Can you eat spinach when pregnant?
Hannah Weiss
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Find out if it's safe to eat spinach during pregnancy, including raw spinach. Plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.
The official advice on eating spinach in pregnancy
Good news! It's safe to eat spinach while you're pregnant. It's fine to have it raw, cooked, or whipped up in a delicious green smoothie.
The NHS advises having plenty of fruit and vegetables during pregnancy. Eating enough fruit and veg will give you and your growing baby the essential vitamins and minerals you both need to stay healthy.
Is spinach good for you in pregnancy?
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Spinach is low in calories and high in nutrients, making it an excellent healthy food choice during pregnancy.
Spinach is also a rich source of folate or folic acid. It's essential that your body gets lots of folate while you're pregnant.
According to the NHS, folate reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida, which can impact the development of your baby's brain and spinal cord. A folate deficiency can also increase the risk of premature birth and low birthweight. This is why it's important to take a folic acid supplement, even if you eat lots of spinach.
Other health benefits of spinach include:
- Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C, which boosts your immune system.
- Spinach is high in fibre, which can help aid your digestion.
- It's also rich in iron and calcium, two nutrients that keep your blood and bones healthy and strong. It can be hard to get enough iron during pregnancy, and spinach is a great plant-based way to boost your intake.
- According to Healthline, spinach is one of the best dietary sources of quercetin. This powerful antioxidant may help fight infection and reduce inflammation.
Delicious spinach recipes
Love spinach? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?
The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book: Count Down Your Pregnancy Day by Day by Dr Maggie Blott is packed full of advice from a team of experts to help guide you through your pregnancy from conception to birth. See more details here at Amazon.
Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.
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