What a woman ingests when she is expecting a newborn and what a wannabe Mr.Universe puts on his grocery list are not unakin though the purposes are. The experts have a lot of opinions about what a pregnancy diet should be, which we do not negate because it is, after all, for the development and well-being of the child.

The Grocery List Of A Pregnant woman

According to authoritative sources such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a woman who is pregnant needs a whale lot more calcium, iron, and protein than a woman who is not expecting. Four other nutrients are absolutely undeniable.

Folic Acid

This all-important nutrient, also commonly referred to as folate when present in food, is Vitamin B. Its availability is compelling to prevent birth defects in the spinal cord and brain, which in medical terms are called neural tube defects.

Food sources are leafy green vegetables, enriched and fortified cereals, beans, pasta, bread, and citrus fruits.

Calcium

The baby’s bones and teeth are owed to this mineral. If the mother restricts her intake of calcium, the deficit is withdrawn from the store in the mother and given to the baby. Dairy products are vitalized with vitamin D, which in tandem with calcium to develop a baby’s bones and teeth.

Food sources are milk, cheese, yogurt, salmon, sardines (with bones) and specific leafy greens like bok-choy and kale)

Iron

Twenty-seven milligrams of iron is what a pregnant woman needs, which is 100% more than a woman who is not expecting. The reason for this elevated requirement is that the baby needs an adequate blood supply. Relinquishing on this deal to get sufficient iron can spell doom for the mother, anemia, fatigue, and being infection-prone. Iron is stubborn to absorption. It has to be accompanied by vitamin C. For example, have a glass of orange juice with an iron-enriched cereal.

Food sources are meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, peas, and ed iron-enriched cereal.

Protein

Protein is best described as a “builder nutrient.” It is responsible for the strong development of the baby’s lungs, brain, and heart. A lot of protein is required in the mother’s diet, but by and large, it has not been an area of concern.

Food sources are poultry, fish, meat, dried beans, nuts, eggs, peas, and tofu.

Foods That Need To Be Eaten When Pregnant

Prenatal nutrition is a serious business and one that a would-be mother would be investing her time in. To milk most of the nutrition requirements, broadly, we have split it into five groups based on which you should carefully decide on your grocery list for shopping.

The grouping is:

• fruits, 
• vegetables, 
• lean protein, 
• dairy products and, 
• whole grains.

Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables should take center stage, especially during the second and third trimesters. The rule-of-thumb is to ingest 5 to 10 tennis ball size servings a day. They are meager in calories buy chockful in minerals, fiber, and vitamins.

Lean Protein

To support the baby’s development, at every stage, the mother needs to compose quality protein. To reiterate, we are looking at fish, meat, poultry, tofu, eggs, beans, nuts, milk, and seeds.

Whole Grains

These foods are an undeniable energy diet source. They contribute handsomely to iron, fiber, and B-vitamins. Whole grains should constitute 50% of the carbohydrate consumption of a pregnant woman. This should come from whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, bread, and brown rice.

Dairy

3 to 4 helpings of dairy foods should be a daily goal. Dairy products offer a basketful of bounties. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are the front leaders of efficient dietary providers of Vitamin D, calcium, and also protein.

Some nutrients are not so easily absorbed, such as folic acid and iron.

Food To be Taken In Moderation

Caffeine is a bad number. 200 mg, which is the equivalent of a 12-ounce cup of coffee is about the limit.

Fish is a tremendous source of lean protein, especially sardines and salmon, which are bubbling over with Omega-3 fatty acids. 8 to 12 ounces a week is most desirable.

The trouble is with white tuna, which has high levels of mercury. Up to 6 ounces is still okay. A newborn’s brain development can be damaged because of mercury.

Pregnancy Diet Foods That Should Be Given A Wide Margin

Alcohol

Avoid, avoid, avoid. Alcohol in the mother’s system passes through the umbilical cord to the baby. This manifests itself later in the child’s life in the form of behavioral and learning disabilities.

Fish With High Levels Of Mercury

We have touched lightly on this aspect before. It deserves more consideration.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, seafood such as king mackerel, shark, swordfish. Marlin and so on are pretty high in methyl mercury levels. This toxic chemical can be passed on through the placenta and can be damaging to an unborn baby’s vitals such as brains, kidneys, and nervous system.

Unpasteurized Food

The USDA has proclaimed that pregnant women are prone to two forms of food poisoning; abacterial invasion called listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection. These can be fatal to the newborn, including death. To steer clear of listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, the following foods should be culled from your grocery list.

Pasteurization involves subjecting a product to high temperatures to kill bacteria. 

• Unpasteurized milk and products derived from it like Feta, Brie, Camembert, and such cheese.
• Hot dogs, cold cuts, and luncheon meat.
• Store-bought salads
• Refrigerated unpasteurized pates or meat spreads.
• Raw fish such as sushi, sashimi and so on
• Undercooked shellfish such as clams, mussels, etcetera.
• Raw, undercooked sprouts such as alfalfa, clover, and the likes.

Wrapping It Up

We have rendered an account of the food that is good and also what should be strictly avoided for a mother to be. It is not our intention to provide you with a shopping list but to bring about awareness as to the ramifications on the health of the new entrant, depending on what the mother consumes.