Ah, pregnancy. That magical time when you're constantly hungry, tired, hormonal, and bloated all at the same time. It's a wonder we don't all just curl up in a ball and wait for it to be over. But even though being pregnant can feel like your body is trying to kill you from the inside out (it's not by the way), there are some things you need to know about raw veggies so that they don't actually try.
Are Raw Veggies Safe During Pregnancy?
The short answer is yes -but- there are some important guidelines to keep in mind.
Clean Your Produce
Before diving into those crunchy crudités or a bowl of refreshing salad greens,make sure that everything has been thoroughly washed with cold water. You should also remove any damaged areas, like wilted leaves or stems - this will help prevent harmful bacteria from getting into your system.
Be Careful With Certain Vegetables
You might want to limit your consumption of certain raw vegetables during pregnancy: sprouts,unwashed lettuce, chard (who eats chard anyway?), kale(again who really eats kale) soybeans (farewell edamame)and radishes(bye bye zesty little root vegetable). These veggies can contain Listeria monocytogenes or other harmful pathogens if they aren't cleaned properly before eating.
Listeria infection during pregnancy may cause minimal symptoms in mom but can have severe effects on baby – such as fetal loss and preterm delivery.^1 So dare I say it...washing vegetables isn’t pointless!
Avoid Salad Bars (for now)
We hate to break it down but keeping our diets fresh via regular visits across various salad bars sounds tempting until we become pregnant where we sadly must wave our goodbyes..at least temporarily! Unable to know how often and how well the vegetables were washed and all too often hands and utensils spreading parasites can contaminate raw veggies at salad bars. During your pregnancy, it’s better to avoid salads from salad bars.
Buy Organic
While you should always wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly, selecting organic produce can reduce the levels of harmful substances like pesticides in your food- that's because only organically grown plants prevent toxic chemicals when sipping H2O through it's plant roots!
Adding Raw Veggies To Your Diet While Pregnant: Culinary Inspiration!
Now that we have our ground rules straight —it doesn’t mean we cannot partake in some veggie wielding delights (whoop whoop!), here are a few ways to add more fresh veggies to your diet during pregnancy!
Note: It is imperative for pregnant women (and everyone) to maintain or create balance by including other nutrients, proteins etc. beyond vegetables.
DIY Salad Bar (at home!)
A DIY salad bar makes great sense – endless variations- as long as you keep things simple so not overwhelming yourself mentally ((after all; there’ll be plenty going on physically)). You need basic ingredients such as greens(fresh spinach or lettuce), cucumber , tomato, bell peppers(controversial yes but slice thinly!), carrots,and cherry tomatoes then using seasonings such as salt/pepper/garlic powder with dressings like balsamic vinaigrette… voilà! Protein? Add grilled chicken strips/salmon/flaked tuna/chickpeas/tofu.
Smoothie Bowls
Smoothies served up in bowls offer amazing nutritional content that feels like dessert plus eye candy excitement to help beat ‘bland’ eating. Fruits atop blends of green leafy fun give variety with taste-bud tickling texture making both mom & baby happy campers.
Choose a liquid base made of water/yogurt/milk/nut milk Use spinach for main greens source (it’s mild, light taste helps compliment the other flavors). Then add sliced bananas, diced apples or pears, frozen mango/pineapple chunks. Adding almond butter gives a filling protein boost and topping it all off with coconut shavings feeds into fun.
Roast Up
Just because we are talking about raw veggies doesn’t mean there isn’t roasting! In fact roasted vegetables often offer both nutritionally enhanced options as well as making bland bites a bit more tastier. The best vegetables for roasting include sweet potatoes ,yams(YES African yam is totally unique), butternut squash, carrots(be creative add cilantro/cumin) , mushrooms (just spritz on some olive oil before baking if needed!) & Brussel Sprouts…somehow they’ve become trendy lately!
Feeling meaty things? Beef with rainbow peppers tossed in rice vinegar can provide an amazing flavor party alongside their veggie counterparts.
Conclusion: Time To Crunch Away
So here folks you have it- demystifying information around eating raw vegetables during pregnancy.Trust us when we say this is only the tip of using vegetative ways to keep cravings at bay while amping your health status,& major thumbs up from baby too. Remember - just take care to wash everything thoroughly and avoid certain types until junior sees daylight safe n sound.