Minerals, like vitamins, are essential for a well-balanced diet --
especially when you're pregnant. They keep your body running in tip-top
shape. They also are involved in just about every aspect of your
growing baby's development. Here's a rundown on these important
minerals and what foods are good sources of them.
A Mineral-Rich Diet
As you can see from the following list, minerals are abundant in many
of the foods you're already eating on a daily basis. Getting a
mineral-rich diet should not be difficult because minerals are widely
available in so many foods that you're likely to get what you need.
Just stick with a variety of the basic food groups: dairy products;
meats, fish, and seafood; whole grain breads and cereals; fruits; and
vegetables.
Calcium: Dairy products, tofu, and dark green vegetables
Chromium: Whole grains, wheat germ, and orange juice
Copper: Poultry, fish, meats, soybeans, potatoes, and dark green leafy vegetables
Fluoride: Fluoridated water
Iodine: Seafood and iodized salt
Iron: Meat, raisins, dried apricots, potatoes with their skins, and dried peas and beans
Magnesium: Milk, peanuts, bananas, wheat germ, and oysters (eat them cooked only)
Manganese: Raisins, spinach, carrots, broccoli, oranges, and peas
Selenium: Dairy products, meats, seafood, and whole grains
Zinc: Meats, turkey, wheat germ, eggs, and liver
Prenatal Supplements
Your health-care provider probably has prescribed a prenatal supplement
that contains the right mix of vitamins and minerals you will need for
pregnancy. This can be a great insurance policy, but it shouldn't take
the place of a good diet. Foods contain lots of micronutrients and
fiber which you cannot get through a supplement.
