Seven Superfoods for Pregnancy and Beyond

This sweet superfood is considered one of the best for pregnancy. Dates contain iron, vitamin K, and many essential nutrients for a healthy body and pregnancy. 

You can enjoy this sweet superfood knowing that studies show they may:

• Decrease labor time
• Increase cervical ripening 
• Reduce the risk of being induced and needing pitocin and other synthetic hormones

You can buy pitted dates, a popular brand being organic Medjool. You can eat them as is, chop them up and add them to a nut butter sandwich, or try them in an easy date energy ball recipe like this. 

This fruit is a comforting and filling superfood high in protein, vitamin K, healthy fats, and fiber. They also contain essential nutrients for pregnancy, like folate and iron. 

In addition, avocado may help with nausea and vomiting that can come with hormone changes since it contains B6 and magnesium. The healthy fats in avocado help to support the baby’s development, especially the brain and eyes. 

Replacing unhealthy oils with avocado oil is one way to include this in your diet. You can also replace mayo with mashed avocado, slice it up as a salad topping, or make avocado toast.

Easily create fresh guacamole dip with this superfood by scooping out a fresh avocado and mixing it with a bit of lime juice, salt, and chopped garlic. 

These tiny superfood seeds may help keep your digestive tract running smoothly during pregnancy. Chia seeds are rich in fiber which can decrease your risk of constipation and hemorrhoids that come from straining.  

They can swell to many times their size, keeping you fuller longer and helping to avoid unnecessary cravings and excessive weight gain. Studies show that increasing fiber intake can reduce the risk of blood sugar problems that could lead to gestational diabetes. 

You may wonder how to even eat these! Chia seeds are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and iron. These calcium-rich seeds can be tossed in lemon water, chia seed pudding, overnight oatmeal, or on top of a salad.

One great way to add this to your diet is to replace the chicken egg in your baking with a chia egg. Here's the recipe!

Superfood Chia Seed Egg

 Ingredients:

• One tablespoon of chia seeds per egg you're replacing

• 3-4 tablespoons of water

Mix these together in a bowl, and let it sit for five minutes. That's it! 

These chia seeds absorb the water and become a thick gooey texture that will hold together your pancakes, muffins, etc.

Berries of all kinds are delicious and healthy sugar that you can (and should) have a couple of servings of each day. This natural sugar can help fuel your day and curb cravings for unhealthy sweets.

Berries are a superfood full of fiber, folate, zinc, vitamin C, and more. Out of all the berries, blueberries are one of the best sources of anti-inflammatory antioxidants.  

You can find berries all year long, and the frozen kind does not spoil as quickly as fresh. But nothing beats a fresh berry! Make sure to rinse them well! You can add this superfood to your cereal and oatmeal or take them on the go for an energizing snack. 

Bone broth is a great source of nutrients like protein, calcium, and potassium. This superfood can help fuel your day and keep your joints feeling strong with the added pregnancy weight with the collagen it contains. 

It can also be easy on your stomach if you experience morning sickness. It can help keep you hydrated and restore lost nutrients. Animal studies show this superfood has a protective and healing effect on the gut lining and can reduce inflammation.

• You can make your own superfood bone broth with this simple recipe, buy the already packaged liquid in the broth aisle at the market, or buy it as a powder to easily take it on the go and add it to water. The chocolate or vanilla-flavored bone broth by Ancient Nutrition makes it a delight to consume and has a longer shelf life than just buying the already-made broth. 

If you aren’t in the habit of eating superfood greens right now, if you start, you may notice an increase in digestive health, energy, and mental clarity. That’s because leafy greens are one of the best foods around, with all the digestible nutrients they hold. They are an excellent source of iron, calcium, and folate. Types of leafy green superfoods are:

• Kale
• Romaine
• Alfalfa grass
• Broccoli
• Collard greens
• Spinach

Eating and chewing greens take time and effort, and sometimes, especially when pregnant, we need a break from all that chewing! Thankfully there are some great organic superfood green powders on the market now that make it easy to drink a good serving of vitamins and minerals that you and your baby need. Ancient Nutrition offers mint and watermelon-flavored superfood powders to make the stout green taste even easier to consume. 

This superfood can be a delicious and comforting addition to your diet. Sweet potatoes are easier on your blood sugar levels than white potatoes and are higher in fiber which is necessary to keep your digestive tract flowing smoothly.

• Sweet potatoes come in purple, white, and orange, so test some out and see which ones make you feel the best! 

• You can chop these into french fry shapes, coat them with healthy olive oil, and then air fry or bake these for an easy side or snack. 

• Sweet tooth? This superfood is naturally sweeter than white potatoes, so roasting or baking them and drizzling some honey on them can make quite a healthy treat!