Scientists Reveal 6 Foods You Should Be Eating During Pregnancy

Knowing what to eat during pregnancy can be confusing at the best of times. Factor in morning sickness, cravings and everything else that comes with growing a tiny human inside you, it can be difficult to know what to eat to support yourself and your baby.

In previous studies, researchers have established six nutrients that are essential for a healthy pregnancy. These are: vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. However, many pregnant people in the U.S. struggle to get enough of these nutrients from food alone.

Supplements can be a helpful alternative to ensure your nutritional requirements are met, but finding a combination of supplements and foods that delivers the right amount of each of these nutrients without exceeding your daily recommended intake can be challenging.

In a recent study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers from the National Institute of Health's Environmental Influences on Child's Health Outcomes Program set out to find a list of low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods to help boost nutrient intake without having to rely on supplements.

The team, led by Katherine Sauder from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Catherine Cohen from the University of Colorado Denver, used previous analysis of 2,450 pregnant women to determine how much of each of these six essential nutrients women were getting through their diets. They then calculated how much of each essential nutrient the participants would need to eat on top of this to reach their daily recommended intake for each nutrient.

While there was no single food that could provide enough of all six nutrients in a reasonable serving size, several foods and beverages contained at least four key nutrients in reasonable serving sizes.

For example, seaweed contained high levels of vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron and omega-3s, but would require more than five cups a day to meet the sufficient intake levels. Few foods met targets for vitamin D and iron, suggesting that dietary supplements may be necessary to fill in the gap for these particular nutrients.

"This study emphasizes the importance of a balanced and varied diet during pregnancy, along with considering appropriate supplementation, to ensure the well-being of both the mother and the developing baby," Sauder said in the press release.

The study also highlighted a selection of healthy, low-calorie foods that pregnant women can include in their diets to help meet their daily requirements for each nutrient. For example:

• Vitamin A: raw carrot, 0.2 cup
• Vitamin D: reduced fat milk, 2.6 cups
• Folic Acid: edamame, 0.4 cup
• Calcium: nutritional shake, 1 cup
• Iron: multigrain cereal, 0.9 cup
• Omega-3 fatty acids: canned chicken, 0.1 cup

However, you should always speak with a doctor before changing your diet or supplementation routine during pregnancy.