Essential Vitamins and Minerals for a Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the unique experiences that a woman can go through in her lifetime. There are so many matters that you need to consider before and during your pregnancy. Among these matters, nutrition (especially minerals and vitamins) are very important. Your health during pregnancy and the health of your baby will be affected by these vital matters. Ultimately, it’s in your best interest to make sure that your diet included the nutrients you need for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Here, we discuss some essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins that you should incorporate in your diet.

Vitamins

Vitamin A and beta carotene help the growth of teeth and bones. You can find this vitamin in potatoes, spinach, broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and pumpkin.

Vitamin D is responsible for body’s ability to use calcium as well as phosphorus. Like Vitamin A, Vitamin D also has an effect on the growth of bones and the teeth. Vitamin D can be found in sunshine during certain hours of a day. So it’s highly recommended that you spend plenty of time outdoors during the early morning. Be sure to drink and eat plenty of milk and fatty fish.

Vitamin E is responsible for the forming and developing the body—namely the red blood cells and muscles. Foods that are rich in vitamin E include spinach, vegetable oil (in moderate amounts), fortified cereals and nuts.

Vitamin C helps the body develop its immune system and absorb iron. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant which protects the tissues from damage. Vitamin C can be gained by consuming citrus fruits, strawberries, potato, tomato, green bean, bell peppers, papaya, and broccoli.

Vitamin B1 or Thiamin is able to regulate the nervous system and can provide you with energy. Rice, pasta, organ meats, pork, egg, nuts, wheat germ, fortified cereals, and berries are good providers of Vitamin B1.

Vitamin B2 or riboflavin promotes healthy skin, eyesight, and energy. Good sources include meats, egg, and fortified cereals. These foods are also rich in Vitamin B3. If your pregnancy is causing you some indigestion then you can sooth your stomach with foods that are rich in Vitamin B3.

If your morning sickness tends to be severe or frequent, you can improve your condition by giving your body enough Vitamin B6, which can be found in a variety of foods. These foods include oats, brown rice, bran, nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, nuts, pork, chicken, liver, spinach, egg, soybean, beans and carrots.

Minerals

To start caring for the baby inside you, folic acid supports the placenta, prevents spine bifida and other neural tube defects. Green leafy vegetables, spinach, beans, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, pasta, fortified cereals and orange or orange juice are all rich in folic acid.

Aside from strengthening bones and teeth, calcium is also responsible for preventing the blood clots and improving functioning in nerves and muscles. Milk, cheddar cheese, dark green leafy vegetables and juices are all tasty sources of calcium.

Iron is responsible for production of hemoglobin. Iron prevents anemia, low birth weight and premature birth or delivery. You can gain iron by consuming beef, pork, spinach, dried beans, dried fruits and oatmeal or grains that are fortified with iron.

Tasty Recipes for Summer

As we are moving close to summer time, everybody’s preparing for this season of fun under the sun. Summer brings its own special activities such as its own food recipes. It’s going to be hot, humid and storms will take place in some places. Indeed, in hot and humid weather, certain foods can be really refreshing such as ice cream, a cold drink and more. These refreshments would really make you feel that summer time is the best time of the year.

Aside from desserts and drinks, there are so many recipes for summer that might interest you. Here are some recipes which can make your summer a memorable time for you and your family.

Let’s start with making a salad, a butter bean salad to be more specific. To prepare for this type of salad, you need:

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

5 Tbsp. olive oil,

¼ tsp pepper,

Chopped parsley (parsley can bring a lot of taste and a good aroma in salad so put in as much as you want)

2 (15 oz.) cans butter beans (rinsed and drained)

11 oz. corn can (drained)

14.5 oz. can zesty chili diced tomatoes (drained)

Small red onions chopped (not more than 3 pieces).

Simply prepare a big bowl and combine vinegar with olive oil, salt and pepper. Make sure you mix it well. Afterward, add the parsley and start mixing again. It’s good to consider that you should mix parsley in the bowl well and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix them well, chill the bowl for two hours before serving and enjoy the salad.

