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Confinement Food

What To Eat & What To Avoid During Your Third Trimester

Eating well throughout your pregnancy is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. Meeting the recommended nutritional requirements is especially crucial during the third trimester for sufficient energy while providing all necessary nutrients to your growing child. However, knowing what to eat or avoid when you’re pregnant is also important. 

NouRiche is a leading provider of confinement meal deliveries in Singapore, and here’s the lowdown on the foods to eat and avoid during the final leg of your pregnancy. 

What to eat?

#1 Foods rich in iron

Insufficient consumption of iron may lead to anaemia. This is because during pregnancy, blood volume expands to accommodate the changes in one’s body. Additionally, your unborn baby will need to store adequate iron for the first six months of life before he or she starts taking in solid foods. 

Choose iron-rich foods such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dried beans and fortified grains. The form of iron in meat products, called heme iron, is more easily absorbed than the iron in vegetables. For those who are anaemic, increasing meat consumption will be the easiest way to increase the iron your body receives.

#2 Foods rich in protein

Foods rich in protein-confinement food.in Singapore

Protein is crucial for your baby’s development throughout pregnancy and helps your baby’s body produce blood. Good sources of protein are lean meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, while vegetarian options include beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and soy products. 

#3 Foods rich in DHA

DHA-rich foods can help with growth of a baby’s brain. Pregnant women require about 200 milligrams of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) daily. To meet these requirements, consider including milk, eggs, and fruits in your confinement food.

Learn more: Confinement Food Singapore | How It Nourishes Your Body

#4 Folic acid 

Folate is a B vitamin that prevents problems with the developing brain and spinal cord. The synthetic form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods is known as folic acid, and has been shown to decrease the risk of premature birth on top of having a low birth weight baby. Get your sources of naturally occurring folate from dark green, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and dried beans, peas and lentils.

#5 Calcium

Calcium-confinement food.in Singapore

Both mother and baby require calcium for strong bones and teeth. Additionally, calcium supports healthy functioning of the circulatory, muscular and nervous systems. Dairy products are great sources of calcium, while non dairy options include broccoli and kale. 

#6 Foods that are high in Vitamin C, B6 and B12

Vitamins C, B6 and B12 play a vital role in the development of a baby through the musculature and placental growth. These nutrients can be found in foods such as oranges, bananas, sweet lime, carrots, chickpeas, and almonds.

#7 Magnesium

Magnesium plays an important role in nerve and muscle function, on top of maintaining normal blood pressure. In addition, it helps your baby develop strong teeth and bones. Getting adequate magnesium during pregnancy has also shown to prevent preterm labour and other pregnancy complications. Go for foods like green leafy vegetables, bananas, legumes, avocados, dark chocolate, or raw unsalted nuts.

What to avoid?

#1 Avoid raw meats and vegetables

Avoid raw meats and vegetables-confinement food.in Singapore

Avoid raw meats and vegetables of any kind as such foods contain a variety of food-borne bacteria and viruses. Changes in your metabolism and circulation during pregnancy may increase the risk of bacterial food poisoning, and could result in more severe issues than if you were not pregnant.

#2 Spicy foods

Spicy foods can lead to indigestion and heartburn during pregnancy, and therefore should be avoided during the last trimester.

#3 Foods high in salt

High salt intake can lead to several concerns such as water retention or swelling of the legs for pregnant women. The issue of high blood pressure may also come up, causing potential health issues for the baby.

After birth

Preparing your own confinement meals during this period can be inconvenient and time-consuming. Hence, it’s best to engage a reliable confinement food caterer for nutritious pregnancy meal deliveries to boost your health and vitality. Apart from being guided by a professional dietitian to assist with your recovery, you can rest assured that your confinement food is not just nutritious, but delicious too. 

We hope this article has been beneficial in ensuring you and your baby are getting all the nutrition you need as you head into the final stages of your pregnancy.

Confinement meal delivery services have been gaining popularity among new mothers for its convenience. Searching for confinement meal deliveries? NouRiche takes pride in providing nutritious and tasty meals that all mothers are sure to enjoy. Reach out to our team today to find out more!

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Confinement Food

4 Effective Ways To Lose Weight After Giving Birth

Achieving a healthy weight post-childbirth can be a struggle for many new mothers. It can be stressful taking care of a newborn, adjusting to a new routine, and recovering at the same time. However, it’s crucial to return to a healthy weight after delivery, especially if you plan on becoming pregnant again in the future. Going into a future pregnancy at a higher weight can put both the mother and the developing baby at risk of medical complications, such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. But what do you have to do to lose that postpartum weight?

NouRiche is a leading provider of confinement meal deliveries, and we share some ways for an effective postpartum weight loss.

Don’t crash diet

Crash diets are very low calorie diets designed to make you lose a large amount of weight in the shortest amount of time possible. That said, those who do so usually end up feeling lethargic and gaining back the weight at some point.

After delivering a baby, your body requires good nutrition to heal and recover. In addition, if you are breastfeeding, you would need even more calories than usual. A low-calorie diet usually lacks important nutrients. Your postnatal nutrition plan should instead include healthy, well-balanced home-cooked confinement foods that are rich in various nutrients crucial in helping you lose weight post labour.

Avoid unhealthy snacks

The foods you have around can play a big part in what you snack on in between meals. And when you’re searching around for something to munch on, a healthy alternative could just be the ticket. By stocking up on healthy snacks, you can ensure you always have something close at hand when the mood strikes without compromising on nutrition.

Keep your goals realistic

Keep your goals realistic

Despite what magazines and celebrity stories would have you believe, losing weight after a pregnancy may take some time. Your body needs to recover from childbirth. On the contrary, losing weight too soon after can take longer for you to lose the postpartum weight. Keep your goals about your new body realistic. With a good confinement meal plan and exercise, you should be able to achieve any healthy level of weight loss that even your doctor will give the thumbs up to.

Eat healthy confinement meals

Eat healthy confinement meals confinement meal deliveries

One crucial aspect that can show significant effects in shaping your figure and bringing it back to a pre-pregnancy state is through nutrition management. Perhaps you may find yourself being overwhelmed with information on the do’s and don’ts of confinement food. If so, consider confinement meal deliveries or confinement soup packages from a reliable confinement food caterer such as NouRiche for added convenience and peace of mind.

Learn more: 4 Ways Soup Can Help During Your Confinement Period | NouRiche

The best and most achievable way to lose weight after giving birth is through a healthy diet, breastfeeding, and exercise. We hope this article has provided some insight on how you can do so without compromising the health of your body.

Searching for the right confinement food doesn’t have to be difficult. NouRiche is a leader of confinement meal deliveries in Singapore that places emphasis on ensuring a well-balanced diet for the full recovery of new mothers post-delivery. Reach out to our team today to find out about our confinement meal services today!