises compiled from different sources like Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institutes of Health and news site very own Health section for pregnant Mommies to ease their struggles in eating:
No tuna, or any other really big fish
Tuna and other large fish such as swordfish are known to have high mercury content, which the FDA warns could be harmful for a developing brain.
No raw anything
In some cases if it's been frozen first it's OK but the rules are confusing and besides, previously frozen sashimi just seems like a "why bother?"
Minimal deli meats
This includes smoked salmon. A bacteria called listeria can be found on various uncooked and unpasteurized food, and some deli meats. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) found pregnant women to be at highest risk of contracting listeriosis (the illness resulting from listeria exposure) and advises them to avoid certain processed meats.
No funky cheese
The general rule is to avoid raw cheeses and soft cheeses, like Brie, feta, and blue cheese, which carry concerns of listeria exposure because they are unpasteurized.
Steer clear of liver
Most people think of carrots when they think of vitamin A, but it's also found in high quantities in many animal products, especially liver and fish oils. The preformed vitamin A is good in small doses to help with vision and reproduction, too much can lead to liver toxicity or even birth defects. Other animal products, including eggs, fish, meat, and poultry, as well as fortified cereals, also contain preformed vitamin A, as do some prenatal vitamins.
Food-based prenatal vitamins
The food-based vitamins digest more completely, and they're good for nutrition and heartburn so try to take them daily.
Have lots of these
Spinach and beans are great sources of lean protein, naturally occurring folate and iron. Nuts and citrus also deliver folate, as well as calcium, protein and, in the case of citrus, vitamin C. Cheese, milk, kale and broccoli are good sources of bone-building calcium. And salmon (the non-smoked kind) is a good source of vitamin D. Non-animal sources of protein recommended for pregnant women include nuts, peanut butter, and lentils.
No plastic-wrapped food
Phthalates in plastic leech into food and are increasingly being connected to all sorts of developmental issues.
Go organic on fruit and veg
Cost permitting, plump for organic apples, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, kale, potatoes, celery, grapes, spinach, cucumbers, peas and peppers.
