Topic

Healthy eating

All people need good nutrition, especially the pregnant woman and the one who breastfeeds, to keep healthy so that her baby can develop, be born with adequate weight, and grow healthy. If the pregnant woman eats poorly, she can become anemic, malnourished, or gain more weight than necessary. Her baby may be born underweight or overweight, have an easier time getting sick, and take longer to recover.

A healthy diet contains varied, fresh, sufficient, and well-washed foods. It is very important to be concerned with the quality and quantity of food. Both lack and excess of food can be bad for health.

Processed foods should be avoided daily, as they contain a lot of sugar, fat, salt, and preservatives, which are not good for health. Some examples are instant noodles, stuffed cookies, packaged snacks, candy, chewing gums (tablets), chocolate, ice cream, soda, powdered or boxed juice, mayonnaise, among others.

Iron is a micronutrient essential for life and acts mainly in the production of blood red cells and the transportation of oxygen to all the body cells. Therefore, it is important to eat iron-rich foods daily, such as:

  • Beef and poultry;
  • heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and other organs;
  • pod vegetables: beans, peas;
  • dark green leafy vegetables;
  • cane molasses (molasse), cashews, and peanuts 

BOX: Iron is best used when the person eats foods rich in vitamin C and A in the same meal. Calcium, on the other hand, hinders the absorption of iron. Therefore, it is better than milk and dairy are not consumed at lunch and dinner, so that the body makes better use of the iron contained in meat, organ meats, and in other foods such as beans.

Vitamin C helps prevent infections, muscle weakness, bleeding gums, and wound healing. Some foods rich in vitamin C are: 

  • raw fruits: lemon, orange, tangerine, pineapple, cashew, acerola, guava, star fruit, kiwi, tamarind.
  • raw vegetables: dark green leaves, broccoli, and bell pepper.

Vitamin A helps prevent diarrhea, infections, protects the vision and skin. It is important for lung development and helps the baby grow in the womb, in addition to strengthening the body’s defenses. For this vitamin to be well used by the body, it is important to use little oil in the preparation of vegetables and leaves. Foods rich in vitamin A are mainly orange and red vegetables, dark green leaves, yellow fruits, palm fruits, and others:

  • pumpkin, carrot, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper; 
  • broccoli leaves, malunggay, spinach, Chinese cabbage;
  • mango, papaya, persimmon;
  • milk, butter, cheeses;
  • egg yolk, liver, sardines, shellfish, oysters.

The lack of vitamin A can cause the so-called night blindness, which is the difficulty in seeing at night or in low light, among other consequences.

Calcium is important for pregnant women and babies because it helps to build and keep strong teeth and bones. Some foods rich in calcium are:

  • milk, cheese, and yogurt;
  • dark green leaves;
  • sesame;
  • small fish.

Vitamin D is also very important for the bones as it helps prevent rickets in children and bone weakness in adults. It is found in some fish (sardines and tuna), egg yolk, liver, cheeses, among other foods.

Iodine is important for physical and mental development. The lack of iodine in the pregnant woman’s body affects the formation of the baby’s brain. Foods that contain iodine are:

  • iodized salt – should be consumed in moderation;
  • sea fish and shellfish;
  • vegetables, fruits are grown on land rich in iodine, that is, on land close to the sea.

Leader, guide the families to give preference to salt with iodine at the time of purchase. 

Folic acid from foods such as organ meats, beans, and dark green leaves helps prevent problems in the baby’s brain and spine.

Leader, guide the pregnant woman to cook, at most, food for two meals at a time. That way she will not consume old food, and greatly reduce the chance of food spoiling.

Leader, you can help the pregnant woman and family to better use the food and improve their nutritional status, advising that:

  • A plate of different foods, of different colors, has more vitamins and minerals.
  • Rice provides carbohydrates, vitamins, and some proteins. Beans are rich in iron, fibers, and in proteins different from those found in rice.
  • Seasonal and regional foods are fresher, tastier, more nutritious, and cheaper.
  • Every meal must have at least one raw food, which can be a salad or fruit. 
  • The way food is prepared is also very important: it is always better to eat baked and cooked food than fried.
  • It is better to eat food just after it is prepared. Food that is reheated or boiled for a long time loses nutrients.
  • Cooked food leftovers must be stored in a fridge or cool place, covered by sieves or screens.
  • The container where water is kept must be covered.
  • Coffee, mate tea, black tea, milk, and dairy hinder iron absorption and need to be avoided up to two hours after the meals.

Everyone has the right to eat quality food daily and, in the quantity, necessary for health. This is food and nutrition security.

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