There are many types of food for pregnant women in the third trimester that pregnant women need to consume daily. These foods are important to maintain the health of pregnant women who are getting closer to the time of delivery. In addition, these foods can also provide nutrition for fetal development.
The third trimester of pregnancy lasts from the 28th week to the 40th week of pregnancy. At this time, the weight of the fetus in the womb will increase and the organs in the body have also begun to form and function.
Therefore, every pregnant woman must meet the needs of calories and nutrients in the third trimester. During the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, pregnant women are advised to increase their calorie intake by 300 calories from food.
Various Foods for Third Trimester Pregnant Women
The following are a variety of nutritious foods that are good for pregnant women to consume in the third trimester:
1. Fruits
Fruit is a good source of nutrition for pregnant women to consume. Fruits contain lots of fiber, water, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, as well as various vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, potassium, sodium, and folate.
These nutrients have a very important role to support maternal health and fetal growth and development in the third trimester.
Good fruits consumed by pregnant women in the third trimester are guava, oranges, kiwi, avocado, lychee, banana, tomato, strawberry, mango, grapefruit, apple, melon, and papaya.
2. Vegetables
To support the growth and development of the fetus in the womb in the third trimester, pregnant women also need to eat a variety of vegetables. This is because vegetables contain many nutrients, such as fiber, antioxidants, protein, carbohydrates, as well as minerals and vitamins, such as folate, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
There are several choices of vegetables that are good for pregnant women to consume in the third trimester, namely broccoli, spinach, corn, kale, mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, radishes, kale, and lettuce.
3. Assorted meat
Lean red meat, skinless chicken, and seafood contains protein, fat, as well as vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, and folate, which pregnant women need from the early to the third trimester.
When buying meat or seafood, choose meat, fish, shrimp, squid, or other types seafood others are still fresh. After that, place the meat or seafood in a plastic or closed container and place it in the refrigerator or freezer if pregnant women want to keep it longer.
When preparing meat or seafood , make sure pregnant women process it until it is fully cooked so that the germs contained in the meat or seafood has been eradicated.
4. Nuts
Nuts contain many nutrients that are good for the health of pregnant women and fetuses, namely protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron.
Pregnant women can get these nutrients by eating various types of nuts, such as soybeans, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, peas, or kidney beans.
To meet daily nutritional and energy needs in the third trimester of pregnancy, pregnant women need to eat a variety of foods. The more variety of food consumed, the more nutrients and energy pregnant women get.
In addition to the various foods above, things that should not be missed during the third trimester are drinking enough water to prevent dehydration, taking pregnancy supplements as recommended by the doctor, exercising regularly, and starting to prepare for childbirth.
Towards the time of delivery, pregnant women also still need to regularly consult an obstetrician to undergo a pregnancy examination.