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Pregnancy Diet Don'ts
Foods to Avoid While You're Expecting
By Dr. Aneema Van Groenou
Avoid Fats
Believe it or not, the average American diet is 37 percent fat. A healthy diet should be around 20 percent fat, even during pregnancy. To tell you the truth, you only need 5 percent fat in your diet to stay healthy. Believe me, you don't have to worry about not getting enough fat either. Practically all foods have some fat. Fruits have 3 to 14 percent fat, grains have 3 to 10 percent fat, and even veggies have 1 to 10 percent fat. So you can't avoid it. The good news is that your body does need some fat, and even a little cholesterol is important for your baby's development. Food Additives
Many foods we enjoy are full of preservatives, flavor enhancers, colorings and even hormones and antibiotics. Surprised? Food additives help foods look and taste better – sometimes – and last longer on the shelf. Organic foods and produce have the fewest chemical residues and additives and often taste much better, too. Most additives are safe during pregnancy. After all, the majority of women don't change their diets much during pregnancy and still have perfectly healthy babies. However, there are a few additives that you should watch out for. Read labels more carefully during pregnancy.
Additives to avoid include the following:
- MSG – Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer in bouillon and Asian foods that can cause headaches and stomach upset.
- Artificial food colorings – Colorings are in many processed foods, and most are considered safe during pregnancy. The ones to avoid are: blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 3 and yellow 6.
- Olestra (Olean) – It just hasn't been tested thoroughly enough to be recommended during pregnancy.
- Saccharin – It has not been shown to be safe in pregnancy.
- Cut the fat off red meat – Chemicals in animal diets often concentrate in the fat.
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