The benefits that fiber brings to your pregnancy health make this a useful and essential nutrient. Fiber can ease common symptoms of pregnancy, allowing you to enjoy this journey with your baby more.
For example, soluble fiber slows down digestion and makes you feel full more easily. Eating foods rich in soluble fiber thus helps to moderate your pregnancy weight gain.
Upping your fiber intake can also alleviate constipation, which happens to many moms-to-be. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stools and speeds up the removal of waste from your body. Just don’t forget to drink plenty of water too, to help move all that waste along!
How much fiber do you need during pregnancy?
Your parents probably told you to eat your greens when you were a kid. Now that you’re a mom-to-be, you’ll need at least one ounce (28 grams) of fiber per day. Give your digestive system time to adapt by gradually increasing the amount of fiber you eat.
Where can you find fiber?
Fiber comes in more than just greens. Soluble fiber is present in:
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Grains, such as oatmeal and barley
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Vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli and turnips
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Fruits, such as passion fruit, avocados, pears and oranges
These foods contain insoluble fiber:
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Wholegrain products, such as wholewheat bread and pasta
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Vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes
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The outer skins of fruits
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