Pregnant women have it rough. Carrying a live human being inside you to term is quite tough, to say the least. As an expecting mother, you’ll also have to deal with morning sickness, unusual food cravings, and swollen teeth. Exhaustion doesn’t begin to describe what you’re feeling every single day as you undergo this process of incubating another life inside you.
On that note, what are the best recipes for pregnant women? What type of food is safe for them to consume?
The Right Kind of Eats for Expecting Mothers
source:parents.com
- Cooked Sushi: Sushi is supposed to be raw fish wrapped in cooked rice, yes. However, by cooking the fish, expecting mothers can nourish themselves and their child (or children if they’re twins) can enjoy Japanese cuisine such as sushi, fusion cuisine like California maki, cooked salmon with avocado, and cooked eel with cucumber without feeling guilty about risking the health of their baby/babies. As long as it’s a veggie roll or cooked fish wrapped in seaweed (which is rich in iodine), you’re good to go.
- Lean Proteins and Stir Fries: A pregnant woman can also eat fish that’s low in mercury, lean meats like turkey, chicken, and pork, and tofu as their healthy options for protein sustenance. You can layer it on seven-grain toast and eat it all up for good measure. As for your stir fry or sauté options, just heat up some olive oil in a pan and throw in the aforementioned lean protein from the freezer or fridge. Add some condiments and veggies for taste. In 5 minutes you have a fully nutritious dinner without defrosting anything!
- Slow-Cooked Dishes: A pregnant woman can also eat some dishes cooked via slow cooker as well. The idea here is to throw the ingredients on the slow cooker or instant pot before heading off to work. Look for some recipes online for your preferences and dietary needs. Once you come back home from work, you should be treated to something like a Southwestern Turkey Chili with black beans, Thai beef stew, or Indian chicken curry that’s quite deliciousness and savory when all is said and done.
- Salads for The Main Course: You can also avail of some main-course salads that are fiber-enriched and fresh. Such a dish can be a grabbag of various items in your fridge that you don’t want to waste or move past its expiration date. Just throw in some sea salt, balsamic vinegar, or olive oil on it and you’re good to go. Just don’t overdo it with the Thousand Island Dressing and you should maintain the healthiness of the salad. It should taste scrumptious even without the dressing.
Foods to Avoid
source:parent24.com
- Fried Foods: Carcinogenic saturated fats that are fried are dangerous to your baby. Also, it will make you feel greasy, sluggish, and constipated.
- Salami, Hotdog, and Bologna: Charcuterie meats should be skipped since they contain potentially carcinogenic nitrites and nitrates that are harmful to the child. This also includes smoked meats and fish.
- Raw Seafood and Some Fish: As mentioned, sushi should be cooked because sushi normally is off-limits for the 40 weeks of pregnancy since it’s an obvious bacteria risk. Skip anything with ethyl-mercury in them like tuna steaks and king mackerel.
- Chicken Liver Pate: Eating chicken liver pate or any other pate can result in listeriosis that’s dangerous for the pregnant. You risk getting a miscarriage.
- Hollandaise Sauce and Aioli Sauce: These are made with raw eggs and their tasty sauces have a salmonella risk, especially if you accidentally leave them on the table for too long at room temperature.
As for getting a more detailed look into which takeaway or takeout food you should take while pregnant, just follow this site for more details. You’ll get the lowdown on what to eat and not to eat while keeping yourself and your baby safe from harm. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than to be sorry.
