Pregnancy Diet: Yogurt

Posted by TTN Palawan on Aug 22, 2018

Many things are needed to be considered when you become pregnant as things in your body changes. One of it is in your diet. Making sure that what you are feeding yourself will also be good for the growing child inside your womb is an important thing to consider.

If you like fermented dairy foods such as yogurt and suddenly you wonder if it is still safe to eat it while you're pregnant, here's the news for you...

Dairy Products

Yogurt is made of milk which is a good source of calcium. This is a great way to get that calcium supply needed for your baby's bones. Now, this is one benefit of eating dairy, in this case, yogurt when pregnant. But you ask, ' Can I just eat whatever type of yogurt I want? ' The answer is a safe, "NO". The advisable kind of yogurt that you can safely take when pregnant are those that are made with pasteurized dairy. Unpasteurized yogurt is at risk of having bacterias that may not be safe in your tummy or that might cause problems. You do not want to have tummy aches or diarrhea while pregnant due to bacterias you may have consumed by eating unpasteurized yogurt. As for other dairy products such as cheeses, aim for the ones that are hard such as Cheddar and Parmesan. Although they are made with unpasteurized milk, they don't contain as much water as the soft cheeses, therefore, bacterias are less likely to form in them. Soft cheeses are also often mold-ripened or that they are made with goat's milk, which is unpasteurized and they can also contain a bacteria called Listeria that can harm your baby.

Difference between UHT and Fresh milk

Probiotics in Yogurt

Yogurt with live cultures is a great source of Probiotics or good bacterias which are considered a 'superpower' in aiding a healthy well-being. Probiotics when pregnant can help you in digestion and prevent constipation. This will help you as your digestive tract slows down to give way in making nutrition for your baby during pregnancy. When this happens, you will have a higher risk of constipation that may increase your risk of having hemorrhoids or simply swollen vein or group of veins in the anus.

Before buying your yogurt...

Now that you know that yogurt that is pasteurized and with live cultures is good to take when you're pregnant, there is one more thing you have to be aware of before heading to your grocery store. Do not buy yogurt that is "full fat". Full fat yogurt often has too much saturated fat that is known to be having a bad reputation for not being good for the heart. Also, if you are watching your weight during pregnancy, you would avoid this kind of yogurt or any dairy product that has full-fat in it. This is because they can put more excess pregnancy weight.

Tips for buying yogurt
Types of yogurt

Finally, taking yogurt during pregnancy has benefits for you and for your little one aside from it can also give you energy. Just opt for low to non-fat yogurt and those that do not have too much added sugar in it. Instead, choose the ones that are unsweetened or plain and then just use fruits or honey to sweeten it.