Foods to Eat During Your Third Trimester
The growth and development of your baby will depend on what you eat, and that’s the reason why the 7 to 9 months pregnancy diet is crucial. You will now need about 200 additional calories every day, and an adequate quantity of vitamins, and minerals. Here is what you should include in your pregnancy diet.
1. Foods Rich in Iron
A diet that lacks iron could lead to anemia during pregnancy, which can make you dizzy and tired. It may also cause bleeding during delivery. Hence, eating iron-rich foods is necessary. In your last trimester pregnancy diet, you can include meat, dairy products, eggs, wheat bran and beans.
2. Foods Rich in Protein
Your body will need about 70 grams of protein during this stage since it helps in the formation of the baby’s body. Eating protein-rich foods will ensure that your blood glucose levels remain constant and the risk of diabetes is minimized. You can eat foods like tofu, legumes, fish, and meat.
3. Foods Rich in DHA Having DHA-rich foods during pregnancy can help develop the baby’s brain. You will need about 200 milligrams of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) daily and to meet these requirements you can include milk, eggs, and fruits in your meals.
4. Foods Rich
Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables like spinach and romaine lettuce – you can include these in your third-trimester diet. Consuming folic-acid rich foods will ensure proper fetal growth and lower the risk of low-birth-weight of your baby. Apart from eating spinach and lettuce, you can even include folic acid, beans, and citrus fruits.
5. Foods Rich in Calcium
In the third trimester of your pregnancy, your baby’s bones should get stronger and for that, your pregnancy diet should include about 800 mg of calcium. To meet your calcium requirements, you can add any milk products like cheese, tofu, and yogurt to your diet. Salmon, and nuts are also good sources of calcium. However, if you plan to eat salmon, first, check with your doctor if you can eat it or not. If she gives a go-ahead, make sure you cook it well before eating.
6. Foods Rich in Magnesium
Your body will need magnesium as it helps absorb calcium and repairs damaged body tissues, so you must include magnesium-rich foods in your diet. For 350 to 400 mg of magnesium, you can include almonds, pumpkin seeds, barley, oats, beans and artichokes to your diet. Eating these foods will also provide relief from muscle cramps and lower the risk of preterm labor.
7. Foods Rich in vitamin C, B6, B12 These vitamins play a significant role in the development of a baby through the musculature and placental growth. These vitamins can be found in oranges, bananas, sweet lime, carrots, chickpeas, and almonds.
8. Fruits and Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables is also important during pregnancy as they can provide you with various nutrients. Fire brick fruits and veggies can provide relief from constipation and regulate digestion. You can have them in the form of juices, smoothies or raw, fresh, frozen or canned.
- Salt: Avoid eating salty foods such as potato chips and fire
- Raw Vegetables: Raw veggies or uncooked veggies can lead to a gas problem, hence you must avoid eating raw veggies. Before eating any veggie, make sure you cook it well.
- Spicy Foods: Spicy foods can cause indigestion and heartburn during pregnancy, hence they are best avoided in the last trimester.
If healthy food has always been your mantra, pregnant or not, you won’t need to make any significant changes. But if not, then make some dietary changes in the third trimester as well. You have done so well so far, so continue with that and your baby will grow properly! However, do check with your doctor before including anything in your diet and have a safe pregnancy!
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