Eating well during pregnancy is extremely important for both you and your baby. It is so easy to give yourself a pass and go crazy eating with impunity during pregnancy, but you and your baby need fuel that actually fuels you in a healthful way. Trust me, it will make your pregnancy, delivery and recovery so much easier than if you are eating junk. Not to mention your baby will benefit so much from nutritious foods.
I'm super excited to tell you about Latino power foods that are easy to include in your pregnancy and are delicious to boot. They also may not have made your list of go-to pregnancy food options yet.
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Here are three surprising Latin power foodsyou should be eating during pregnancy:
1. Pinto beans. Pinto beans can get a bad rap because, quite frankly, the refried version at your local taquería is probably not super healthy for you, but pinto beans themselves are actually one of the healthiest foods on earth. They are packed with fiber and contain essential vitamins and minerals like copper, iron and phosphorus. You can make your frijoles from scratch and then blend them up to make yummy and healthy dips too.
2. Pepitas. Pumpkin seeds not only provide you with 5 grams of protein per serving, they also have many other nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. All of this goodness during pregnancy helps give you energy and gives your muscles the added oomph they need to repair themselves due to all the changes happening in your body.
3. Popcorn. I love popcorn. Did you know it was first domesticated over 9,000 years ago in Mexico? Instead of having high calorie, high fat chips when you are preggers, consider some palomitas instead. Popcorn is awesome during pregnancy because it is a whole grain high that is full of fiber and nutrients, including vitamin E, selenium and phytonutrients. Bonus tip: Make it yourself on the stove-top with olive oil and and then sprinkle nutritional yeast on it which will up your folate intake and has a delicious nutty buttery flavor. Folate helps prevent neural tube defects in babies.
¡Buen provecho!
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