3 Low-Fat Nutritious Recipes for Pregnant Women
If you’re pregnant, you’re bound to worry about your wellbeing, as well as that of your future child. Fat is very important at this stage. The following low-fat nutritious recipes for pregnant women not only allow weight gain, they also offer other benefits.
For example, these meals also help you prevent your baby from having congenital diseases. They also provide the nutrients your body needs for a healthy gestation and the normal development of your baby.
3 low-fat nutritious recipes for pregnant women
Ideally, you should have a healthy, balanced diet that will help you gain the weight you need during pregnancy. Here are several recipes that can be eaten daily:
1. Lentil and soy bean salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups lentils
- 1 cup soy beans
- 2 carrots
- 2 ½ cups
- 1 lemon
- 1 onion
- Salt
- Olive oil
Method
- Put the lentils in to soak overnight.
- Cook the lentils with a pinch of salt for 4 minutes. Then drain them and run cold water over them.
- In a bowl, place the grated carrot, lettuce, chopped onion and soy beans.
- Add the lentils and combine with a bit of lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste.
2. Noodles with peas and ham
Ingredients
- 2 cups noodles or pasta
- 2/3 cup diced ham
- 1 1/3 cups peas
- 1 cup bechamel sauce of cream
- Olive oil
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Salt
Method
- Heat up some oil in a pan over the heat; add the ham and the peas.
- Then, cook the noodles, drain them and place them in a pan.
- Add the peas, the ham, the cream and the parmesan cheese to taste.
3. Rice with chicken and spices
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 ½ cups mushrooms
- 2 carrots
- 3 ½ oz vegetable stock
- ½ onion
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper and spices
Method
- Cook the rice with oil, for 15 minutes in a saucepan
- While the rice is cooking, sauté the rest of the ingredients. Sauté the onion first and add the chicken last and the vegetable stock.
- Cook until it forms a sauce and thickens.
- Place the rice on a plate, then place the chicken, vegetables and sauce on top.
“These recipes provide the nutrients your body needs for a healthy gestation and proper development.”
Suggestions to increase your weight during pregnancy
There are several important things to bear in mind if you want to achieve weight gain during pregnancy. Here are a few of them:
Choosing your food
It’s recommended that you eat fresh, natural products that are light and healthy. You should avoid consuming fizzy drinks, fried food, fast food and beer.
Eat frequently
You should have a small low-fat nutritious dish between 5 and 6 times a day. You should never skip breakfast. Instead, you should start giving your body the nutrients it needs early on in the day.
Pay attention to the vitamin requirements
To gain weight, you need to have a balanced diet. However, you can consume more carbohydrates than normal, such as pasta, potatoes, rice, bread and grains.
You also need to increase the amount of protein in your diet, such as meat, eggs, fish and dried fruits. And don’t forget vegetable protein, which can be found in a large variety of grains.
As well as this, an endless quantity of fruit and vegetables will provide you with vitamin C, beta-carotene and anti-oxidants. These all contribute to weight gain.
The same is true of dairy products, although it’s best to have low-fat ones. For example, yogurt, milk, cream and cheese, among others, keep their nutritional value and will also increase your calorie intake.
Advice from your doctor to help you put on weight
Of course, low-fat nutritious recipes for pregnant women should be approved by a nutritionist. If, despite your efforts, you aren’t achieving weight gain, you should speak to a doctor immediately.
Your doctor will evaluate the situation and provide you with the correct solution, which will generally be prenatal vitamin supplements. These provide you with folic acid, iron and calcium, among other vitamins and minerals that will help you put on weight.
Consequences of being underweight during pregnancy
Being underweight during gestation can cause your child to be born prematurely and underweight. This can lead to learning difficulties, problems in development and congenital deformities.
An important fact to bear in mind is that there is a higher rate of mortality in underweight newborns than in those of a healthy weight. On top of this, being underweight can also affect you after the birth.
Factors that increase the likelihood of being underweight during pregnancy
Some of the main things that can cause this condition in a future mom are:
- Restrictive diets
- Being genetically predisposed
- Eating disorders
- Financial situation
- Teenage pregnancies
These low-fat nutritious recipes for pregnant women can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a happy birth without complications. And we can’t ignore how delicious and easy they are to prepare.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Chin KY., The spice for joint inflammation: anti inflammatory role of curcumin in treating osteoarthritis. Drug Des Devel Ther, 2016. 10: 3029-3042.