Some people might not want to spend so much of time cooking in their kitchen. Eventually, they will decide to dine out and often this act can be a part of a lifestyle. If every material is ready and laid out on the kitchen table in an organized way, cooking can be much easier and faster than what you think. So make sure that you always carry out an organized approach in cooking. Now we move on to the main dish which is lemon thyme grilled chicken. Here are the ingredients you need:

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts (if you are serving more people then simply add to the amount)

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

3 cloves of garlic (minced, always keep in mind that garlic can bring a very good taste to your food so if you want to add a bit more flavor then its completely up to you)

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

3.5 tsp. lemon juice (it would be great if you use real lemon)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

To prepare this meal, you will first place the boneless skinless chicken in a bowl and pour lemon on the chicken breasts. Make sure the chicken and lemon juice are mixed well. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover the bowl and chill it in your refrigerator for 1-3 hours. Prepare the grill while the chicken is in the refrigerator. Initiate the fire a quarter of an hour before you bring out the chicken. Grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side. Ultimately, it’s up to you how you want your chicken—some prefer their meat well-cooked while other prefer it rare and a bit juicy

With these two recipes, you will surely enjoy your summer time meal. To lean more about summer recipes, do some research online.

To Eat or Not to Eat: A Pregnancy Diet Guide

Pregnancy is whole new adventure for any woman. It is a time when everything in the woman’s life seems to be undergoing transformations and there comes a need for her and her loved ones to adjust to these changes. If you’re planning for a child then it’s very important for you to know everything that you can possibly know about pregnancy. One of the fundamental issues in pregnancy is nutrition or diet. If you want your baby to be as healthy as possible then you should study up on the foods that you must eat and those that you must avoid.
Food is a vital matter that you need to consider in order to carry out a successful pregnancy. Let’s begin with the foods that you must try to avoid during your pregnancy.

Unprocessed meat or raw meat

These meats can be contaminated with toxic bacteria that exist in the sea such as Coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and E-coli or salmonella. A great illustration would be sushi. In certain locations in the sea, fish meat (shark, sword fish, tile fish, and king mackerel) is contained with accumulated levels of mercury–mercury that can cause severe brain damage in the baby, affecting the developmental process in the brain. Another case would be when the fish is contaminated with specific industrial pollution. This pollutant, in scientific terms, is called polychlorinated biphenyls or PCB’s. This very toxic chemical can cause an incredible damage in IQ, memory, abnormality and can result to ultimate autism in the child. Before eating fish, study about the environment that you are living in. Contact the health department in your location and find out it the fish meat is safe.

Raw egg

Raw egg contains salmonella and should be avoided. Egg products like mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, Caeser sauce, homemade ice cream and any food that uses raw egg are also good examples of food to be avoided. Salmonella can cause serious illness and a possible infection in your baby.

You have probably heard that pregnant woman have more appetite for food than a non-pregnant woman. For the most part, this statement is true. However, we often encounter statements that are false such as: “a pregnant woman should eat twice as before in order to carry out a successful pregnancy”. One fact that any expecting woman should know is the need to provide the body with the best nutrition available in the market. This is more important than eating more. A pregnant woman is in need of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Carbohydrates

Rice, pasta and bread are great source of carbohydrates. Other great sources of carbohydrates are potato and corn.

Protein

Meat rich in protein include beef and chicken. Meat can provide a great amount of calories in a day. Beans and dairy products are good providers of protein as well.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamin B9 is a vital vitamin. Vitamin B9 is known as Folic Acid which helps with nervous system development in your baby. You need to take this in the first trimester of pregnancy. Another important mineral is iron. The purpose of iron is to produce enough blood in your body for the delivery of the nutrition to baby. Calcium and zinc are important for developing the embryo and are best absorbed by the body through the foods you eat.

Learn more about nutrition for pregnant women in http://www.surebaby.com/foods.php.

Fabulous, Creative & Easy Kid Friendly Halloween Party Food

This has to be one of the most creative articles I’ve ever seen on Halloween Party Food. Absolutely awesome ideas for fun home-made snacks and desserts you can make with your kids.

We would like to thank:  Our Best Bites Blog for this awesome article and photos.

Feast your eyes below on some of the best Halloween party snacks and dessers we’ve seen in a LONG time!

