Tips for a healthy dietary plan
A balanced diet is the main rule for healthy eating when you are expecting that means your diet should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains and hydrating fluids. There are some food habits that could be harmful for your child and that’s the only part you should avoid.
Things you should avoid among your eating habits
1. If you love junk food it could give some extra calories without the nutritional benefits of healthy food and therefore try to curb it. Have an apple instead of doughnut.
2. You should totally avoid alcohol and caffeine because these avoid the absorption of two important nutrients (folic acid and iron) that are important during pregnancy and could effect the fetus with long term developmental effects.
3. A healthy diet should have around 20 percent of fat during pregnancy and all food has some proportion of fats. Fruits have 3 to 14 percent of fat, grains have 3 to 10 percent of fats, and veggies have 1 to 10 percent of fats as such you cant avoid fats totally but you don’t need enough fat either.
4. Many of the food that we take are full of preservatives, colorings, flavor enhancers and also hormones and antibiotics. These may help in making the taste of the food better but also produce few chemical residues and additives out of which most are safe but needs to be avoided. Such additives include Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that could lead to headaches and stomach upsets. Food colorings that are unsafe are blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 3 and yellow 6. Olestra or Olean, Saccharin, red meat with much fat should also be avoided.
5. You should take pasteurized food that removes bacteria form food and is healthy during pregnancy. Some common foods that are not pasteurized include ciders and fresh pressed juices where you should check the labeling to ensure that they are pasteurized. Some bottled smoothies and yogurt drinks, raw milk cheeses are not pasteurized and could be harmful during pregnancy.
6. Sea food such as fish is very healthy but you should avoid fishes such as shellfish like oysters that may contain bacteria. Swordfish, shark, tilefish may contain high levels of methyl mercury and could harm the developing fetus. Self caught fishes should be checked if they contain any contaminants and tropical fishes like grouper, and amberjack may contain some harmful toxins. Seared fishes like sushi and sashimi are out of question here.
7. Before taking fruits and vegetables you should wash them thoroughly and simply avoid sprouts that may contain bacteria called E.coli.
8. There is risk in the intake of raw meat and eggs as they may carry illness as such avoid shrimp cocktails, frankfurters, luncheon meats and smoked fish meat during pregnancy.
9. You may think that herbals are harmless but even though you need top avoid raspberry tea, co hash, ginseng and green tea that could stimulate the contractions. You can take fruit, ginger or mint teas.
10. Never think of dieting during pregnancy but to nourish a healthy, growing baby is your responsibility so forget about high carbohydrates, low fat diet or liquid diets and supplements. You should have three balanced meals during a day. Vegetarian food is safe if you take supplements such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, folic acid, magnesium, calcium and vitamin D.
11. Avoid poorly packaged or stored foods that could be spoiled or unhygenically packed. You should keep your food safe and thus always go for eating hot food hot and cold food cold. Don’t take foods where the packing has an expiry date and you have crossed the time limits. You can use your nose to check if the food smells spoiled and if doubt, chuck it. Never take out frozen foods to thaw on the counter all afternoon but you can put them in the refrigerator in the morning and defrost in the microwave just before cooking. Keep your cooking surfaces clean and use smooth surfaces to cut meat.
