Maintaining nutritional intake during pregnancy is very important. One of them is to eat vegetables for pregnant women. Not only fulfilling nutritional needs, vegetables can also support fetal development and of course maintain the health of pregnant women.
Vegetables contain a variety of nutrients that are beneficial for pregnant women and fetuses, such as folate, potassium, vitamin C, and beta carotene. In addition, the fiber content in vegetables can also prevent various conditions that are prone to occur during pregnancy, such as constipation and hemorrhoids.
Various Vegetables for Pregnant Women
Nutrition during pregnancy can be met by eating a variety of foods and one of them is vegetables. Well, there are some vegetables for pregnant women that are certainly healthy and good for consumption during pregnancy, namely:
1. Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the vegetables for pregnant women which is rich in antioxidants and fiber. In addition, these vegetables contain a variety of vitamins, such as vitamin A and folate, as well as minerals, such as calcium and iron.
Calcium and folate are needed during pregnancy because they can support the development of the bones and brain of the fetus.
2. Nuts
Nuts, including peas and peanuts, are a good source of protein for pregnant women. In addition, nuts also contain other nutrients needed during pregnancy, such as iron, folate, potassium, and magnesium.
The fiber content in nuts is also known to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids which are common during pregnancy.
3. Spinach
Just like broccoli, spinach is a vegetable for pregnant women that is rich in nutrients, such as calcium, iron, and folate. Folate itself is an important nutrient for pregnant women, because it can reduce the risk of abnormalities in the formation of the baby's nerves, such as spina bifida or anencephaly.
4. Tomato
The content of potassium, folate, vitamin K, and vitamin C in tomatoes is important to help the absorption of iron. Iron is needed by pregnant women to increase the production of red blood cells that can support fetal growth and prevent anemia.
5. Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are one of the vegetables for pregnant women that are good for consumption because they contain high levels of vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A is needed by the fetus to support the formation and growth of bones, lungs, eyes, and even skin.
In addition, sweet potatoes also contain vitamin B6 which can help pregnant women cope morning sickness.
There are many other types of vegetables for pregnant women that can be consumed, such as carrots, pumpkin, mustard greens, cauliflower, and dark green leafy vegetables.
How to Process and Serve Vegetables for Pregnant Women
Pregnant women can process vegetables by steaming, boiling, roasting, or sautéing. In addition, pregnant women can also mix it with fruit, process it into juice, or make a vegetable omelette.
In serving vegetables to pregnant women, there are several ways to process raw vegetables so that pregnant women avoid food poisoning or other dangers that can occur. Here's how:
- Wash the vegetables that you want to process until they are really clean by scrubbing all the vegetables under running water and cutting the parts of the vegetables that look damaged.
- Avoid cleaning vegetables using soap or detergent.
- Wash your hands and all kitchen utensils that you want to use thoroughly before processing vegetables.
- Use a different cutting board to cut raw vegetables and meat to avoid bacterial contamination.
Pregnant women need to remember that vegetables that have been purchased should be immediately stored in the refrigerator and cooked in the right way. This is so that vegetables for pregnant women are protected from bacterial contamination that can harm pregnancy and the fetus.
If you still have questions about vegetables for pregnant women that are safe for consumption, consult a doctor or use Fitus chat with the doctor through the ALODOKTER application. Don't forget to check the condition of pregnancy regularly to the obstetrician so that the health of pregnant women and fetuses is maintained.
