Maternal nutrition is crucial, as you are essentially eating for two. And not just in terms of quantity, it must also make up for it in quantity, catering to every essential nutrient, both macro and micronutrients. During pregnancy, the food choices should go beyond satiating the increased hunger as the nutrition will directly impact your baby’s growth, organ formation, brain development, and long-term health.
French biochemist and New York Times bestselling author Jessie Inchauspé, in her recent post on April 4, shared about which nutrients expecting mothers should prioritise in their diets. She highlighted that focusing on certain nutrients can help with the baby’s development, organ growth and overall health. It also protects the mother’s health and maintains stable energy levels throughout the pregnancy. Let’s see which nutrients she mentioned and why you should add the sources to your diet
Here are some of the nutrients she advised, along with some you should consider limiting:
1. Choline
The biochemist recommended consuming choline daily, around 450 mg.
Here are some of the 4 sources she mentioned:
- Primary source: Eat 4 eggs per day (one egg yolk contains about 125 m of choline.
- Other good sources of choline: chicken, beef or fish (75-80 mg, per 100g), cottage cheese (20 mg, per 100g), yoghurt (16 per 100g)
Since choline is so essential for a baby’s brain development, you need to add enough sources to make it to 450 mg of choline every day. “If you don’t eat animal foods, soybeans are the richest plant source of choline (48 mg per 100g), and you can take a choline bitartrate supplement (ask your doctor about it),” she recommended some veg sources too.
2. Protein
Protein needs also need to increase. “Try to eat at least 1.5 g of protein per kilogram of pre-pregnancy body weight per day in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters,” she mentioned. Protein helps to strengthen the development of the baby’s organs.
3. Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, are important for the baby’s brain, and teh biochemist noted that it also helps to prevent premature births. Among the many sources, she recommended eating fatty fish, 1 serving, 3 times per week. Listing some names of fish, she insisted, “Try to eat fatty fish three times per week, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring, and choose a dietary supplement rich in DHA.”
Lastly, Jesse warned against sugar and strongly urged limiting it to stay below 25 grams of added sugar. “During pregnancy, glucose crosses the placenta and can affect your baby’s metabolic programming and future metabolic health,” she mentioned the dangers and how cutting down on sugar intake helps reduce inflammation and prevents excess insulin spikes in teh baby, which in turn lowers the risk of diabetes and obesity later in life.
When you begin to include maternal nutrition-friendly food sources, you are likely to have higher chances of successful pregnancy outcomes with better baby health.
