Written by Editorial Team
Just discovered you are pregnant and feeling sick of the mundane diet that you have been having for the past few days? If you are looking out for some yummy but healthy additions to your pregnancy diet, plantains are a wonderful option to go for. But is it safe to eat plantains during pregnancy?
Plantains not only taste yummy but are loaded with umpteen nutritional benefits that are perfect during your pregnancy period. Here is everything you need to know about eating plantain during pregnancy.
In This Article
Plantains are tropical fruits that are bigger than bananas and have a thick peel with flesh that is sweet and firm inside. If you buy them green, just leave them for a couple of days till the skin turns yellow in color making them ripe enough to eat. They are basically used as a vegetable and although they belong to the banana family, they need to be cooked before eating.
Plantains can be eaten mashed, boiled, or fried and serve as a staple food loaded with vitamins, folates, and other important nutrients. They are perfectly safe to consume during pregnancy and have immense benefits when included in your pregnancy diet.
Yes, you can enjoy plantains during pregnancy and reap their amazing benefits. Some pregnant women actually take plantains as their staple food during pregnancy. However, don’t overeat them during pregnancy, as it can bring about unwanted side effects.
If you are planning to include plantains in your pregnancy diet, but are not sure how it will benefit your pregnancy, then here are some benefits of eating plantains during pregnancy:
Plantains are rich in Vitamin A as a single serving of cooked or mashed plantains comprises 550 mcg of Vitamin A. This actually meets almost sixty percent of the required Vitamin A for your system. Vitamin A is an excellent antioxidant and also aids to ensure the mucus membranes remain healthy. They also help to enhance your complexion.
Nausea is no doubt one of the most common ailments that most women who are pregnant suffer from. Plantains have been found to be an excellent remedy for nausea that you experience during this period as they practically are devoid of any smell and also have been proven to be effective for heartburns that one experiences during pregnancy.
Plantains are also found to be loaded with Vitamin C or ascorbic acid that plays an important role in the formation of gums, skin, blood vessels, and various other tissues. One requires around 60 gm of vitamin C during pregnancy and consuming a single plantain provides you with half of this requirement.
Plantains are rich in starch. They are, hence, an excellent energy booster. Plantains are extremely beneficial to have a healthy pregnancy.
Plantains have also been found to be rich in folate, which is absolutely imperative for the healthy growth and development of the baby growing within you. There is a good amount of thiamine and riboflavin in plantains that also help to ensure you have a baby and uneventful pregnancy.
Plantains also have sufficient traces of iron in them that helps to avert anemia during pregnancy state.
Vitamin A also is perfect for promoting excellent eye health during conception. It also helps to augment the skin tones that normally develop all kinds of issues during pregnancy.
Since plantains are rich in magnesium, they play an excellent role in averting heart problems.
Rich in iron, phosphorous, and magnesium, plantains when had raw are found to be excellent in strengthening bones. It also makes sure that your fetus is developing and growing well.
Plantains are also loaded with commendable quantities of fiber that are beneficial to enable smooth movements of the bowel and thus helps to combat constipation which is a very common issue while expecting.
Having plantains on a regular basis, thus not only combats constipation problems, but also helps to aid proper digestion which is extremely important during pregnancy.
With commendable traces of vitamin A and C, plantains act as a wonderful immunity booster against a variety of dangerous infections.
Plantains have been found to have excellent diuretic properties which aid to ensure that urinary functions are smooth. This property of plantains also helps to avert any issues of bladder and kidney during pregnancy.
Rich in Vitamin B complex, having this fruit on a regular basis is found to be helpful in treating neuritis, anemia, and homo-cysteine during this period.
Rich in potassium, plantains ensure that your heart is functioning well as they help to keep your levels of blood sugar and heart rate in check and also battle the adverse effects caused by sodium.
All the above-mentioned positive benefits tell you the importance of including plantains in your pregnancy diet. So do go ahead and purchase this wonderful fruit that has umpteen advantages during pregnancy. Look for different recipes that can make plantain interesting to eat during pregnancy as they are no doubt an excellent addition to your pregnancy diet.
Yes you can. Check if it is firm to touch and has a little yellow on the skin. It may be a little tricky to prepare though.
Plantains cannot be eaten raw. They need to be cooked to be edible. You can even fry them and eat.
No it cannot. However, too much plantain might be difficult to digest. It might result in diarrhea.
Yes you can. However, plantains are generally cooked with a lot of oil. This might increase the cholesterol levels in the pregnant woman’s body.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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