Important Foods to Eat to Fuel a Pregnant Body
What moms-to-be eat affects their growing babies. While they don't need to consume too many extra calories (300 per day) while pregnant, it's what one puts in her mouth that counts. Expectant women should keep all the vital vitamins and minerals that contribute to their child's development in mind when making meal choices. To make it easy, we've rounded up the recommended daily doses and the foods that provide the nourishment.
Vitamin A: Pregnant ladies need 770 micrograms of Vitamin A that helps with vision and is needed for strong bones and teeth. It is found in foods like carrots, pig's liver and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin B6: Expectant ladies should consume 1.9 milligrams of Vitamin B6, which helps in the formation of red blood cells and is found in foods like peanuts, fatty fish and hazelnuts.
Vitamin B12: Those with child should eat 2.6 micrograms of Vitamin B12, which like Vitamin B6, aids in the formation of red blood cells. It can be found in eggs, sardines and mussels.
Vitamin C: It's important for mamas-to-be to get 85 milligrams of Vitamin C, which helps the body heal wounds, resist infection and form collagen. Sources are oranges and most other citrus fruits, brussels sprout and kiwi.
Vitamin D: For strong bones and teeth, women with child need 5 micrograms of Vitamin D. It is found in milk, liver and eggs.
Vitamin E: Fifteen milligrams of Vitamin E are recommended for the formation and use of red blood cells and muscles. Good sources are sunflower seeds, almonds and olives.
Vitamin K: To help prevent a rare bleeding disorder in newborns, 90 micrograms of Vitamin K is recommended. Boiled kale, spinach and collard greens are rich in it.
Calcium: One thousand milligrams of Calcium is needed for growth of bones and teeth and proper muscle and nerve function. It is found in hard cheese, tofu and even milk chocolate!
Folate: Expectant women should make sure they get 600 micrograms of Folate. It is essential for blood and protein production, cell division and to prevent neural tube defects in the fetus. Lentils, beans and boiled asparagus are good sources of it.
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