Moms-to-be Should make Careful Food Selections!
Something Fishy?
Nutritionists recommend eating fish at least twice a week as fish is a healthy source of protein, healthy fat and numerous vitamins and minerals. But pregnancy is the time to take extra care on what you eat. There are certain varieties of fishes that must be avoided when one is expecting a baby.
Pregnant women should not consume shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish during their pregnancy as these fishes have higher levels of mercury which may harm young children and the fetus. Fishes which are safe to eat during pregnancy are shellfish, canned light tuna, farm-raised fish like salmon or catfish or smaller ocean fish like cod or flatfish. Be cautious to limit your intake of albacore (white) tuna to 170 grams a week as they have higher contents of mercury than light tuna.
Keep the rule simple to eat 340 grams of cooked fish every week to stay safe.
Stay Away from Unpasteurized Milk
Nutrition Science guidelines advice pregnant women against drinking unpasteurized (raw) juice or milk and products made from unpasteurized milk (some soft cheeses).
Reheat deli, luncheon meats and hot dogs to piping hot to do away with listeria bacteria which is responsible for listeriosis.
Non-Nutritive Sweeteners: Good or Bad?
We have always been hearing varied opinions on the safety issues of non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose. The question now is ‘Are these sweeteners safe to consume during pregnancy?
’Researches indicate no problems or reasons to avoid foods and beverages with non-nutritive sweeteners. But rethink before consuming these calorie-free soft drinks and candies to replace them with more nutritious beverages such as milk, juice and water, as these are always better choices for the mother-to-be.
Expectant mothers with rare genetic disorder phenylketonuria, or PKU, should avoid foods or beverages sweetened with aspartame as their bodies cannot break down phenylalanine, the amino acid aspartame contains.