Witch Hats made out of Hershey’s Kisses placed on top of a Keebler Fudge Strip Cookies. Some easy frosting decorating, and you have yourself an adorable witch’s hat. Click on the photo to see full instructions on how to make these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Mummy Hot Dogs! This has to be one of my favorites. Made with crescent roll dough cut into thin strips and wrapped around hot dogs. Genius! Click on the photo to see full instructions on how to make these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dirt and Worms! What kid doesnt love dirt cake and gummy worms? Use chocolate pudding for your mud and put some crushed oreos on top for dirt. Hide those gummy worms in there for eeek factor! Click on the photo to see full instructions on how to make these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Chocolate

Cherry Mice! Yum yum! These are more fun than scary! Click on the photo to see full instructions on how to make these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheesy Fingers! Ok…I have to admit… I looked at these a few times and they really do look like real fingers! HA! All they are is string cheese with slivered almonds with a dab of cream cheese for the nails. Super scary and gross but so delicious! Click on the photo to see full instructions on how to make these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monster Jaws! A healthy and scary halloween snack! What more can you ask for. Cut your apples into quarters and use slivered almonds for teeth. Fabulous!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There you have it! I wish I had the time to  make these for  my daughter! Hopefully, by the time she really gets into Halloween and understands the concept, I will be dishing these adorably creative snacks like a pro.

What are some of your favorite creative  kid snacks  that you love?

Kid Friendly Pumpkin Pudding

Trick or Treat! Give me something good to eat!

Well you won’t have a problem serving something good to eat with this adorable Pumpkin Pudding dessert.

Imagine the squealing laughter these clever pumpkin puddings will bring out from your Halloween dinner party guests.

Whether you are inviting adults only or having a few kids over, these imaginative pumpkins by Martha Stewart (click here for the recipe) not only look good but taste awesome.

I would imagine these would go well as Thanksgiving dessert as well as a Halloween treat.

Pumpkin Cupcakes for Halloween – When Else?

These adorable pumpkins cupcakes will be the center of attention at your next Halloween bash.

Featured on Martha Stewart, this pumpkin cupcake recipe is perfect as a Halloween project you can do with your kids.

Super nutritious and almost healthy for you in this cupcake verison, pumpkins are loaded with vitamins A and B, iron, potassium, protein, fiber — and are low in fat and sodium.

The perfect addition to your Halloween desert spread.

You can even line your serving platter with some beautiful fall colors. Collect some large oak leaves that have just begun to turn red, rinse them off and you have a gorgeous Halloween platter worthy of being in a magazine!

Scary Halloween Treats: Sink Your Teeth Into Vampire Bites

Ok..ok…I’ll admit it. I am ashamed to say that I am 32 years old, with a 2 year old baby, a family, a house, my own business and I am a Twilight fan! I am absolutely obsessed with Edward Cullens and the idea of becoming a vampire!

I fantasize about living with the undead, drinking blood for eternity, sleeping in coffins and of course doing anything I want, whenever I want to.

So when I saw these, fangs candy bars, I thought to myself:  “Of Course!! Why didn’t I think of this before?? We are having a cliche vampire Halloween this year!! I am not giving my costume another thought! Vampire it is!

So here is the recipe for this  awesome Vampire Bites  ideas from BrightIdeas.com.

Made from Milky Way minis, these Halloween treats are sure to be the talk of the party. Edward Cullens, here I come!!!  Arrrhhh….

Don’t Play With Your Food Kids! How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Their Veggies & More!

If you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies or anything edible for that matter, like I do, this absolutely clever plate will do wonders for your feeding times.

My daughter loves to decorate the character’s face in imaginative, clever and fun ways. Hey, I even like to do it myself.

You can find this item on this site:  Scents of Delight. ** Note **, I have not been paid or sent a free sample to endorse this product. It’s simply unique enough and makes lunch & dinner time almost bearable with a picky toddler!

Now I just have to figure out what to cook that will have  entertained enough to eat and play and miss the broccoli and asparagus on her plate! HA!

Restaurants Kid’s Menus – Full of Junk!

When did the “Kid’s Menu” turn into the “Junk Food” menu?? This crap seems to be creeping into our schools, into our homes, vending machines, restaurants — EVERYWHERE! These companies try to get their clutches into our children’s stomachs as early as the toddler years. We are losing the obesity epidemic!

We recently went to a restaurant with a couple of friends. When it was our turn to order, we got 2 adult meals with a side order of cherry tomatoes. This spurred on a few comments about whether I am eating for 2 and what is the baby going to eat.

“Well”, I said, “Have you seen the Kid’s Menu???? It’s full of chicken nuggets, mac & cheese and more junk food!”.

We’ve started ordering 2 adult meals and just giving our daughter a portion of our meals. It broadens her taste buds, she eats better food and we even save a few bucks!

Don’t get me wrong! She loves nuggets, french fries and anything fried with bread crumbs, but we try to avoid that for now. When is old enough to buy her own food, she can choose to eat whatever she wants. But for now, grilled chicken with veggies it is!

What do you feed your children at a restaurant or diner?