Eating healthy during the second trimester of pregnancy is essential to prevent weight gain from getting out of control, but also to the baby can continue to grow properly. At the end of the first phase of pregnancy, stomach discomfort usually disappears. If this is your case, you will appreciate it very much, because nausea and vomiting prevents you from eating properly.
However, by recovering the energy lost during the first weeks and the constant nausea disappears, the most common is that a voracious appetite appears. You will feel better and you will want to eat more things, because your baby grows inside you and to do so uses the nutrients it receives from yourself. Therefore, it is essential that you eating is correct.
What to eat in the second trimester of pregnancy
What specialists recommend is that during the second trimester of pregnancy, the calories consumed daily are increased. But you must forget the myth that you should eat for two, because the reality is that only you should increase about 350 kcal per day. So you can increase your daily food intake and eat healthy during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Complex carbohydrates
Pasta, cereals or rice must be present in your daily diet, because they will provide you with the extra energy you need. These types of carbohydrates are slow absorption, that is, they are stored and used by the body when it needs more energy. On the other hand, they are rich in vitamins and fibers. Avoid other types of carbohydrates, such as those that come from sugar. Because in that case you get very fast energy, but it runs out so quickly that you need to eat something else right away, not forgetting that all those empty calories are stored in the body in the form of fats.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits are the great allies for this period of pregnancy, since they will help you satisfy your appetite without adding hardly any calories. Any type of fruit is healthy and at any time of the day, so you can take the opportunity to take your favorite fruits whenever you are somewhat hungry. Of course, try to take the whole fruit, because when juicing very important nutrients that your body needs are lost and the contribution of sugars is greater than when taking the fruit naturally.
Vegetables are essential for healthy eating in the second trimester of pregnancy, because barely add calories no matter how much you eat. Serve vegetables in each of the big meals of the day, in quantity and easily prepared. If you eat a good salad of vegetables and vegetables, you will fill up sooner and you will be able to eat less of other less healthy foods.
Iron rich foods
During these weeks the baby's blood system is fully developed. Therefore, it is essential that you consume foods rich in iron, which is essential for the formation of hemoglobin. You can get iron in many foods, such as cockles, mussels and mollusks in general, as well as in red meat.
In order for your body to obtain iron in the correct form, you must combine the consumption of foods rich in iron with others rich in vitamin C. This substance helps the body to synthesize iron correctly. Therefore, whenever you eat foods with iron, such as lentils, finish the meal with a citrus fruit, such as tangerines.
A good supply of calcium
You should also increase the consumption of foods rich in calcium so that your baby's bone development is appropriate. In addition to dairy products, such as milk and all its derivatives (yogurt, cheese), you can improve your calcium intake taking egg yolks, nuts, or green leafy vegetables, for example. Have a glass of milk before going to sleep, it will help you rest better.
Now that your body allows you to eat better, it is time to control the cravings for unhealthy products. You can easily get out of control of weight gain and there are still many months of pregnancy ahead. Good habits in this trimester will help you have a healthy pregnancy, which will also allow you to recover much better postpartum.