Pregnant women should have snacks?

Nothing tastes more delicious and attractive than junk food. During pregnancy, the appetite will increase higher than normal, so many pregnant mothers consume a lot of snacks every day. However, in reality, pregnancy is when you need to be more vigilant about unhealthy foods. And you know, junk food is at the top of this list of foods, which leads to the question "What should pregnant women eat?".

aFamilyToday Health will cover some specific reasons why you should avoid snacking during pregnancy, how to control junk food cravings, as well as what you can use instead of snacking cravings. Please refer to the article of aFamilyToday Health for more useful information.

What are the harmful effects of snacking during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, you and your baby need an adequate amount of nutrients to help you gain a healthy weight gain and your baby's brain, bones, organs and immune system are fully developed. Best.

Snacks certainly do not help you meet these nutritional needs. When pregnant mothers consume junk food, these foods do not provide you with nutrients. At the same time, junk food can make you feel full, and you won't be able to eat more healthy foods like fruits or vegetables.

The impact of junk food consumption on pregnant women and fetuses

Here are the ways that junk food affects the health of pregnant mothers and fetuses:

1. Babies will love fatter foods

A study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology explained how a mother's diet affects a baby's eating preferences.

A study in pregnant rats has shown that rats that eat a diet high in fat produce heavier pups and prefer to consume more fatty foods. These pups' brain vessels were altered, making them prefer to eat fatty foods during adulthood. However, rats on a well-balanced diet will produce the pups with significantly less appetite for foods containing fat.

2. Have a higher risk of allergies

High sugar content in the diet can lead to allergies and asthma. According to a study published in the European Respiratory Journal, if during pregnancy, pregnant moms eat a diet high in "free sugars" (added sugar) in the form of sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, Juice or honey, babies are more likely to have allergies and asthma at the age of 7-9 years old.

3. The risk of a genetic abnormality is likely to be high

A study in pregnant rats showed that if the mother was fed a diet high in sugar or fat, then a decrease in peripheral insulin signals, common in mitochondrial dysfunction in female rats. child. Importantly, this effect can be passed on to the next 3 generations.

4. Consequences of excessive absorption of acrylamide

Foods such as french fries, bread ... contain very high starch content. When these foods are baked or fried at high temperatures (above 120 ° C), the starch is converted to a new substance, called acrylamide. Studies have shown that high levels of acrylamide can lead to babies being born with a smaller head circumference and lower weight.

5. Pregnant mothers tend to gain excess weight

If pregnant women eat a lot of junk food during pregnancy, it can lead to excessive weight gain. This can put pregnant women and fetuses at risk for other complications such as preeclampsia, high birth weight, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, sleep apnea , and also increase the risk birth defects in the fetus, miscarriage or stillbirth.

6. Snacks have no nutritional value at all

Pregnant mothers should avoid using junk food containing a lot of sugar, salt and fat during pregnancy. It must be said that the use of excess salt or excess sugar is also harmful to your health during this period.

7. Pregnant mothers may experience digestive problems

Eating fried foods can make your stomach upset. These foods can produce gas, which can lead to bloating and indigestion. In addition, junk food almost contains very little fiber, but fiber is a very beneficial ingredient for our digestive process.

8. Risk of gestational diabetes

Snacks contain extremely high amounts of sugar as well as calories. Studies have shown that consuming a lot of junk food increases the risk of gestational diabetes .

What must pregnant mothers do to control the appetite for junk food?

As you can see, such food causes a lot of harm to the body of both pregnant and baby mothers. However, it is difficult to control the surge of junk food. So what should pregnant mothers do to control appetite and what should pregnant women eat snacks to still ensure the health of the fetus?

The first thing you need to do is be really determined to limit junk food. Once you have defined your goals, you will feel more comfortable taking other measures to control your cravings:

 Have healthy snacks on your kitchen counter: You can stay away from junk food by filling your office kitchen counter or cabinet with healthy and natural snacks. Barbecue is healthier than fried foods. Cooking and enjoying your own dishes at home will help you limit your intake of many additives or preservatives.

Fruit and Nuts Snacks: Whenever you feel like chewing something, have a snack with dried fruit or fresh fruit. They can help satisfy hunger and also provide you with the nutrients you need.

Choose foods appropriately: What you eat is what your child will absorb. Make a list of the foods you eat and determine their nutritional content. This will keep you away from harmful foods. Occasionally eating a little chocolate or a slice of pizza will not harm your body. However, make sure you do not make this your daily routine.

You can also read the article Take care of nuts good for pregnant women , for more useful information.

So pregnant women should have snacks?

Get active by going to the kitchen to cook a few dishes at home to satisfy your own cravings. Here are the dishes that pregnant mothers can use instead when they crave food:

• Replace dried kale, dried beets or dried seaweed for potato chips or the like.

• Try a banana, apple, or any other fruit snack with a dash of almond butter or melted chocolate in place of cakes and candies.

• Instead of ice cream, you can eat fruit yogurt or ice cream made with banana.

And, if you want to eat out, here are some of our suggestions:

• Grilled chicken served with lettuce and green vegetables

• A roll of turkey breast full-wheat bread, served with lettuce and tomatoes

• Two slices of veggie pizza with a side dish of green salad

• Taco filled with chicken, beef or shrimp

• Chicken or seafood is sautéed with a little oil and sprinkled with a little sauce

• Can drink low-fat milk

• Pasta is made from brown rice or whole wheat

• A dessert plate of fresh fruit

Pregnant mothers should read more articles Can pregnant women eat pizza ? to know how to choose a pizza to ensure the health of both mother and baby.

Snacks saturate the taste buds but they do not provide the necessary nutrients for your pregnancy. However, that doesn't mean you have to stay away from pizza, hamburger, french fries, soft drinks or more. A "flush" party is okay, but remember not to make it a habit. When you have met all the nutritional requirements every day, now is the time to pamper yourself and enjoy some of your favorite snacks.