Why fruits and vegetables are so important during pregnancy

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Why fruits and vegetables are so important during pregnancyPacked with essential nutrients and full of fiber, fruits and vegetables are an important part of any healthy diet — and should fill your kitchen when you're pregnant. The vitamins and minerals in a cantaloupe or bowl of strawberries, for example, help your fetus grow and give you the energy you need to get through a long day. Key vitamins in this food group include beta carotene, needed for your baby's cell and tissue development, vision, and immune system; vitamin C, crucial for your baby's bones and teeth, and the collagen in your baby's connective tissue; and folic acid, which helps prevent neural tube defects and promotes good birth weight.The fiber content of fruits and vegetables also provides a number of benefits, including keeping your bowels moving, which can help prevent constipation and hemorrhoids.

 

Recommended servingsAs often as possible, try to eat seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day (three servings of fruit and four of vegetables) . A rule of thumb for making sure you're getting the best nutrition you can is to vary the colors of the fruit and vegetables you eat. See the lists, below, for recommended serving sizes.Top-rated fruits (recommended serving size) • 1 cup cubed papaya • 1/8 cantaloupe • 1/2 cup strawberries • 2 small oranges or 1/2 cup orange juice • 2 small tangerines • 1 kiwi • 1/2 medium mango • 2 large fresh or dried apricots • 1/2 medium persimmon • 1 1/3 cup raspberries or blackberries • 1/2 grapefruit or 1/2 cup grapefruit juiceOther fruits (recommended serving size) • 2/3 cup blueberries • 2/3 cup pitted fresh cherries • 1 slice of pineapple • 1 medium pear • 1 small banana • 1 apple • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce • 2/3 cup grapesLeafy greens and yellow vegetables (recommended serving size) • 1/2 cup cooked spinach • 1/2 cup cooked collard greens • 1 1/2 cups endive or escarole • 1/3 cup cooked kale or mustard greens • 1/3 cup cooked beet greens • 3/4 cup cooked broccoli or turnip greens • 8-10 dark green lettuce leaves • 1/4 cup cooked winter squash • 1/3 cup cooked Swiss chard • 1/4 small sweet potato or yam • 2/3 cup zucchini • 1 medium potato • 1/2 cup parsley • 1/2 cup pea pods • 1/2 cup tomatoes • 1 cup fresh mushrooms • 1/2 cup bean sprouts • 3/4 cup green beans • 6 asparagus spears • 2/3 cup brussels sprouts • 1/2 cup okra

 

 

 

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