3 Types of Foods to Eat and 4 to Skip While Pregnant
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Lots of tasty, healthy foods are great for you and your baby while you're pregnant. Others you should probably steer clear of. Here are three foods to enjoy and four to avoid.
Snack on a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. They're full of important vitamins and minerals. Plus they've got fiber, which helps your digestion.
Lean protein helps your baby grow. It's extra important during your second and third trimesters. Foods like meat, poultry, and eggs are also packed with iron and B vitamins.
Whole grains fill you up and help keep you going strong through your day. They also give you fiber, iron, B vitamins, and other minerals.
Now, cross these other foods and drinks off your shopping list. Unpasteurized dairy products can carry food-borne illnesses like listeria. Raw or undercooked foods have the same risk -- they can make you ill.
And while cooked fish can be a healthy part of your pregnancy eating plan, avoid ones that have a lot of mercury. It could damage your unborn baby's nervous system. Finally, don't drink booze. No amount of alcohol is safe for your little one's health. As for caffeine, some doctors say you can have a small cup or two of coffee, tea, or soda each day. But your best bet is to skip it completely or switch to decaf.
Snack on a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. They're full of important vitamins and minerals. Plus they've got fiber, which helps your digestion.
Lean protein helps your baby grow. It's extra important during your second and third trimesters. Foods like meat, poultry, and eggs are also packed with iron and B vitamins.
Whole grains fill you up and help keep you going strong through your day. They also give you fiber, iron, B vitamins, and other minerals.
Now, cross these other foods and drinks off your shopping list. Unpasteurized dairy products can carry food-borne illnesses like listeria. Raw or undercooked foods have the same risk -- they can make you ill.
And while cooked fish can be a healthy part of your pregnancy eating plan, avoid ones that have a lot of mercury. It could damage your unborn baby's nervous system. Finally, don't drink booze. No amount of alcohol is safe for your little one's health. As for caffeine, some doctors say you can have a small cup or two of coffee, tea, or soda each day. But your best bet is to skip it completely or switch to decaf.