It’s colorful, and crunchy and has more than earned its place as the basis of our food pyramid: vegetables have more to offer than just being a side dish. In any case, food should have two properties during your pregnancy: promote your child and you in your healthy development and enable you to enjoy and relax during this challenging time.
How much can you trust a crisp salad or steamed veggies? Are all vegetables healthy for you during pregnancy?
As an expectant mother, you have many unanswered questions that accompany you. A thorough look at the vegetables that support your pregnancy is therefore more than understandable.
Are vegetables an enrichment during pregnancy?
Yes, vegetables are also the basis of a healthy diet during pregnancy. Its vitamins, minerals, and plant active ingredients strengthen your immune system, promote your metabolism, and can prevent health risks.
Above all, they enrich your everyday life with their diverse aromas.
With a balanced diet during pregnancy, in which vegetables play a major role, you can above all:
- Promote the development of your baby and prevent deficiency diseases
- Keep the blood sugar and blood fats in check in your metabolism and thus prevent, for example, gestational diabetes
- Lift your spirits: Vegetables can strengthen your nerves and be extremely tasty
While some vegetables definitely belong in your diet, you have to be careful with others. A number of plant substances that generally have a positive effect can pose risks for you during pregnancy (see below).
Vegetables are not always healthy in every form. Vegetables after a long transport or in can often contain only a few vital substances, whereas frozen vegetables can often surprise you in a positive way.
Vegetables During Pregnancy
Vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals – this is now well documented and also well known. The vegetable suppliers of vital substances have some advantages over animal foods for you during pregnancy.
What makes vegetables a superfood for you as a mother-to-be is above all:
Vitamins, minerals, and active plant ingredients such as beta-carotene
Fiber strengthens your immune system and promotes digestion
“Green protein”: vegetable proteins provide a source of energy without putting a strain on your cardiovascular system.
For example, sweet potatoes or carrots are safe sources of vitamin A when you are pregnant. They contain beta-carotene, which your body converts into an essential vitamin when it needs it.
Dietary supplements and animal sources such as liver, on the other hand, harbor a risk: they contain pure vitamin A, which can cause malformations and organ damage in the event of an overdose.
Fiber is also often underestimated. They ensure a well-developed intestinal flora. Which in turn strengthens good digestion and our immune system: many infections are eliminated in the gastrointestinal tract before they can become dangerous.
As an expectant mother, you benefit from vegetables. Some types of vegetables combine these advantages in a special way. You should definitely rely on them during pregnancy.
Carrots During Pregnancy
The carrot is crunchy and colorful and you can enjoy it raw or cooked. What makes them special is also in their name: beta-carotene. This allows you to optimally supply yourself with vitamin A without having to worry about an overdose.
Carrots also provide you with vitamins B1 and B6. They contribute to a healthy nervous system during your pregnancy. In addition, root vegetables have very few calories and are therefore ideal as a snack in between.
Broccoli During Pregnancy
What many get expensive from the pharmacy, broccoli provides you cheaply and naturally during pregnancy: almost all the vitamins and minerals that you need during pregnancy.
You should therefore only steam or cook it for a short time – this preserves the majority of the vital substances.
Broccoli is particularly high in vitamin C and folic acid. It shares this characteristic with its relatives from the cabbage-vegetable species family. However, he also has an unpleasant trait from his relatives: he can sometimes cause flatulence.
Read Also: Cheese You Can Eat During Pregnancy
Beets During Pregnancy – Protect Your Cells
Unfortunately, beetroot is one of the most often misunderstood vegetables. It not only provides a lot of folic acids, phosphate, and iron but also the plant pigment betaine, which protects cells and thus strengthens your immune system.
Even if red root juice isn’t one of your favorite beverages during pregnancy, you might want to give the odd salad or stew a try. Beetroot is a key ingredient in the delicious and traditional borscht.
Okra Water During Pregnancy Third Trimester
It is said that women who consume okra or okra water during their pregnancy give birth more easily. The vitamins it contains prevent the birth defect known as spina bifida. Experts recommend the consumption of okra during the 4th and 12th week of pregnancy since it is in this period when the fetus develops its nervous system.
The folic acid it contains also stimulates the growth of the fetus and the neural tube. It is also important for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and red blood cells. Okra is a rich source of vitamin C, which increases the absorption of iron, an essential benefit for the proper growth and development of the baby. Additionally, it strengthens the immune system and contributes to the development of the skin, bones, and blood vessels.
The power food Spinach during your pregnancy
The misconception that spinach contains a particularly large amount of iron has now been cleared up. However, leafy greens remain at the top of the list of recommended foods to eat during pregnancy.
Spinach contains almost all the necessary minerals and is rich in vitamins E, B2, B6 and C. This makes it a valuable vegetable during pregnancy.
Savoy Cabbage during your Pregnancy: Folic Acid and Calcium for Expectant Mothers
Savoy cabbage is a member of the cabbage family, with all its advantages and disadvantages. It is particularly characterized by a high proportion of folic acid, calcium and phosphate.
Incidentally, in order to be able to fully enjoy the benefits, it is advisable to prepare savoy cabbage with caraway or thyme – this will prevent unwanted gas formation.
Chard during your pregnancy for calcium and magnesium
The list of vital substances in chard is impressive: beta-carotene, vitamin E, B1, B2, C, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and iron are the most important.
For nutritionists, Swiss chard is therefore an indispensable part of a balanced diet during pregnancy. When buying, you should make sure that the leaves are crisp and fresh – that way you get the full vitality package.
Brussels sprouts during your pregnancy bring vitamin C and beta-carotene
Brussels sprouts can support you during pregnancy, especially with vitamin C, folic acid and some minerals – especially iron. By the way, cabbage sprouts also taste good in a salad.
Like many types of cabbage, it is an excellent winter vegetable: the cabbage buds that are harvested shortly after the first frost taste best.
Sweet potatoes during your pregnancy provide energy and vital substances
The sweet potato (batata) is still not very common in this country, but is an excellent alternative to conventional potatoes during your pregnancy: it is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins E and C, potassium, iron and zinc.
The sweet tuber vegetable can be boiled, baked, and roasted like conventional potatoes. Sweet potato fries from the oven are not only an enrichment in terms of taste, they are also lower in calories.
Salsify during pregnancy
Black salsify was only known as an asparagus substitute for a long time. Luckily that has now changed. The vital substances that it brings to your menu ensure its place as a superfood for pregnant women: it is rich in vitamins B1, B6 as well as iron and phosphate.
It can be processed flexibly and is equally delicious as a black salsify soup or salad. In any case, its ingredients will ensure you have strong nerves during pregnancy.
Cauliflower during your pregnancy: healthy and mild
Cauliflower is the first choice for you during pregnancy if you are looking for healthy and easily digestible cabbage. It keeps up the healthy family tradition and is very high in folic acid and vitamin C.
By the way, an interesting alternative is the Romanesco, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. This offshoot contains even more proteins and minerals and, like cauliflower, is very well tolerated.
