Eating For Three.
During the first trimester, from conception to the twelfth week of pregnancy, 70 percent of the nutrients you supply to your unborn babies are devoted to their brain growth and neurological development. An adequate intake of folic acid now helps to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. All vital organs are forming at this time, and folic acid promotes their proper growth. Good sources of folic acid (also called folate or vitamin B9) include fortified rice, pasta, breads, cereals, and grains; poultry; lentils and beans; green leafy vegetables; avocados; oranges; and papayas. Try doubling up the beans in your favorite chili recipe (See Ginger’s Spicy Chili), adding avocados to your tacos, and topping your salads with diced peppers and chickpeas.
The other B-vitamins are also important during the first trimester because they too are involved in the formation and growth of all tissues. B-vitamins are known as water-soluble vitamins because they are not stored in the body for very long. That means you must eat a steady supply to promote your babies’ optimal growth. Here is a list of the B-vitamins you need and the foods that provide them:
- Thiamin (B1): beans, enriched whole grains, fish, nuts, peas, pork, soy
- Riboflavin (B2): dairy foods, green leafy vegetables, legumes, meat, nuts
- Niacin (B3): dairy foods, eggs, fortified cereals, meat, poultry, shellfish
- Pantothenic acid (B5): mushrooms, peanuts, salmon, whole grains
- Pyridoxine (B6): bananas, eggs, fish, legumes, meat, nuts, poultry, yams
- Biotin (B7): barley, corn, egg yolks, fortified cereals, milk, peanuts, soybeans, walnuts
- Cobalamin (B12): fish, fortified cereals and breads, grains, meat, nuts, poultry
