Nutrient-dense items are especially effective when efficiency is a priority, as when you're nauseous, gaining weight too quickly or not gaining quickly enough.
Speaking of nutrients, while all are important right now, the best foods for pregnancy are high in vitamins and minerals that play a key role in supporting your baby’s growth and development, including:
- Folate. Getting at least 600 micrograms per day during pregnancy reduces the risk for neural tube defects.
- Iron. You need nearly twice as much iron during pregnancy, or 27 milligrams daily. The mineral is used to make more blood that carries oxygen to your baby.
- Calcium. Aim for 1,000 milligrams daily. Calcium is key to help your baby build strong bones, teeth, muscles and nerves.
- Vitamin D. It helps calcium do its job and keeps your immune system strong. You should get 600 IU daily.
- DHA. An omega-3 fatty acid, DHA plays a role in your baby’s brain and eye development. You need 200 to 300 milligrams per day.
- Iodine. The mineral promotes your baby’s brain and nervous system development. You should get 290 micrograms daily.
- Choline. Aim to get 450 milligrams of this vital nutrient each day to help prevent neural tube problems and support your baby's cognitive development.
Water
Okay, it’s technically not food. But H2O is key for a healthy pregnancy diet, so make it a point to drink eight to 10 8-ounce glasses per rough
Why is water so important? It plays a key role in delivering nutrients to your baby and helping her body make new cells. Staying hydrated is important for you, too. Getting enough water is one of the best ways to stave off constipation during pregnancy. Plus, dehydration can increase the risk for early labor.
All of these big benefits mean that you should make it a point to sip regularly, so fill up a water bottle and carry it wherever you go. If guzzling leaves you uncomfortably full, take small sips throughout the day.
Foods to avoid during pregnancy
While we’re on the subject of the best foods to eat when pregnant, remember that there are some items that should be taken off the menu. Certain foods are more likely to harbor bacteria or chemicals that could make you sick, so you should steer clear until after giving birth.
For the time being, you’ll want to take a break from:
- Unpasteurized juice
- Unpasteurized cheese
- Raw seafood
- Rare meat
- hot dogs and deli meats
- Raw or undercooked eggs
- High-mercury fish like swordfish, king mackerel, orange rough, big eye tuna and tile fish from the Gulf of Mexico
- Raw sprouts
- Alcohol
It’s normal to worry that your pregnancy diet isn’t quite hitting the mark. But sticking with good-for-you foods — especially ones rich in key nutrients like folate, protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, DHA and iodine — will help you and baby get the nourishment you both need.
And if at any point during your pregnancy you’re concerned that you're not getting enough of certain vitamins or minerals, talk with your practitioner. Together, you can determine where you might be falling short and how to fill the gaps.
Mangoes,
Stomach doing flips at the thought of veggies? Good news: Mangoes are another great way to get your fill of vitamins like A and C.
How to eat them: Use fresh diced mango in a zippy salsa that’s tasty on top of fish or chicken, or blend the frozen cubes with yogurt for a sweet-tart smoothie.
Eggs
You probably know that eggs are an inexpensive, easy-to-cook source of protein — a single large egg delivers 6 grams. But that’s not all.
Eggs are one of the few food sources of vitamin D, serving up to 44 IU per large one. Vitamin D plays a key role in helping build strong bones and teeth for your baby, as well as keeping your immune system in fighting form. What’s more, getting enough of the nutrient may reduce the risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and low birth weight, findings suggest.
They're also rich in choline, an essential nutrient for brain and nervous system development.
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