Five essential foods for pregnant women

Pregnant women need more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, but there are some foods that pregnant women should avoid.

Foods that pregnant women should eat;

1) Foods that contain vitamin C, such as oranges, strawberries, peppers and broccoli, which help the child’s development and improve iron absorption.

2) Foods that contain iron such as beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, meat and spinach which are useful for making more blood in both mother and baby.

3) Calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese, as well as almonds and broccoli that help in bone and tooth growth.

4) Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as sardine fish, salmon fish, trout fish and tuna fish.

5) Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated helps in the proper delivery of nutrients through the blood to the baby and can help prevent constipation and urinary tract infections in the mother.

Foods that pregnant women should avoid;

1) Stay away from frozen items such as early cooked food in the fridge. They may contain bacteria that cause foodborne illness that can cause flu-like symptoms, nausea, diarrhea, and miscarriage.

2) Eating food locked in a broken can may increase the risk of botulism. Botulism is a food-borne disease that can cause neurological complications for pregnant women.

3) Avoid the use of raw seafood such as sushi or raw oysters. It increases the risk of Salmonella, another foodborne disease that can cause fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea for pregnant women.