You may only want to eat French fries with cereal for dessert but you should try to get a few more nutrients in your diet for you and your baby. But what are they, why do you need them and how do you add them to your diet?
What do I need? Iron
Why do I need it? Your body is now using more iron to make more blood for you and your baby. It also helps the movement of oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body and your baby.
How can I add it to my diet? Sources include red meat, leafy green vegetables like broccoli and spinach, lentils and pulses.
What? Zinc
Why? It is needed to help your baby’s rapid cell growth and division, to support your immune system and help your body heal wounds.
How? Increase your zinc intake by eating seafood, poultry, dairy products, cashew nuts and red meat.
What? Calcium
Why? Calcium helps your baby develop strong bones, teeth, nerves and muscles, as well as helping maintain a healthy heartbeat.
How? Find high levels of calcium in milk, yogurt, oranges, baked beans, salmon and sardines (but do not eat more than two portions of oily fish a week during pregnancy).
What? Iodine
Why? You need iodine in your diet to help the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system. It also helps regulate your thyroid gland.
How? Find high levels of iodine in milk, fish, eggs, yogurt and seafood.
What? Folic acid
Why? It helps you form healthy red blood cells and reduces the risk of birth defects.
How? You’ll find folic acid in fortified cereal, broccoli, asparagus and chickpeas, but it is recommended that you have a 400mcg supplement of it every day until the end of your first trimester.
But what about all those cravings?
Pregnancy is known for triggering random food cravings – from pickles for breakfast to ice cream at 3am. This can be due to hormonal changes (and goes hand in hand with aversions) but some experts suggest they can be due to nutritional deficiencies so it’s always worth discussing extreme cases with your pharmacist.
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