Omega 3 in power!
At the risk of surprising many, fish, like seafood, are the only class of foods capable of meeting the nutritional needs of pregnant women on their own. They simultaneously provide them with sufficient amounts of iodine, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and especially omega 3, substances essential for the proper development of the baby. So there is no question of depriving yourself of it!
The more fat, the better!
During pregnancy, the needs of the expectant mother increase. Need twice as much iron: that’s good, tuna has plenty! Also need two and a half times more omega 3, and there it is mathematical: the more fatty the fish, the more it will contain. Because, for those who do not know it yet, omega 3 are nothing other than … fats. Not just any, it’s true, since they participate (just like iodine for that matter) in the construction of the baby’s brain, which requires astronomical quantities of it. It is not for nothing that it is named the fattest organ! For info: sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring … are perfect candidates for omega 3.
Wild fish or farmed fish?
There are no real differences, all fish are in theory good to eat! However, some specialists recommend farmed fish more, because large fish such as tuna are likely to contain high levels of mercury. However, let’s relativize: consuming a slice from time to time is not dramatic. Note also that freshwater fish have almost no iodine, but by varying the pleasures, everything is balanced …
However, that’s no reason to shun lean fish ! Pollock, sole, cod or even cod are also excellent “reservoirs” of omega 3 and high quality animal proteins. The important thing is to diversify your choices. The usual recommendations are also to eat fish at least twice a week, including fatty fish once.
Is eating the skin even better?
May those who do not like the skin of the fish be reassured. Yes, it is fatter and therefore richer in omega 3, but the flesh alone contains quantities that are largely sufficient to meet the needs of expectant mothers.
Preparation side
Raw fish, certainly not!
Sushi addicts will have to wait for Baby’s arrival to indulge their cravings for raw fish. The risk that it is contaminated by a parasite (anisakiasis), not very pleasant in itself, is far from being negligible! Better to abstain, with one exception: fish bought frozen.
LEARN MORE
The New Diet for the Brain, Jean-Marie Bourre, Ed. Odile Jacob
To lose as few vitamins as possible, the “best” would be to cook your fish in the microwave in foil, or even in steam, rather than leaving it for more than an hour in the oven at high temperature. However, fans of traditional dishes can rest assured: even baked in the oven, the fish will always have enough vitamins to give you a healthy glow!