What’s the Best Food to Eat during Pregnancy? (According to the dietitian)

Last updated on June 29th, 2023 at 05:14 pm

10 minutes read. 

  

  

Scientific research continues to show that what you eat while pregnant affects the health of your baby. Your baby depends on the foods you eat to receive his/her calories, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fluids.

It seems like pregnant women know that food is important for the proper development of their baby, but they aren’t sure what exactly should be eaten on a pregnancy diet.

There are also misconceptions about how many extra calories (energy from food) should be consumed in a day, what foods shouldn’t be eaten during pregnancy, and what lifestyle habits will promote the mother’s and baby’s well-being. (2)

Starting in the second trimester, you’ll need an extra 340 calories per day and a little more than that in the third trimester, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (3)

That’s roughly the number of calories you’ll get from one quarter (1/4) of slice pawpaw/one apple/pear with 2 tablespoons of peanut/groundnut and a glass of milk.

In this article, I will show you the best food to eat to promote your health and the health of your baby during pregnancy.  Feel free to skim ahead.

• Fish
• Eggs and poultry meat 
• Milk
• Bone broth and biscuit bone
• Dark green vegetables
• Potatoes.
• Beans and legumes
• Fruits
• Conclusion

Let’s jump in.

1. Fish

In the past, pregnant women were told to avoid eating fish and other seafood because some have high levels of mercury, a toxic heavy metal that’s been linked to birth defects. But there is plenty of fish that are safe to eat during pregnancy. (4, 5, 6)

Children whose mothers had eaten oily fish in early pregnancy had a reduced risk of hyperactivity compared to those whose mothers did not eat oily fish.

In fact, while it might be a tough sell if you’re dealing with morning sickness, oily fish, in particular, are swimming in nutrients that are crucial for your baby’s brain and eye development.

Pregnant women should get 8 to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood each week, such as salmon, skipjack tuna, and trout, says Lauren Manaker, an RDN, LD, a prenatal dietitian, certified lactation educator, and author of The Seven-Ingredient Healthy Pregnancy Cookbook. (7,8)

Fatty fish is a great food source of omega-3 fats, specifically, a type called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This healthy fat is good for both baby and parent during pregnancy. “DHA has been linked to a reduced risk of preterm birth and developing postpartum depression,” Manaker says.

Some types of fish also give you the added benefit of vitamin D, which most of us don’t get enough of. During pregnancy, vitamin D is used to help build a baby’s bones and teeth, and it helps promote healthy eyesight and skin. (9,10, 11)

Seafood such as trout, salmon, sardines, tuna, crayfish, periwinkle, and crabs will provide vitamin D, folate, and iron as well as the much-needed omega-3 fatty acids.

For our vegetarian parents-to-be, Manaker suggests talking to your OBGYN about algae-based DHA supplements, which may be a good choice to help fill this nutritional gap. (12, 13)

Tip

Fish you should avoid during pregnancy.

If you’re pregnant, you should not eat bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, or tilefish. (14,15)

You should also limit white albacore tuna in your diet to only 6 ounces per week. Make sure to check advisories about any fish you’re eating that’s been caught in local waters

2. Eggs and poultry meat 

Eggs are one of those foods that are constantly up for debate. But when it comes to pregnancy, there’s no doubt about it: Eggs are a nutritional superstar, and it’s because they’re abundant in one very important nutrient called choline. (17, 18)

Choline is a nutrient that isn’t always talked about in the prenatal world, but it should be,” Manaker says. “It helps support healthy spinal cord development and is linked to baby’s brain health years after birth.” (19,20)

Getting choline through a natural diet is very crucial because choline may be lacking in your prenatal supplement, says reproductive health dietitian Rachelle Mallik, RD, founder of The Food Therapist. (21)

During pregnancy, you need at least 450 milligrams of choline per day, according to the ACOG. (22) One egg provides 169 milligrams of choline. Other foods high in choline include:

