The diet of a long-term vegetarian diet during pregnancy is an inappropriate decision, and studies have shown that the level of DHA in the blood of babies born to vegetarian mothers is lower, and the level of DHA in the blood of babies breastped by vegetarian mothers is only about 1/3 of that of non-vegetarians, which is lower for strict vegetarians.
If you have seen our previous "Building a Baby's Smart Brain", you should understand the importance of DHA for the development of the baby's brain, and the source of omega-3 that can be ingested in plants is limited (such as flaxseed), and the expectant mother cannot effectively convert the plant omega-3 into the two essential fatty acids DHA and EPA for babies.
Of course, we don't want to discuss which lifestyle is preferable, but all the decisions of expectant mothers and nursing mothers are that the baby bears the consequences with it, so it is more prudent to be more cautious.
In addition, the various sources of nutrients required by the baby during development are not satisfied by simple vegetables and fruits, so vegetarianism is not suitable for expectant mothers, at least its gain for the fetus is significantly less than that of a nutritionally balanced diet.
In fact, expectant mothers at different stages of pregnancy will have different dietary characteristics and problems.
In the first trimester, due to morning sickness, the stomach is often uncomfortable, eating correctly, whether it will cause vomiting has become the focus of the mother-to-be, so it is necessary to worry about whether the diet is nutritious.
The second trimester is the best period for expectant mothers to have the best appetite, when it is easy to eat too much, resulting in overnutrition, at this time, the pickiness of food becomes the desire for food.
In the third trimester, the baby that is growing in the body will compress the stomach of the expectant mother, so it is necessary to take the diet method of eating less and eating more.
In fact, as long as you eat more nutritious foods, eat less foods that will affect the health of expectant mothers and babies, and eat less and eat more meals, then expectant mothers and fetal babies will be very healthy.
Next, let's take stock of what are the superfoods during pregnancy?
Fish
Recommended species: Alaskan red salmon, anchovies, Pacific cod, Alaskan flounder, herring, rainbow trout, Pacific tuna, sardines;
Nutrients: rich in protein, B vitamins, minerals, iodine, choline, selenium, astaxanthin;
Special ingredients: omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), the most effective ingredients to help baby brain development;
Summary: It's just a simple "fat changing" behavior, but it has a profound impact on the emotions and intelligence of the mother and baby, which is really magical (for more details, you can see our article "Building a Baby's Smart Brain").
nut
Recommended types: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, Brazil nuts, etc.;
Nutrients: rich in protein, healthy fats, dietary fiber, vitamin E, calcium;
Special ingredients: high satiety factor (increase satiety, avoid excessive consumption caused by too many calories);
Summary: Nuts are one of the most nutritious foods, and compound nuts should appear on every dad-to-be's shopping list.
Green vegetables
Recommended types: spinach, broccoli, kale, asparagus, etc.;
Nutritional ingredients: vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber;
Summary: Green vegetables are a high-quality source of calcium for non-dairy products; they are also the best source of folic acid for the "brain vitality vitamin".
Avocado (avocado)
Nutrients: rich in vitamins A, B, E, folic acid and healthy fats;
Special ingredients: lutein and zeaxanthin (eye development of pregnant women and fetuses is extremely important), high satiety factor;
Summary: Avocados (avocados) are the most nutrient-dense fruits and are a good source of nutrients to avoid calorie excess in the second trimester.
Egg
Recommended species: eggs with dark orange yolk, rich in nutrients, high DHA content, and less nutrient content in eggs with light yellow yolk;
Nutritional content: protein, vitamins, minerals;
Special Ingredients:
Choline (an extremely valuable nutrient that promotes fetal brain development)
Lutein and zeaxanthin (for visual development)
Tryptophan (an amino acid with hypnotic effect)
Summary: Eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods, but also one of the most biologically valuable foods, unless specifically recommended by doctors, do not just eat protein, but eat the whole egg, sleep-difficult expectant mothers eat an egg at night to help sleep.
yoghurt
Recommended type: sugar-free yogurt, organic yogurt or Greek yogurt;
Nutritional content: protein, calcium;
Special Ingredients: Probiotics (Excellent for Aligning Mom's Stomach)
Summary: Yogurt provides mother-to-be with healthy, slow-release carbohydrates, and the cultivation process makes protein and lactose easier to digest and absorb than the same nutrients in regular milk.
blueberry
Recommended species: organic blueberries;
Nutritional content: vitamin C, pectin;
Special ingredients: anthocyanins (which can save the brain and nerve tissue from damage and inflammation);
Summary: Blueberries are known as "brainberries" and "repair berries", which can protect nerve tissue from damage, help body tissues heal, and even reduce the accumulation of fat on the stomach.
legume
Recommended type: all kinds of soy products;
Nutritional content: protein, vitamin B group, dietary fiber, calcium, iron;
Special ingredients: high satiety factor and tryptophan;
Summary: Soy products contain less calories, but can achieve high satiety, and it is an excellent source of the hypnotic nutrient tryptophan, like eggs.
linseed
Recommended type: flaxseed powder;
Nutritional content: protein, dietary fiber, multivitamins and minerals;
Summary: Flaxseed is one of the few plants that contains Omega-3s, but it is also a "super seed" that contains healthy calories and is an excellent source of healthy fat.
olive oil
Recommended types: virgin, extra virgin olive oil (processing method with relatively low pressure and temperature, which can preserve more natural nutrients);
Nutritional composition: vitamins A, D, E, F, K and carotene;
Special ingredients: unsaturated fatty acids (good for heart health, lower cholesterol);
Summary: Olive oil can promote the absorption of nutrients in vegetables and is the upper replacement for butter, but like other oils, don't eat too much.
bean curd
Recommended type: Northern tofu (higher nutrient content);
Nutritional content: protein, vitamins, calcium, iron;
Summary: 60 calories of tofu can provide 8g of protein, 200mg of calcium, 5 to 7mg of iron, and a variety of other vitamins and minerals, which is an excellent source of nutrition during pregnancy.
oatmeal
Recommended type: pure cereal (non-instant cereal);
Nutritional content: vitamin E, vitamin B group, protein, dietary fiber, iron, zinc;
Special ingredients: β- glucose (good for the gastrointestinal tract, stabilizes blood pressure);
Summary: Choose oatmeal as a healthy breakfast during pregnancy.
This article refers to books
Sears Encyclopedia of Pregnancy
William Sears Martha Sears Linda Holt BJ Snell [Translation] Xun Shouwen
Heidi's Encyclopedia of Pregnancy
[Beauty] Heidi McCoughf et al. [Translation] Pauline Hu
Note: The pictures in this article come from the Internet