Pregnant? Eat These Superfoods!

12 Superfoods for Moms-to-Be 

 

• Superfood: Low-Fat Greek Yogurt

If there was ever a time to pay attention to what you put in your mouth, it's these nine months. Here's the lowdown on the healthiest options to fuel your pregnancy.
Low-fat Greek yogurt packs a huge nutrition punch. Rich in calcium and vitamin D, low-fat yogurt helps to build strong bones for your baby. You need 1000mg of calcium per day -- and if it’s not supplied by your diet, it’s taken from your bones by the baby. So spoon some up! 
Alternate sources: soy yogurt, cottage cheese

• Superfood: Broccoli

This crunchy cruciferous veggie is rich in folate, a water soluble B vitamin that helps to produce and maintain new cells. Pregnant women need about 400 micrograms of folate per day -- insufficient amounts can lead to birth defects like spina bifida. It’s important to note, though, that these foods aren't a replacement for your daily prenatal vitamin. Alternate sources: spinach, kale

• Superfood: Sirloin Steak

Craving a juicy steak? Eat one. Lean sirloin is rich in zinc, iron and protein -- all of which play an important role in the growth and development of your baby. Studies have even shown that low zinc levels during pregnancy can cause long labor (ugh!) and small babies. So go ahead, indulge! 
Alternate sources: dark meat chicken, cooked crab

•  Superfood: Chicken Breast

Rich in protein and low in fat, chicken breast meat provides the building blocks for both you and your baby to grow. Adequate protein is important for you to maintain muscle tissue -- and for baby to build it (along with other tissues like enzymes, hormones and antibodies). 
Alternate sources: tofu, beans, shrimp

• Superfood: Kidney Beans

You already know that beans are rich in fiber, but they're also loaded with iron, which is an important nutrient during pregnancy because it helps to build red blood cells for you and your baby. During pregnancy, your iron needs increase significantly thanks to your developing fetus and growing placenta, as well as blood volume expansion. 
Alternate sources: lentils (or any legume), green leafy vegetables

• Superfood: Eggs

The incredible edible egg is rich in vitamin D and protein -- and vitamin D is an essential nutrient for maintaining normal calcium metabolism and absorption. (Just don’t skip the yolk -- that’s where all the vitamin D lives!) 
Alternate sources: Fortified cow or rice milk

• Superfood: Oatmeal

Oatmeal is rich in complex carbohydrates, which can help boost your energy and keep you feeling full. It’s also rich in soluble fiber, which can pull unhealthy fats and toxins out of the blood. For a super nutrition boost, add heart healthy, omega 3-rich flaxseeds to your oats (you’ll get extra fiber, too!). 
Alternate sources: high fiber cereals, chia seeds, walnuts, wheat germ

• Superfood: Sweet Potatoes

Craving something sweet, salty and delicious? Bake up some sweet potato fries! Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, beta carotene and vitamin C, and are a healthy way to fulfill your sweet/salty craving while boosting immunity and keeping energy levels up. 
Alternate sources: pumpkin, butternut squash

• Superfood: Olive Oil

Healthy fats during pregnancy are important because fat is the building block to essential hormones. (It’s also what helps you feel full and satisfied!) Olive oil is rich in monounsatured fat and vitamin E -- and is an easy way to add the extra 300 healthy calories pregnant women need. (Although you probably don't need any help from us with that!) Add extra virgin olive oil to salads or use it to sauté veggies. 
Alternate sources: soybean oil, safflower oil

• Superfood: Almonds

Almonds are rich in zinc, healthy fats and fiber; just 24 little nuts pack a ton of nutrition. If you’re at the point in your pregnancy where you feel uncomfortable when you eat a big meal, a handful of almonds is a great small, nutritious snack. 
Alternate sources: cashews, pistachios

• Superfood: Bok Choy

Bok choy is a green leafy Chinese vegetable that's packed with iron -- and a great option for women who are vegan, vegetarian or just turned off by iron-rich animal protein. It tastes delicious sautéed or added to soups.  
Alternate sources: spinach, rhubarb, kale

• Superfood: Tomatoes

Having lots of leg cramps? Feeling fatigued? Low potassium levels might be to blame. To the rescue: tomatoes, which are rich in lycopene -- a powerful antioxidant -- and potassium. Potassium is also an important mineral involved in nerve transmission, muscle contraction and heart function. 
Alternate sources: bananas, potatoes