Eating Well During Pregnancy With a Food Allergy or Food Intolerance
by WhatToExpect.com
If you can’t eat eggs, milk, nuts, fish, or gluten, these smart substitutions will help you get all of the essential nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy.
Women who are allergic to or intolerant of foods like eggs, milk, nuts, fish, or whole grains often find ways to eat around those items. But during pregnancy, you don’t want to take a chance on missing out on the important nutrients that those foods provide. Here are smart substitutions that’ll help you manage the most common food allergies and intolerances while getting the protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals you need.
Celiac Disease
Get the whole grains you need from: Edamame, beans, lentils, popcorn
Get the antioxidants you need from: Leafy greens, berries
The complex carbohydrates found in whole-grain foods are especially important when you’re expecting; they can help combat nausea, fight constipation, and provide the iron, B vitamins, niacin, and folate that are essential to your baby’s development. Even if you need to steer clear of wheat, rye, barley, and oats, you need not rely solely on gluten-free bread and cereal. Some of the six daily servings of whole grains you need while you’re expecting can come from the following naturally gluten-free items, each of which provides one serving: a half cup of beans, lentils, or split peas; a half cup of edamame; two cups of air-popped popcorn; or a half cup of quinoa. And pile your plate with plenty of antioxidant-rich leafy greens, berries, and fortified juices (though beware the high sugar content that many juices contain).
Lactose Intolerance or Milk Allergies
Get the calcium you need from:Rhubarb, spinach, kale, wild salmon
Get the vitamin D you need from:Eggs, canned light tuna, fortified cereal and juice
Calcium is essential for building your baby’s developing bones — and keeping yours strong throughout pregnancy and beyond. The good news is that there are lots of ways to reach your daily requirement of 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams without feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Drink a glass of almond, soy, or rice milk with breakfast, or down a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice. Other foods high in calcium include salmon, kale, spinach, and rhubarb — in fact, one cup of cooked rhubarb contains more calcium than a cup of reduced-fat milk or an ounce of Swiss cheese. If you’re still finding it tough to get your daily dose, consider taking a calcium supplement. Also remember that calcium is absorbed in the body only in conjunction with vitamin D (also found in milk), so it’s important to consume foods that contain this nutrient too. Tasty choices include eggs, fatty fish like wild salmon and canned light tuna (though pregnant women should consume no more than six ounces of tuna per week and avoid the fresh stuff), and vitamin D–fortified cereals and juices.
Nut Allergies
Get the DHA you need from: Wild salmon, fortified eggs, vegetable oils
Get the protein you need from: Cheese, lean meat, milk
Nuts — and nut butters — are loaded with important minerals, including manganese, magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium, and calcium, along with vitamin E and protein, which is essential to creating cells. Walnuts are loaded with DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that’s key for baby’s brain development and eye formation, especially during your third trimester. Can’t eat nuts? Be sure to eat lots of leafy greens to get those crucial minerals and a banana a day for a potassium fix. You can meet your three-servings-a-day protein requirement with three ounces of cheese; four ounces of chicken, turkey, or lean beef; and an eight-ounce glass of milk. Get the recommended 200 milligrams of omega-3s you need daily with six ounces of wild (but not Atlantic) salmon twice a week, DHA-fortified eggs, and vegetable oils like canola and olive oil. Also check your prenatal vitamin — most contain DHA to ensure you reach your daily goals during pregnancy.
Seafood Allergies
Get the DHA you need from: Walnuts, fortified eggs, flaxseed oil
Get the protein you need from: Lean beef, poultry
Get the antioxidants you need from: Cherries, strawberries, broccoli, kale, asparagus
Seafood is a great source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are crucial for your baby’s development and good for your heart health. But if fish is off the menu for you, get these nutrients by eating walnuts (a serving is three ounces), DHA-fortified eggs, or by sprinkling flaxseed on your cereal or drizzling flaxseed oil over your salad. A serving of four ounces of poultry or lean beef will also help you meet your daily protein requirement of three servings, while a variety of antioxidant-rich fruits (such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, and kiwi), veggies (especially dark-green options like spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and kale, along with legumes like lentils, peas, and beans), and whole grains offer many of the same heart-healthy benefits as fish.
Egg Allergies
Get the protein you need from: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, poultry
Get the DHA you need from: Wild salmon, vegetable oils, flaxseed
Get the choline you need from: Soybeans, turkey, cashews
Eggs are chock-full of choline, which aids in a baby’s growth and brain development and helps prevent birth defects, as well as being a terrific source of protein, which helps a baby’s cells develop and keeps you energized throughout the day. Some eggs are also fortified with DHA, the good-for-you fatty acid that’s the primary component of the brain and retina. To get a full serving of protein sans eggs, eat a cup of cottage cheese, one cup of Greek yogurt, or four ounces of poultry or lean beef. Other sources of DHA include salmon — so aim to consume two or more six-ounce servings of wild (but not Atlantic) salmon per week, sprinkle omega-3-rich walnuts on your salads, add a tablespoon of flaxseed to your yogurt, and use vegetable oils like canola and olive oil when you cook. Guarantee you’re having enough choline by enjoying a half cup of soybeans or one cup of soy milk; four ounces of lean meat like chicken, turkey, or pork; two tablespoons of flaxseed; or a handful of cashews, pistachios, or sunflower seeds.
