Are you eating for two? With all the health warnings that are around today, pregnancy can be a confusing time for moms wanting to do the very best for their developing baby. This article will give you a list of sensible, reliable advice for foods to avoid while you are pregnant. * Fast food, fried food and junk food. These are high in fat and calories and have very little nutritional value. * Processed foods. The more your food has been handled, the fewer nutrients it will contain. Choose whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables more often. * Sauces, gravies, and butter. They all contain a lot of fat and calories. Look for low-fat versions whenever possible. * Prepared frozen meals. Although convenient, they can be loaded with fat and calories. * Fish known to contain high levels of mercury - these are billfish (sworfish, broadbill and marlin), shark (flake), orange roughy (sea perch), gemfish, southern blue fin tuna and catfish. these contain methyl mercury, which is known to affect the developing child's brain. You may want to make up for Omega-3s by choosing a high quality supplementation. * Raw or undercooked meat and poultry and unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses (such as brie and camembert) and pate are all possible sources of bacteria that may affect your baby. Any dish containing raw eggs, such as Caesar dressing, egg nog, hollandaise sauce asre a potential source of Salmonella. Remember that your baby 'eats' what you eat. * Don't skip breakfast. Both you and your baby need to start the day off right. Missing breakfast means that you will need to spend the rest of the day catching up and this may cause you to over eat. * Don't over-serve. Keep your portions small. This will also keep you from eating too much. * You should not smoke or be around people who do. * You should not drink alcohol, which has a variety of negative effects on your developing baby. |
