8 must-have vegetables for pregnancy

Eating right is important during pregnancy. Do it the right way with these super food.

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: October 9, 2014 5:11 pm

Eating right is important during pregnancy. But what you eat plays a major role in your wellbeing and that of fetal growth and development. Vegetables form an important part of one’s daily diet. Though meat, egg and fish are good sources of protein and minerals but the varied benefits that a pregnant woman can gain by consuming fresh vegetables cannot be ignored. Here are some of the vegetables that an expectant mum should gorge on for her baby’s wellbeing and her own health.

Leafy greens: Even if you despise them know that they are the best pregnancy foods that you can ever have. Choose spinach, fenugreek, mustard greens, collard greens, leafy lettuce and make them a regular in your diet plan. They are a great source of folate and calcium with a whole lot of other important micronutrients like manganese, potassium, fibre, iron and traces of other important vitamins. Need more reasons to add these greens on your plate? The nutrients in these veggies protect your baby from developing congenital defects like spina bifida. Also read the seven essentials every pregnant woman should have.

Broccoli: Add this veggie to your diet to get its dual benefits – calcium and folate. Want more out of it? There are traces of fibre, antioxidants, iron and other micronutrients that make it almost a super-food for a mum-to-be.

Sweet potatoes: They are high in their nutritional value. Apart from being a rich source of vitamin A they are also high in potassium and dietary fibre. Potassium prepares the mother well for the lactation phase, while the dietary fibre in the veggie helps fight constipation, a nagging symptom of pregnancy. Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin B-6 which helps in red blood cell formation in the fetus and prevent morning sickness in the mothers.

Bell peppers: We all know that fruits especially citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. But veggies aren’t much far behind. Did you know bell peppers are a rich source of vitamin C which helps in repair and growth of the tissues in the body? Well there is more surprise for you — one whole red bell pepper has 209 mg of vitamin C which is three times the vitamin C found in an orange. Eat them and add them in abundance in your stir fried veggies, they will help up your intake of vitamin C and subsequently help in iron absorption too. Also read food that you should avoid during pregnancy

Tomatoes: They are an all time favorite among the other veggies. You can use them as salads, add to stir fries or just have them raw. They are high in vitamin C and iron content and also have antioxidants that can protect against cell damage during pregnancy.

Green peas: It’s difficult to incorporate protein from a vegetable source. But green peas just present you with it in large amounts. Apart from proteins they are also rich in vitamin K that helps to maintain the health of the bones. Adequate protein helps to fight pregnancy-fatigue and the fiber content helps to deal with constipation too.

Avocados: Though a bit uncommon if compared to the other regular veggies but is packed with a lot many nutrients. Avocados are rich in fibre, vitamin K, folate, potassium and vitamin B6. They also help in the brain and tissue growth of the baby. Also read about the important citrus fruits to be had during pregnancy.

Beetroots: This vegetable has the capacity to purify blood during pregnancy and protect the developing baby from any sort of birth defects. Rich in folic acid, vitamin C and iron content, beetroot helps in removing the toxics from the body and in proper functioning of the liver. That means a better functioning digestive system and a healthy pregnancy for you.

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Published: June 12, 2014 5:30 pm | Updated:October 9, 2014 5:11 pm

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