Throughout the pregnancy, the baby draws from his mother’s diet all the elements he needs to develop well: proteins, sugars and fatty acids, vitamins, trace elements, antioxidants, etc. Eating well during your pregnancy is one of the first things you can do for your baby.

Real health food, fish contain all these substances whose needs are increased during pregnancy and which are absolutely essential for the good development of the baby: iodine, iron, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and especially Omega-3.

The fattest fish are the richest in Omega-3s and greatly participate in the development of the cells of the eyes and the brain of the fetus.

During your pregnancy, therefore, opt for oily fish, and to avoid the accumulation of mercury, prefer small or medium-sized fish – those which are at the beginning or in the middle of the food chain – such as herring, mackerel, fresh sardines or anchovies for example but also trout, eel, sole, sea bass, turbot, pollack, cod, perch, mullet, sea bream, red mullet, hake, whiting, dab, salmon, etc.

However, avoid large predators, which are at the end of the food chain, such as tuna, sharks and swordfish for example, which are too rich in mercury.

Ideally: eat fish twice a week, including fatty fish once.

Legumes, also called pulses, also have undeniable and essential nutritional benefits during pregnancy. Rich in proteins and essential amino acids, fibers and minerals, they are also a precious supplier of Vitamin B9 (also called folic acid or folate), this famous essential vitamin which intervenes in the closure of the neural tube (future spinal cord) of the embryo.

Legumes are also high in phytic acid which makes them quite difficult to digest. To take advantage of their health benefits and make them more digestible, two tips:

1. Soak them overnight in cold water with a squeeze of lemon
2. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water.

Legumes include: lentils (oranges, green, black), lentils, dried beans (pink, red, white, black, coconut, azuki, tarbais, mung, flageolet beans, cornilla), beans, peas (split , chick, whole).

They often have a bad reputation and yet, they are absolutely essential for the proper functioning of the body and are essential during pregnancy to ensure the good neurological development of the future baby and its visual maturation.

To bring the balance in essential fatty acids, Omega 3 / Omega 6, the ideal is to consume 1 tablespoon of an olive oil – oil mixture rich in Omega 3 at noon and in the evening.

The oils richest in Omega 3 are the following:

• Perilla oil: the richest vegetable oil in omega-3 in the world with its 65%
• Camelina Oil – 45% Omega-3
• Nigella Oil – 23% Omega-3
• Hemp oil – 20% Omega-3
• Walnut oil – 13% Omega-3
• Rapeseed oil or canola oil: 9% Omega-3
• Soybean oil – 8% Omega-3

Linseed oil for its part contains more than 50% Omega 3 but should be consumed in moderation in pregnant or breastfeeding women (but also in children and adolescents) because of its phytoestrogen content.

Healthy foods par excellence, fruits and vegetables provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

To take advantage of all their nutritional benefits, the important thing is to choose them fresh and in season. Vitamins and fiber will be better preserved when fruits and vegetables are served raw. As a starter, opt for a plate of raw vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, salad, mushrooms, zucchini tagliatelle, etc.), for dessert and as a snack, always prefer a whole raw fruit to a compote or a baked fruit. for example.

For the cooked versions, whether they are vegetables or fruit, the mildest cooking methods should be favored in order to preserve the vitamins, fibers and antioxidants: in the oven at medium temperature, in a pan or in the oven. wok. However, avoid boiling food in too much water.

While certain foods are to be preferred because of their nutritional benefits, others are to be avoided or even prohibited throughout the duration of pregnancy because of the risk of food poisoning which can be dangerous for the baby.

This concerns:

• Raw meats, raw fish and seafood which can loss responsible for listeriosis or toxoplasmosis, very serious for the child. The same goes for rare, smoked, raw and marinated cold cuts, including rillettes, pâtés, terrines and foie gras.
• Raw eggs : they are also to be banned during pregnancy because of a well-known risk of poisoning: salmonellosis. Take the reflex to always check the composition of all the desserts made. Chocolate mousses, cream pastries, but also ice cream contain raw eggs, for example.
• Raw milk cheeses, cheeses with a bloomy rind as well as blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne, but also products bought by the cut because of the risk of listeria.
• The alcohol is for its part to be avoided during the whole pregnancy because of its direct deleterious effects on the fetus and the baby, in the short and long term.

Finally, soy-based foods (bean sprouts, tofu, tempeh, seitan, yogurts and soy milk), should be avoided or at least consumed with the greatest moderation because of photoestrogens, supposedly be endocrine disruptors.