Getting excellent nutrition when pregnant is essential. Although we’re not knocking giving in to your food cravings (in moderation), it’s important to understand the roles the foods you eat play in your baby’s development. We know that pregnancy can flip the switch on your tastebuds at a moment’s notice. You can go from despising pickles to only craving pickles at the drop of a hat. But while you’re indulging in your favorite snacks, try incorporating some healthier foods that can have significant benefits on your and your baby’s overall health. We can show you some of the best foods to eat when pregnant!

We recommend starting with creating an eating plan. Your healthy pregnancy diet should consist of the following: proteins, vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, fiber, fluids, and complex carbohydrates. As you create your plan, we recommend enlisting the expertise of your obstetrician and a nutritionist. Every pregnancy is different and, based on yours, they might have suggestions on foods to avoid or foods to eat more of.

Although there are far more than 12 foods that you can eat while pregnant, we’re showcasing a few of our favorites that will help keep you and your baby healthy.

Credit: Irina Murza

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes really are a superfood. Not only are they delicious mashed, roasted, or baked, they’re also rich in beta-carotene, which is a plant compound that converts into vitamin A within our bodies. Vitamin A is essential for your baby’s development, especially in the first trimester.

These orange beauties are also an excellent source of fiber, which helps keep you full longer and has other benefits like reducing blood sugar spikes and improving digestive health (which is a godsend should pregnancy constipation hit). And when cooked, gets a boost in vitamin C.

Dark and Leafy Greens

Dark and leafy greens are perhaps the most versatile foods on our list and some of the best foods to eat when pregnant. This roundup includes kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, and even broccoli. They can be incorporated in many dishes and pack a laundry list of good stuff, including fiber, calcium, folate, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K. And when cooked, it boosts the benefits significantly. Dark leafy green has been linked to reducing low birth weight and also sluggishness.

Wild Salmon

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One of the first things you hear when you become pregnant is to limit the amount of seafood you eat because of mercury. Rejoice! You can still eat fatty fish like salmon. What makes this flaky fish so important is that it’s full of omega-3 fatty acids, which have a host of benefits, including building the brain and eyes of your baby, reducing prenatal depression, and increasing gestational length. Another benefit to consider is that salmon is a natural source of vitamin D necessary for bone health and immune function.

Nuts

Another legume to add to your diet is nuts. Fats are necessary for your baby’s brain development, and snacking on nuts like almonds, walnuts, or peanuts can greatly contribute. Other important vitamins and minerals they provide include magnesium, zinc, potassium, and vitamin E, along with protein and fiber. Each nut has its own nutritional profile, so before you start stocking up, research which ones are most beneficial for your pregnancy.

Lean Meat

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Amino acids are the building blocks of every cell in your and your baby’s bodies, and the best and healthiest way you can stock up on those is through lean meats like chicken or turkey. They’re also one of the largest protein sources; known for keeping your hunger at bay and stabilizing your blood sugar.

What makes lean meat one of the best foods to eat when pregnant is its high iron content. Your daily iron needs double during pregnancy, and iron-rich foods like lean meat help your baby’s brain development and its red blood cell supply. It also helps replenish yours, too!

Eggs

Without dispute, eggs are the most widely known source of protein. Did you know a single large egg can supply up to 6 grams of your daily protein requirements? It’s common for some women to develop an aversion to meat when pregnant, so eggs can also serve as an excellent protein alternative.

Like salmon, it’s also one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D, which is key in helping your baby get calcium for building strong bones and teeth. For mom, it helps keep the immune system in fighting shape, combats the risk of low birth weight, and developing preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.

Lentils

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Many may not be familiar with this legume, but they should be. Lentils are perfect for meat-eaters and those with plant-based diets alike. When carrying, your body requires 10 extra grams of protein a day (for a total of 60 grams), and lentils pack a whopping 15-17 grams per cup.

They’re also a high plant-based source of fiber and iron. But most importantly, it meets half of your daily folate requirement, an essential B vitamin that is needed in forming your baby’s brain and nervous system. It’s even believed to protect from developing the spinal birth disorder spina bifida.

Water

We know it’s technically not food, but it’s still a supremely beneficial thing for you to include in your diet. Many of us grew up believing that we’re supposed to consume 6 8 oz. glasses of water a day. According to Healthline, when you’re expecting, your blood volume increases to about 45 percent, which requires you to drink more water — 80 ounces, or 10 8 oz. glasses of water per day. There are many reasons why drinking water throughout your pregnancy is so essential. The main one is that it helps deliver the nutrients you ingest to your baby and helps its body make new cells.

For mom, drinking enough water can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), constipation, hemorrhoids, fatigue, swelling, and headaches. Most of all dehydration can put you at risk for early labor. If you struggle to guzzle the recommended daily amount, worry not; you also get water from the foods you eat!

Avocado

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This creamy green fruit is perhaps the most nutrient-rich item on our list. Avocados a great food choice pre, during, and post-pregnancy. They’re a huge source of monosaturated fatty acids, which is what gives it its buttery, rich taste. What makes avocados one of the best foods to eat when pregnant is that it packs a wealth of nutrients with even greater benefits. They’re high in fiber, B vitamins like folate, vitamins E, C, and K, potassium (more than bananas!), and copper.

Its healthy fats help build things like your little one’s skin, brain, and tissues. The folate count may help prevent neural tube defects and developmental abnormalities of the brain and spine. And lastly, potassium and B6 can fight leg cramps and morning sickness, respectively.

Whole Grains

Whole grains aren’t just limited to bread; they also consist of favorites like oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley, and wheat berries. Whole grains are packed with fiber, vitamins, and plant compounds, which are essential to nourishing your baby and fueling their development while in the womb. If you’re a bread lover, we suggest switching to whole wheat, which not only has zinc and iron, but it also has 2 grams of fiber per slice.

Red Bell Peppers

Another one of the best foods you should eat when pregnant are red bell peppers. They can be sprinkled over a whole wheat crust pizza or eaten as a simple snack with ranch. Picture this: just one of these gorgeous red vegetables packs almost three times as much vitamin C as an orange, which is well-known for keeping our immune systems in fighting form. Red bell peppers are also a source of vitamin A, fiber, and antioxidants. The latter of which helps promote fetal brain development and helps the mom’s body absorb iron.

Yogurt

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Calcium is a must-have in your daily diet. It’s responsible for helping your baby form strong bones while keeping yours healthy, too, and supporting nerve and muscle function. Just one cup of plain yogurt earns you 30 percent of your daily calcium requirements, and it also features folates and high-quality proteins like casein and whey. If you opt for Greek yogurt, it can double the benefits. Yogurts, especially Greek, are often enhanced with probiotics, which are a good gut bacterium. They can prevent your baby from developing eczema as well as other allergies later in life.

2Me Healthcare

Keeping your baby healthy throughout your pregnancy and beyond is an integral part of your journey to motherhood. At 2Me Healthcare, we offer concierge OB care in the privacy and safety of your worn home, so you don’t have to rush to the doctor’s office or stress about your appointment. Every high-touch service needed to make your extraordinary journey a stress-free experience is a necessity for us, even advising you on the best foods to eat when pregnant.

If you’re looking for a dedicated, passionate, and attentive OB/GYN team, contact us at 2Me Healthcare or (833) 692-6342.