Eating a healthy diet during pregnancy, in addition to being the best for mom and baby , also helps prevent certain short- and long-term complications, such as gestational diabetes or childhood obesity.
To do this, it is important that in addition to following the food recommendations for a healthy pregnancy, the mother has the support of her environment, because as shown by a new study , the father’s diet can also influence the baby’s health .
The study
Published in the scientific journal Nutrition and Dietetics , the study analyzed the eating habits of almost 200 women and their partners during pregnancy, with the aim of discovering if the father’s diet had any influence on the health of the baby.
According to the researchers, what the father eats can also influence the long-term health of the baby, as the study found that women were more likely to meet the recommended daily dietary guidelines if their partners did too .
” Healthy eating during pregnancy provides the baby with an important foundation for good health in the future, but many pregnant women do not meet the recommended Australian dietary guidelines ,” says Professor Vicki Clifton, one of the study’s authors in an interview for ABCNews.
” Our research suggests that better education and support for couples could help improve the eating habits of mothers-to-be, which in turn will make the baby healthier and reduce the risk of disease in the future ” .
The results of the study remind us that when it comes to starting or maintaining good habits, the environment also plays an important role in achieving it, and in this particular case, the father’s diet indirectly influences the food the baby receives during pregnancy . .
Pregnancy is a matter of three
As we have commented on many occasions, in pregnancy there are three people who have an important role: mom, dad and baby. In the case of nutrition, the mother and father are responsible for ensuring that the baby receives the necessary nutrients for its healthy development .
For this reason, it is important that as a couple they support each other and that together they do everything possible to live this beautiful stage in a healthy and positive way. Here are some tips and recommendations that you can follow as a couple to maintain a healthy diet during pregnancy:
- Avoid overeating. Contrary to what many people think, during pregnancy it is not necessary to “eat for two”.
- Include in your daily diet fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish or meat (never raw), legumes and foods rich in calcium, fiber, iron (to prevent anemia) and Omega 3, which helps brain development of the baby.
- Choose to follow the Mediterranean diet , which is characterized by being based on the use of extra virgin olive oil as the main fat and on foods of vegetable origin, as it has been proven to be beneficial for both the mother and the baby.
- Avoid the consumption of sugary drinks , giving preference to water to stay hydrated. During pregnancy, women should consume 2 to 2.5 liters of water per day in the first trimester, and 3 liters per day during the second and third trimesters.
- Know the list of prohibited foods during pregnancy and avoid them.
Although during pregnancy we can continue to eat many of our favorite foods, it is important that during this stage the mother feels supported and what better than improving and establishing good habits together .
Cover photo | pexels
