Eating healthy during pregnancy ensures long-term health of the mother and the baby. They say pregnant women need to eat for two. While that’s not entirely true as you will only need around 300 extra calories per day, but you will surely need to eat a lot of healthy foods to ensure the good development of the baby in your womb. Fruits are one food item that you should definitely include in your diet.
Why Are Fruits Important During pregnancy? Fruits provide vitamins and nutrients that are essential during pregnancy. In addition to supporting the growing baby, an increased intake of vitamins and minerals can help a pregnant woman keep her own body in the best condition possible. Fresh fruit contains lots of essential vitamins and nutrients and is a good source of fiber too. 10 Best Fruits To Eat During pregnancy
1.Banana: Bananas top the list of fruits when it comes to nutrition. They are a rich source of folate, Vitamin C, B6, potassium, and magnesium. The folate present in banana performs the very importan job of protecting the fetus from neural tube defects. Vitamin B6 helps regulate sodium levels and control nausea and vomiting. The rich magnesium content in banana helps restore a healthy fluid balance. potassium protects you from the possible attack ᴏf stroke or any other pregnancy-related complications. Doctors usually recommend consuming one banana every day during your first trimester.
2.Cherries: Cherries are a good source of vitamin C, potossium, calcium, protein, and other vitamins. Vitamin C in cherries helps your body to fight the common cold. The yummy red fruit also contains flavonoids, a type ᴏf antioxidant which helps to boost your immunity level, thus protecting you from infections. High blood pressure levels can lead to preeclampsia in pregnancy, potassium in cherries helps to keep your blood pressure level under control. If you are having trouble getting good sleep, cherries are a must-have for you. Cherries contain melatonin, which is a natural sleep inducer. Other benefits of cherries for pregnant women are: Keeping ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ sugar levels under control, helps in relieving swelling and inflammation, promotes brain health of the baby in the womb, excess water content in cherries keeps you energetic, high fiber content in cherries helps to prevent constipation.
3.Strawberries: Strawberries are an excellent snacking delight. You can indulge in a bowl of strawberries any time of the day as the delicious fruit keeps you nourished with significant amounts of vitamins and fiber. They are a rich source of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and normalizes blood pressure. Rich in manganese and potassium, it builds and strengthens the bones of the growing fetus. Being high in flavonoids strawberries have a strong potential to reduce the risk of cancer. The folate content helps in minimizing the risk of neural tube defects.
4.Apricots: Apricots are a type of ᴅʀᴜᴘᴇ or stone fruits, where both the kernel and the flesh are edible. Apricots are ʜɪɢʜ in fiber and excellent for facilitating ʙᴏᴡᴇʟ movement in ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ women as during ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ the GI ᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ Fᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ becomes sluggish. Apricots contain ᴠɪᴛᴀᴍɪɴ A, C, E, ʙᴇᴛᴀ ᴄᴀʀᴏᴛᴇɴᴇ, ᴘʜᴏsᴘʜᴏʀᴜs, sɪʟɪᴄᴏɴ, ᴄᴀʟᴄɪᴜᴍ, ɪʀᴏɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴛᴀssɪᴜᴍ. Also, they are a good source of micronutrients such as ᴄᴏᴘᴘᴇʀ, ᴍᴀɢɴᴇsɪᴜᴍ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀɴɢᴀɴᴇsᴇ. These minerals form an ᴇssᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴏɴᴇɴᴛ of some ᴇɴᴢʏᴍᴇs and are vital for sᴜsᴛᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴛᴀʙᴏʟɪᴄ Fᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ of the ʙᴏᴅʏ. They come loaded with all the super nutrients that assist in the healthy development of your baby. And a rich source of iron, which ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ᴀɴᴇᴍɪᴀ. You can have up to two to four apricots a day .
5.Kiwi: This delicious fruit has ɴᴏ ᴄʜᴏʟᴇsᴛʀᴏʟ, and despite having a low amount of sugar, it’s very flavorful. Kiwi fruit is packed with all the essential nutrients such as vitamins C, K, and E, folate, potassium, dietary fiber, choline, copper, ᴍᴀɢɴᴇsɪᴜᴍ, and phosphorus. It helps in ᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ, ʙᴏᴏsᴛs your ɪᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ and energy level, ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇs ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ sᴜɢᴀʀ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ, and ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ᴀɴᴇᴍɪᴀ. Vɪᴛᴀᴍɪɴ K present in Kiwis helps to strengthen the ʙᴏɴᴇs.
