Healthy and tasty ideas for a perfect breakfast during pregnancy
Not only nourishment, but also hydration: these are the goals of a good and healthy breakfast during pregnancy. The body comes from a period of fasting (during the night) and needs to feed itself in the correct way to guarantee vital functions. Breakfast also helps to wake the body from numbness, which is why you should prefer a drink that fulfills this function. An example? Turmeric milk.
The benefits of a proper breakfast during pregnancy
Preparing a full breakfast is beneficial for all people, but it acquires added value during the period of pregnancy. During the nine months of gestation the body of the expectant mother changes (physical and hormonal changes) so the diet must be adequate to help the woman face the days in the best possible way. A good breakfast can also be a valid help against the onset of pregnancy sickness, which often occurs especially in the first 3 months of gestation.
Choosing breakfast foods carefully during pregnancy will also help in the development of the baby. It is necessary to take the right precautions, as all the substances that the mother takes are directly transmitted to the fetus. Breakfast and the diet in general must be absolutely balanced, providing for the introduction of certain foods over others. Let's see below what are the main features of the perfect breakfast during pregnancy with some ideas to try right away.
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Carbohydrates as a source of energy
The breakfast during pregnancy must still be light even if complete, and therefore the famous myth of "eat for two" is absolutely debunked. The first group of foods to be included are carbohydrates that will offer nourishment to the baby and energy to the mother. Specifically we are talking about carbohydrates of complex origin, derived from whole grains. Some examples: a portion of cereal flakes, wholemeal bread with fresh jams or rye bread to accompany with salty foods.
The carbohydrates taken in the morning help the body to regain immediate energy, as well as acting as a source of fiber which is essential for the well-being of the intestine. Often, during gestation, mothers suffer from constipation and digestive system dysfunctions. The fibers contained in complex carbohydrates regulate intestinal transit, favoring the correct functioning of the metabolism.
Seasonal fruit is a must!
Replenishing liquids and minerals lost by the mother during the night is important and can be done during breakfast by inserting portions of fruit. Fruit is an inexhaustible source of mineral salts, especially if chosen in season, and has the advantage of being consumed in a thousand ways. For example, for breakfast during pregnancy you can provide a portion of fresh fruit to be included in the yogurt after cutting it into cubes, or mix it in a delicious fruit salad.
It is important to choose seasonal fruit, as it keeps its organoleptic characteristics intact. You can also decide to consume a whole fruit without adding other ingredients, but make sure it is in season.
If you don't like to eat portions of fruit, you can choose to centrifuge it, consuming it immediately so as not to lose the nutrients it contains. In this case, the breakfast during pregnancy will consist of a fresh fruit centrifuge, made by mixing seasonal fruit and vegetables such as orange, carrot and lemon.
The richer fruit, such as bananas and persimmons, is best consumed in the morning in order to have more hours of the day to dispose of and digest it. Fruits such as banana and persimmon contain important mineral salts useful during gestation. Among the many stand out magnesium and potassium, available in large quantities in this type of fruit.
Calcium and Vitamin D with milk and yogurt
Calcium and Vitamin D are useful for both mother and baby, so foods that contain them should be taken. Dairy products, for example, an inexhaustible source of calcium, are friends of pregnancy because, from the first months, they positively affect the growth of the fetus's bones. So what to choose for breakfast during pregnancy? A cup of fresh milk or natural yogurt. Yogurt is easier to assimilate especially for all those who have difficulty digesting milk; you can consume it alone or with fresh fruit, cereals and dehydrated berries that provide valuable mineral salts and vitamins. Among the various berries and dehydrated fruits, goji, blueberries and even currants stand out. Adding a handful of these fruits to yogurt makes it more appetizing and benefits the whole body.
The role of fiber and dried fruit
Some types of dried fruit, even if full of virtues, can be heavy for breakfast during pregnancy. A handful of walnuts, some almonds, or a couple of cashews give important antioxidant substances to the body, stimulating energy thanks to their good calories. Dried fruit can be a valid help, together with carbohydrate-based foods, to relieve morning sickness typical of the first period of pregnancy. Nausea occurs due to the high rate of progesterone in the blood and is usually combated by consuming dry foods. Fibers also play their fundamental role in combating nausea, so green bread, crackers and crispy toasts that block the sense of nausea and increase the well-being of the digestive system.
Breakfast during pregnancy: what if it was salty?
Many people prefer the savory breakfast to the classic Italian sweet breakfast. But this is a totally subjective aspect: if mothers like to consume salty foods early in the morning, they can opt for savory toast with cheese, or an omelette made with fresh eggs.
The consumption of particularly fatty foods, such as bacon or roasted sausage, should be limited and these foods should be replaced with fresh and lean cured meats, or with creamy cheeses such as goat's. The savory breakfast must, however, be completed with fresh fruit and the right amount of calcium and vitamin D: just add a small jar of yogurt to the breakfast during pregnancy, or stain the coffee or barley with fresh milk.
Foods not suitable for breakfast during pregnancy
So far we have made an overview of the ideal foods to recreate the perfect breakfast during pregnancy, but there are also some foods that must be eliminated, or their consumption moved to the post-breastfeeding period. An example above all is coffee. A cup can be drunk in the morning to wake up the whole body, but the consumption of coffee during the rest of the day must then be limited in order not to risk increasing the exciting effect inside the body.
The same rule also applies to tea and cocoa, preparations rich in highly exciting substances in their composition. Coffee, tea and chocolates can be replaced with their decaffeinated or decaffeinated variants, or with alternative drinks such as barley coffee.
Other foods and foods to avoid for a healthy breakfast during pregnancy are biscuits, cakes and packaged products in general. Better by far to prefer fresh food prepared directly at home, avoiding all sweets full of sugar, salt and fat.