• Chicken
• Lean beef
• Milk
• Soy products
• Peanuts/groundnut

3. Milk

Dairy milk provides a slew of nutrients that are needed during pregnancy including:

Calcium for strong bones and teeth

Vitamin B12 helps form new red blood cells

Vitamin A for healthy eyesight, skin, and bones

Vitamin D (fortified) for bones and teeth and immune system support

Milk also has iodine, and while you might be getting enough of this mineral from iodized salt otherwise, you’ll need more of it if you’re pregnant. (23,24)

“We’ve learned that iodine is crucial for thyroid hormone production and fetal development,” Mallik says. “The need for this nutrient increases by about 50 percent in pregnancy.” Specifically, you need 220 micrograms of iodine per day during pregnancy.

According to a 2020 research in Nutrients, the amount of iodine in milk can vary quite a bit. Based on the United State Department of Agriculture food data, on average, one cup of milk can give you about 94 micrograms of iodine. (25, 26)

A glass or two of milk can help you get closer to your daily goal for iodine. Other food sources of iodine include eggs, seafood, and iodized salt.

4. Both broth (mmiri okpukpu anu) and Biscuit bone (chewable part of the animal bone)

Bone broth is a perfect means to get enough protein, calcium, and collagen while pregnant. This helps your unborn baby to develop strong bones and flexible joints.

In fact, any pregnant woman shouldn’t joke about eating soft bone (biscuit bone). At least you should take it twice or once a week. Evidently, my mom doesn’t joke about this when she is pregnant. (27, 28)

Tip

Here is how you can get bone broth:

When you go to any slaughter ask the butcher to give you biscuit bone (soft bone) and piece the strong bone for you.

When you go home wash the bone thoroughly with salt and warm water, add about 2 to 4 liters of water into it depending on the size of the bone you purchase, and add salt and other natural spices like ginger, garlic, nutmeg, onions, and chili pepper to your taste, mix it well and cook until the soft bone (biscuit bone) in it become chewable.

Allow cooling to your taste. Use a plate to fetch the water that comes from it and drink and chew all the parts of the bone that are soft. That’s the simple method to prepare the bone broth. This can give you up to three or four serving and eat not more than two pieces of biscuit bone in a serving.

You can also use the soft bone to cook soup or stew.

5. Beans and Legumes

Your options for beans and legumes are endless. For example black beans (akidi, both fresh and dry), green beans, chickpeas, pintos, lentils, peas, and more. These plants are the perfect food for pregnancy because of the nutrients they provide.

Beans and legumes are high in fiber, which is particularly important during pregnancy. Constipation is a common issue during pregnancy with all of the hormonal changes your body is going through. (29, 30)

Adding a serving or two of beans per day can help you get the fiber you need to stay regular. Just remember to increase fiber in your diet slowly and drink plenty of water to avoid any additional tummy upset.

Beans and legumes also give you iron, which is essential while you’re pregnant. “Pregnant women have a higher risk for iron deficiency because your daily needs are much higher,” says Bianca Tamburello, a registered dietitian. She recommends iron-rich foods for pregnancy to support the increase in blood volume. (31)

Your blood volume (which is just a fancy way of saying the amount of blood circulating in your body) will increase slightly during the first trimester but will make a larger leap in the second and third trimesters.

A 2019 research shows blood volume can increase as much as 48 percent from the beginning of pregnancy to the end of the third trimester. (32)

You can get iron from animal foods such as lean beef, poultry, and fish. There is also high iron in plant foods like black beans (akidi) and plantain.

Black beans were confirmed to be a good source of iron, zinc, and copper. Approximately a portion per meal of cooked black beans (100 g) contains an average of 6.5 mg iron, 4 mg zinc, and 1 mg copper. (33, 34)

If your body finds it hard to absorb iron in plant-based food, eat it with food rich in vitamin C to ease the absorption.  Examples: oranges, avocados, tomatoes or strawberries, and dark green vegetables.

6. Dark green vegetable: is a rich source of folate a natural vitamin B9.

If you can lay your hands on dark green vegetables at least 3 to 4 times a week when you’re a pregnant couple with other nutritious I mention here believing me you don’t need any other artificial folic acid supplement. My mom doesn’t play with dark green vegetables and eggs when she is pregnant.

Folate is a B vitamin that’s used in the formation of our red blood cells, but it has particular importance before and during pregnancy.

Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in food. Taking in enough B9 will help prevent birth defects in the baby’s brain and spine specifically, a neural tube defect called spina bifida. (35, 36, 37)

This vitamin also supports the healthy growth and development of the baby and the placenta (which is why you need more during early pregnancy).

Eating foods high in folate before and during pregnancy can help you ensure you’re getting enough of this super-important nutrient.

To retain folate in dark green vegetables, don’t overcook them just a few minutes of heat is ok. Make sure it still retains its fleshy texture and taste after cooking.  Understand that heat can easily destroy folate in vegetables. (38)

Other Foods rich in Folate include:

Okuru or okra

black beans (especially the flesh once-akidi)

Oil bean

Romaine lettuce

Avocado

Kidney beans

Broccoli

7. Potatoes (Sweet and White)

Sweet potatoes are one of the best foods to eat while you’re pregnant. One medium sweet potato gives you over 100 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A you need during pregnancy in the form of beta-carotene. (39, 40, 41, 42)

Vitamin A comes in two forms:

Preformed vitamin A: animal foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, liver, and fish oil

Provitamin A (or carotenoids): plant foods such as sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, carrots, mango, and apricots.

Vitamin A is essential for your eye health and for the development of your baby’s eyes, organs, bones, and immune system, according to a March 2019 review in ‌Nutrients.

While vitamin A deficiency is public health concern around the world, it’s not common among Americans. In fact, supplementing with vitamin A can cause toxicity, which is a real danger during pregnancy. Eating foods with beta-carotene is a much safer way to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need.

White potatoes are often demonized in the diet world, but the truth is, they’re full of nutrients you need. White potatoes have vitamin C and vitamin B6, which you’ll need more of while you’re pregnant.

And be sure to prepare sweet and white potatoes with the skins on, which will give you more of that much-needed fiber.

8. Fruits: cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, prunes, bananas, apricots, oranges, and red or pink grapefruit (for potassium). In fact, eat all kinds of colorful fruits you can lay your hands on. (43, 44)

They are many other ideal foods you can eat when you are pregnant, it all depends on the kind of food available in your area. So don’t forget to talk with your doctor about your diet plan while pregnant in case you’re confused at any point.

Conclusion

The time of nurturing a new life in your womb is a beautiful moment that comes with a lot of changes in your body system. As a result, taking proper care in intentionally selecting what you eat should be your top priority.

Starting in the second trimester, you’ll need an extra 340 calories per day and a little more than that in the third trimester.

That’s roughly the number of calories you’ll get from one quarter (1/4) of slice pawpaw/one apple/pear with 2 tablespoons of peanut/groundnut and a glass of milk.

Here is the list of seven food you need to combine creatively when you’re pregnant to get all the nutrients you and your unborn baby need for a healthy life;

• Fish (especially those with no mercury or very low mercury)
• Eggs and Poultry meat.
• Milk
• Bone broth and biscuit (soft bone)
• Dark green  vegetables including okra,
• Potatoes.
• Beans and legumes
• Fruits (all colorful fruits)

They are many other ideal foods you can eat when you are pregnant, it all depends on the kind of available in your area. So don’t forget to talk with your doctor about your diet plan while pregnant in case you’re confused at any point.

I hope you get the value worth your time, I appreciate the time you spend with me. Leave a comment below if you find this article helpful and don’t forget to drop your question, opinion, or criticism if any. Cheers!

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