6.Avocados: Avocados contain healthful fats that provide energy and help to ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ɴᴇᴜʀᴀʟ ᴛᴜʙᴇ ᴅᴇFᴇᴄᴛs. They also boost the ᴄᴇʟʟs ʀᴇsᴘᴏɴsɪʙʟᴇ for building the sᴋɪɴ and ʙʀᴀɪɴ ᴛɪssᴜᴇs of the developing baby. The ᴘᴏᴛᴀssɪᴜᴍ in avocados can ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇ ʀᴇʟɪᴇF Fʀᴏᴍ ʟᴇɢ ᴄʀᴀᴍᴘs, ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍ that is common during ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ, particularly in the ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴛʀɪᴍᴇsᴛᴇʀ.
7.Mango: The naturally sweet mangoes make a delicious alternative for your sugary treat. They contain heavy amounts of ᴠɪᴛᴀᴍɪɴ C that ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴇs ᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ, ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇs ᴄᴏɴsᴛɪᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, and ʀᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇs you of ᴍɪɴᴏʀ ɪɴFᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs. Mango are rich in fiber, ᴀɴᴛɪᴏxɪᴅᴀɴᴛs, and energy. And ʜɪɢʜ in calories and make a good snack for your ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴛʀɪᴍᴇsᴛᴇʀ when you require more calories. Mangoes are a wonderful source of ʙᴇᴛᴀ ᴄᴀʀᴏᴛᴇɴᴇ and are beneficial for maintaining good hair and skin.
8.Watermelon: This juicy fruit is very healthy for ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ women. It helps in ʀᴇʟɪᴇᴠɪɴɢ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴜʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴄɪᴅɪᴛʏ, thanks to its soothing nature. Watermelon is also effective in ᴍᴀɴᴀɢɪɴɢ ɴᴀᴜsᴇᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ sɪᴄᴋɴᴇss. A glass of fresh watermelon juice in the morning will ᴋᴇᴇᴘ you energized throughout the day. As its name suggests, watermelon contains about 90% water, which means it is the best source to ᴋᴇᴇᴘ your ʙᴏᴅʏ hydrated if you can’t drink much water.
9.Apple: Apples are full of fiber and ᴀɴᴛɪᴏxɪᴅᴀɴᴛs, and are beneficial to both the mother and baby. DᴇᴛᴏxɪFʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ Fʀᴏᴍ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ. Enhance the ɪᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ and strength of your baby. There is a ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ʀɪsᴋ of ᴡʜᴇᴇᴢɪɴɢ, ᴀsᴛʜᴍᴀ, and ᴇᴄᴢᴇᴍᴀ in your child in the ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ sᴛᴀɢᴇs ᴏF ʟɪFᴇ. Apples are rich in ɪɴsᴏʟᴜʙʟᴇ Fɪʙᴇʀs and ᴀɪᴅ ᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ, ɪᴍᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴇᴛᴀʙᴏʟɪsᴍ, and ᴅᴇᴄʀᴇᴀsᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇsᴛɪɴᴀʟ ᴅɪsᴏʀᴅᴇʀs. Their ʜɪɢʜ ᴘʜᴇɴᴏʟɪᴄ content contributes towards sᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴄᴀʀᴅɪᴏᴠᴀsᴄᴜʟᴀʀ health and ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴠᴇssᴇʟs from ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴏᴛs.
Pomegranates: The red, pearly pomegranates are nature’s gift to ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ women because of their dense nutrients. Pomegranates contain ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛs of ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ, ᴄᴀʟᴄɪᴜᴍ, Fᴏʟᴀᴛᴇ, ɪʀᴏɴ, ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇɪɴ, and ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɴᴜᴛʀɪᴇɴᴛs. The fiber content helps ᴇᴀsᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴛɪᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴀɪɴ. It is one of the ʙᴇsᴛ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴄᴜʀᴇs for ɪʀᴏɴ ᴅᴇFɪᴄɪᴇɴᴄʏ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs. Vɪᴛᴀᴍɪɴ K plays a prominent role in strengthening both the mother-to-be and baby’s ʙᴏɴᴇs. Drinking pomegranate juice in moderation helps ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪsᴋ ᴏF ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ .
