First Trimester Diet – Becoming a parent by giving birth to a new life through children is something that is both worrying and mixed with joy. There are a number of things that must be considered by pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy. There are foods that must be consumed and which must be avoided or food taboos. Here we will explain a healthy diet for pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy or during the first 1-12 weeks. In the early days of pregnancy, it is important for pregnant women to pay attention to their health, well-being by providing sufficient nutrients that the body needs, and need pleasure and a happy atmosphere from all family members, especially her husband. So, the husband must also understand this condition, because they both want to have a baby, then the struggle must also be passed together.
Good nutrition is important for pregnant women to eat to ensure healthy fetal growth and of course you have to understand what healthy foods should be consumed and foods that should be avoided. In this article, we will explain to all of you, especially those who are planning a pregnancy and those of you who are in the first trimester of pregnancy. Let’s listen to the end, hopefully useful!
15 Best Foods for Pregnant Women in First Trimester
This is a collection of first trimester diet foods and nutritional sources that should be consumed during the first trimester of pregnancy.
1. Spinach
The spinach is rich in folic acid and iron so it is said to be a food that must be consumed by pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Spinach is great for nourishing the fetus and helping its neural tube develop properly when you are pregnant properly.
In addition, pregnant women often experience anemia or lack of blood. So, pregnant women should consume sources of iron such as spinach, this will help maintain the health of pregnant women and keep them healthy in times of struggle with the fetus. Spinach can be eaten directly as a salad or scrambled with eggs as a breakfast menu. Regular consumption of spinach vegetables, you don’t have to eat a lot, but just do it regularly.
2. Consume lentils and whole grains
Lentils and whole grains are great sources of protein and this is important in the diet of the first trimester of pregnant women. Protein is useful for building fetal tissue and muscles and is important for the formation of the placenta. You can easily consume lentils during pregnancy, there are many recipes that you can make with lentils, for example making lentil soup or making spicy foods such as lentil burgers that you add spinach leaves in.
While whole grains include: barlety, rice, wheat, oats, millet, and corn. To meet daily nutrition during the first trimester of pregnancy, do not miss these healthy foods.
3. Consume Nuts
Nuts are another healthy food that you should not miss during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Now you have to provide nutrition for two people, you and the baby. So, you have to eat more food. How to consume food is to increase the frequency of eating not by eating at once with large portions. You can eat a handful of nuts every day, or you can crush the nuts and sprinkle them on top of ice cream or yogurt for added flavor.
So, during pregnancy, pregnant women must increase their protein intake, so foods high in protein as we have mentioned in the second point must be consumed and the addition is nuts.
4. Citrus Fruits
Furthermore, an important food for the first trimester diet of pregnancy is consuming citrus fruit. Citrus is rich in folic acid just like spinach where its use is to help the baby’s growth and development. Apart from folic acid, citrus contains citric acid which is also important in preventing birth defects. Easily include citrus fruits in your daily diet, you can eat them in salads, or by making juices. (See more: 6 Best Fruit Juice During Pregnancy)
Citrus fruit is good for consumption every day during the first trimester of the diet, this is to maintain your health and the health of the fetus so that your baby is healthy.
5. Asparagus
Asparagus is another healthy food that should be consumed by pregnant women in the first trimester to meet the needs of nutrients such as vitamins. During pregnancy, pregnant women often experience vitamin deficiencies because they must provide nutrients to two bodies, namely their own body and the body of the fetus. One type of vitamin that is often deficient is vitamin D.
Asparagus is a healthy vegetable that contains vitamin D so it is good for supporting health, its benefits are good for bone growth. You can include grilled or steamed asparagus in your daily diet. Baked asparagus is great for dinner and steamed asparagus is great for breakfast.
Also see: 20 Breakfast Food in America You Have to Try
6. Eggs
Eggs also include healthy foods that should be consumed by pregnant women. This is not only delicious, but eggs contribute vitamins including vitamin D, vitamin A and others which are good for fetal development and good for maintaining the health of pregnant women. The vitamin D content is good for supporting fetal bone health, you can consume boiled eggs in your breakfast food, or eat fried eggs with dinner with fried rice or Malaysian nasi lemak.
7. Eat Figs Fruit
Figs are healthy fruits that come from all over the world, especially the hot summer areas. There are quite a few types of fig plants and all of them are good at contributing a lot of nutrients to pregnant women. Figs fruit is one of the foods that you should include in your first trimester diet to maintain the health of the fetus.
Figs are a fruit that is rich in iron, this is very good for maintaining adequate nutrition during pregnancy, especially preventing anemia. The body must produce red blood cells in greater numbers because of the body’s demand. So, foods rich in iron are important to consume regularly, such as spinach and figs fruit. Figs also contain a lot of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and others, all of which will support your overall health.
8. Broccoli
Broccoli is a healthy vegetable that is rich in folate, fiber and iron which are important for the health of pregnant women and their fetuses. The need for iron during pregnancy increases so that pregnant women should consume iron-rich foods such as broccoli. Iron will provide additional red blood cells so that pregnant women do not have to worry about iron deficiency.
Broccoli is also rich in fiber which is good for preventing constipation during pregnancy. The fiber content is good for smooth digestion, moving waste smoothly so there are no obstacles during pregnancy. So, one of the first trimester diets for pregnant women is to include broccoli in the list of healthy foods.
9. Okra
Okra is a green or red vegetable (according to the variant), it is rich in folic acid which is good for building baby’s intelligence and forming optimal brain health. So, in addition to consuming broccoli, as another source of folic acid is okra. The texture is a bit slippery, slimy but delicious when cooked with various recipes. You can cook it with Indian spices, or by using food ingredients from Bangkok, Thailand as they use it in many street food in Bangkok.
But we prefer fried okra with a little flour, use olive oil to keep your health in check, this is also good for avoiding excessive cholesterol. (read: signs of high cholesterol).
10. Beans
Furthermore, as a healthy food menu in the first trimester of pregnancy is beans. Beans are great for supplying lots of nutrients for muscle health and energy. Beans are an important source of protein for fetal muscle development in the womb. So, this also includes efforts to prevent the baby not develop in the womb. The health of pregnant women is very important to maintain and husbands are also very responsible for the welfare of pregnant women and their fetuses.
One way to consume beans is to include them in salads. You can steam it first to get a softer texture so you are excited to eat it.
11. Yogurt
The next important food for pregnant women in the first trimester is yogurt. Yogurt is a food rich in calcium and vitamin D which is an important nutrient for pregnant women.
You can enjoy yogurt by adding some berries to add to the taste, you can add chocolate or vanilla so that your taste buds are still burning to enjoy nutritious foods during pregnancy.
12. Salmon Fish
In addition to yogurt there are other foods that are rich in vitamins for the first trimester diet, this is salmon which is famous for its omega 3 content and various other nutrients which are very good for the health of pregnant women. Salmon also contains calcium and vitamin D which is very good for the health of pregnant women.
The fish can be enjoyed in the morning along with eggs. Salmon not only contains omega 3 and calcium, but it also contains protein, healthy fats, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium.
13. Chicken
Chicken is one of the healthy foods rich in protein that is important for pregnant women to consume early in their pregnancy or in the first trimester. So, chicken is one of the important foods in the first trimester diet to meet the needs of pregnant women for various nutrients so that pregnant women remain strong and enthusiastic in living the days full of challenges.
14. Lean Beef
Beef is also a healthy food if it is cooked and consumed in the right amount. Beef contains iron and protein which are needed for fetal development and the health of pregnant women.
Healthy beef is meat taken from cows that are fed organic feed such as natural grass, and are not injected with hormones, this is very good for increasing the vitality of pregnant women and providing strength during pregnancy.
15. Collard Greens
Collard Greens is a simple vegetable at a low price, but it offers abundant iron so it is good for the diet of pregnant women. You can add Collard Greens to soups, or cook them as a clear vegetable. It’s equally nutritious and delicious to eat during the day. This vegetable is also delicious added to Sweet Potato Noodles as a substitute for spinach.
16. Dairy products
Next there are dairy products that are important for pregnant women because these foods contain calcium. However, you should limit dairy products that are sold freely in stores because they contain ingredients other than milk.
Among the dairy products that you can try in moderation are A2 cow’s milk, curd, yogurt, cottage cheese, and others.
Foods to Avoid in First Trimester Diet of Pregnancy
There are a number of foods that should be avoided by pregnant women, especially in the early days of pregnancy or in the first trimester. It is true that cravings are normal for pregnant women, but there are certain foods that pregnant women should avoid even if they have cravings. This is a list of foods to avoid in the first trimester diet.
- Fish with high mercury content, including swordfish, shark, king mackerel and others
- Undercooked fish or raw eggs
- Raw poultry or raw red meat
- soft cheese
- Raw Sprouts
- Pawpaw
- raw cabbage
- Pineapple
- Black Grape
- Too much of sugary stuff
Among the supplements you need to take in the first trimester
As we have mentioned above that nutritious food is very important for pregnant women. This includes foods that contain vitamins, calcium, minerals, and balanced nutrients that are very important for pregnant women. Here are some forms of additional nutrition if you lack appetite or do not eat a variety of foods. So, you must consume nutrients in the form of supplements. Among others are:
1. Prenatal Vitamins
If you want your diet to be balanced and healthy, then to meet the body’s nutritional needs, you can take prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins contain a lot of folic acid, for example 400 mcg. These nutrients help the healthy growth of children and avoid birth defects.
2. Essential Supplements
In addition to prenatal vitamins, pregnant women who lack nutrition can also take iron supplements, but you should consume foods rich in vitamins and iron so you don’t have to eat imported vegetables.
However, if you don’t like to eat, you can take supplements but only with doctor’s advice.