7 Super-Fruits You Can’t Ignore When Pregnant, and 3 Foods to Avoid

Introduction

Carrying those little bundles of joy inside you must be exciting! As you await the arrival of your beautiful babies, it’s important to choose food that is healthy for both you and your unborn child. Fruits are one of nature’s most nutritious gifts to us, and in this blog, we’ll show you 7 super-fruits you can’t ignore when pregnant.

What are the fruits pregnant women should eat?

Eating fruits aids in avoiding constipation, a typical pregnancy symptom. Hence you won’t regret it if you make your way to the grocery store produce section.
Avocados, Oranges, Bananas, Mangoes, Tomatoes, Grapes, and Red Bell Peppers are great fruit choices for pregnant women.

1. Avocados 🥑

Avocados are an excellent source of folate, potassium, and vitamin E. They are filled with vitamins and healthy minerals and are nutritious and known to prevent heart disease and cancer due to their beneficial monounsaturated fat content.
Avocado is certain to keep your body healthy while pregnant!
Avocados are also a good source of fibre, which helps keeps the digestive system healthy, and their potassium and magnesium content; some women claim that eating avocados during pregnancy helps them feel less queasy.

2. Oranges 🍊

Oranges keep you hydrated and are a great source of Folate B, which helps the body absorb iron and aids brain development in unborn children.

High blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and diabetes are some of the risks of pregnancy, consuming healthy sugars from oranges rather than synthetic sugars will help lower that risk.

Another reason orange makes it to the list of superfruits for pregnant women is its good potassium content, which helps lower blood pressure and reduces constipation symptoms.

Do you want your child to develop good vision and glowing skin during pregnancy? Then what better fruit to consume than one loaded with Vitamin A? You guessed it, oranges!

Finally, orange is a great source of vitamin B6 which is essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system during pregnancy! That means you’ll feel more relaxed when you eat these sweet treats daily as part of your diet plan!

3. Red Bell Peppers 🫑

Red bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, which helps to prevent colds and flu. They are also a good source of folate, vitamin K and B6.

Red bell peppers contain carotenoids, which help protect the body from free radicals (free radicals can damage cells and lead to cancer if they go unchecked). Carotenoids neutralize these harmful Free radicals by tagging them with oxygen atoms which neutralize their harmful components.

Red Bell peppers are also a good source of fibre, which helps maintain bowel health, lowers cholesterol levels, controls blood sugar levels, and aids in achieving a healthy weight.

4. Tomatoes 🍅

Widely consumed globally, tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect against cancer. In addition, their high vitamin C content enhances iron absorption and helps build a robust immune system.

If you need a good reason to add tomatoes to your diet when pregnant, their rich calorie provides enough energy and reduces lethargy – a common pregnancy symptom.

Bloating is common during pregnancy and eating a healthy amount of tomatoes helps reduce it. This is due to its dietary fibre content, which stimulates digestive juices, bulks up stools, and promotes peristaltic movements of the digestive muscles, for easy excretion.

5. Grapes 🍇

Grapes are a good source of vitamin C, which is excellent for your immune system. They also contain resveratrol, an antioxidant in grapes, and red wine with anti-inflammatory properties. In some studies, resveratrol has been shown to reduce heart and cardiovascular disease risk.

Grapes are also a good source of potassium (more than oranges), fibre, and antioxidants—all benefits for pregnant women trying to stay healthy!

6. Bananas 🍌

Bananas are a dependable source of potassium, fibre, vitamin C and B6. Vitamin B6 may be helpful in reducing morning sickness and vomiting in the early stages of pregnancy.

7. Mangoes 🥭

Mangoes are high in vitamin A, which its deficiency at birth is associated with lower immunity and a higher risk of complications, like diarrhoea and respiratory infections

Check out our comprehensive test kit for pregnant women, Healthy Pregnancy & Baby Test Kit.

It is essential to be getting enough fruit when pregnant for your health as well as the baby’s.

Why?

Because eating fruits helps reduce digestion issues during pregnancy due to their high fibre content. It also helps relieve constipation symptoms like diarrhoea or gas pains at night when lying down.

What are the foods pregnant women should avoid eating?

Although most foods are safe to consume while pregnant, there are some things you should watch out for or stay away from.

Cheese, milk and other dairy alternatives:

As a pregnant woman, knowing which foods are good for you and your baby is ideal.

Here are the cheese, milk and other dairy alternatives you CAN EAT:

• Pasteurised yoghurt, milk, cream and ice cream.
• Pasteurised soft cheeses like mozzarella, feta and cottage cheese

Cheese, milk and other dairy alternatives to AVOID when pregnant:

• Foods made from unpasteurized milk
• Unpasteurised cows’ milk, goats’ milk, and cream
• Pasteurised or unpasteurised mould-ripened soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert

Avoid unpasteurized or soft-ripened dairy products because they may contain Listeria bacteria, which causes listeriosis infection. Listeriosis can lead to miscarriage or stillbirths in pregnant women.

Meat and poultry products;

Chicken, beef, and pork with no trace of blood in them and are well cooked are ideal for eating. However, avoid imported meats like salami and chorizo unless appropriately cooked.

Meats and poultry to avoid when pregnant:

• Liver & liver products
• Raw or undercooked meats (like rare steak)

Eating raw or undercooked meat leaves you at risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. A leading cause of miscarriage. Unsure if you are at risk of toxoplasmosis, order our comprehensive healthy pregnancy and baby test kit here, which tests you and the baby for Toxoplasma, Rubella, and  Ultrasound to see the baby’s development and more.

Other foods and drinks to avoid;

Coffee

Pregnant women who love coffee should consume a healthy amount of it during this time. You can have caffeine but no more than 200mg daily. Here is the caffeine content in some everyday products:

• 100mg in a mug of instant coffee
• 40mg in a can of cola
• 80mg in a 250ml can of energy drink

Alcohol

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm your unborn child in the long run. The best course of action if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant is to abstain from alcohol completely.

In conclusion, some of these foods can be quite hard on your digestive system, so it’s essential to make sure you consume them in moderation. But the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables are well documented—and even if you don’t plan on becoming pregnant (or want to), there are plenty of other reasons why it should be a regular part of your diet. So try incorporating these fruits into your everyday meals or snacks today!

At Paramount LifeCare, we simplify health care and make it more accessible. Order a test kit from your phone or book a health consultation with health professionals on paramountlifecare