Once pregnant mums enter the third trimester, a healthy diet becomes more critical. In addition to supporting your baby’s growth and development inside the womb, a well-balanced diet will help you avoid (or stay strong as you battle) the common issues and complications that accompany the last stage of pregnancy. These include anaemia, fatigue, constipation and gestational diabetes.
It is vital that you maintain a proper diet or make some improvements during your third trimester to ensure you and your child stay healthy during and after your pregnancy.
For this, you’ll have to start adjusting your weekly grocery delivery list to include more of certain foods that are rich in the nutrients you need.
What to Eat During Your Last Three Months of Pregnancy
To ensure you get sufficient nutrition during your last trimester, include these foods when preparing your meals.
1. Fruits
Fruits should be a staple in everyone’s diet, whether pregnant or not.
Expecting mums can get various nutrients from different fruits to keep themselves and their babies healthy. These include magnesium, potassium, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals.
Fruits are generally rich in vitamin C – a nutrient all pregnant women need. It’s crucial to the development and proper functioning of the placenta. Furthermore, vitamin C helps boost your immune system and aids your body in absorbing iron from food sources. These vital functions ensure you stay healthy in the last few months of pregnancy.
During your third trimester, it is best to eat more fresh fruits. Load up on kiwi, strawberries, and other kinds of berries, bananas, and melon.
2. Vegetables
Like fruits, vegetables should always be on everyone’s daily diet since they are also the most nutritious food group. They are rich natural sources of various vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
During your third trimester, strive to eat more green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, kale and spinach. These veggies are rich in iron, a nutrient that is crucial for the increased supply of blood to the placenta.
You should also try to eat more Brussels sprouts which contain vitamins C and K, iron, folate, and fibre, nutrients that help keep you and your baby healthy and safe during the last three months of your pregnancy.
The fibre in vegetables also helps reduce your risks for digestion problems.
To get more nutrients from veggies, eat them steamed, grilled or stir-fried. You can also eat them fresh, except for Brussels sprouts and similar vegetables. Consuming these uncooked may put you at risk for E.coli and salmonella infections.
3. Lentils
If lentils do not appear regularly in your weekly meal plan, it’s time to start including them.
Lentils are excellent sources of protein, potassium, vitamins B1 and B5, and fibre. These nutrients play vital roles in ensuring the healthy development of your baby. They also help you stay fit by supporting and improving various functions such as digestion and blood circulation.
Additionally, they are rich in folic acid, which can prevent congenital disabilities such as anencephaly and spina bifida.
You can add lentils to soups and porridge to get the most from this healthy food group.
4. Eggs
Eggs contain various types of vitamins and minerals. They are rich in high-quality protein, fat and choline, a nutrient that supports different processes in your body.
In pregnant women, choline helps in the proper functioning of cells and the healthy development of the baby. Additionally, it facilitates memory development and lowers the risk of renal and pancreatic disorders in expecting mums.
Egg yolks are also an excellent source of zeaxanthin and lutein, two antioxidants credited with reducing the risk of vision-related problems in babies like night blindness, dry eyes, and more. They preserve optic health by preventing the formation of free radicals, helping maintain the structural integrity of the eye and ensuring good vision development – all in all, minimising the need to see an eye doctor for kids for more than routine checkups in the early stages of life. Additionally, using baby eye glasses can further protect their developing vision.
One whole egg contains around 113 mg of choline, about 25% of the recommended dietary intake for pregnant women.
A hard-boiled egg is the healthiest food you can have for breakfast. As such, try to have one every morning.
5. Nuts and Seeds
Eating healthy doesn’t always necessitate lengthy preparation. Certain nuts and seeds will give you a lot of nutrients, and they’re perfect for snack time.
Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and pistachios are rich in healthy fats, proteins, and thiamine, which help prevent various health issues in pregnant women, such as constipation and preeclampsia. These nutrients also help boost the baby’s brain functions, learning and memory.
Sunflower, lotus, and pumpkin seeds are great snack options as well. They contain vitamin E, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and other nutrients supporting your and your baby’s health. Aside from eating them as snacks, you can add them to your cereals, oatmeal and salads.
To increase your chances of having a routine, less problematic delivery and ensure your baby’s health, add the foods above to your daily diet during your last trimester.
