Why it’s Best to Avoid Canned and Processed Food When You are Pregnant?

One of the most important things for expecting mothers to pay attention to is their diet. It plays a humongous role in guaranteeing your child’s future health. If you fail to maintain a balanced diet during pregnancy, it can result in some serious health consequences down the road. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to give up all your favorite foods and only eat a strict diet regimen. But you do need to practice moderation and prioritize eating certain types of foods and not eating certain others. One of the big things you should focus on not eating is canned and processed foods. They generally lack some essential nutrients in comparison to whole foods.

One of the nutrients people overlook when they are pregnant is iodine. An iodine deficiency can result in some neurological development issues for your unborn child. Iodine produces the thyroid hormone, which is a necessary component for fetal brain development. It is also responsible for shielding your child from certain environmental harm, like that caused by being exposed to carcinogens. About 1/3 of pregnant and breast feeding women are iodine deficient. This is why doctors often prescribe iodine supplements to pregnant mothers.

Why Not Canned Foods?

If you have a processed food or canned food heavy diet, you might not be getting all of the iodine you need. This is because processed and canned foods tend to not use iodized salt, which is one of the best natural sources of iodine. If you have to avoid salt for some reason, you can also find iodine in other sources. It is available in a lot of seafood, fish, and seaweed. It can also be found in dairy products like, milk, cheese, and yogurt, and it can be found in whole grains.