Drinking plenty of fluids during pregnancy is an important way to keep yourself and your baby healthy. Some beverages are more nutritious than others and will benefit your baby by increasing your intake of essential vitamins and minerals. W. Allan Walker and Courtney Humphries, authors of "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy," recommend 100 percent fruit juices over soda and fruit drinks as a healthy addition to your diet while pregnant.
Citrus Juice
Orange and grapefruit juices supply vitamin C, which helps your baby's muscles and cells develop and may also help fight off infection. Miranda Castro, author of "Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby's First Year," recommends orange juice during pregnancy because it is a good source of folic acid. A diet high in folic acid may help prevent birth defects, and oranges are a good source of this important mineral. Many pregnant women become deficient in iron because the amount of blood in your body almost doubles while pregnant. The folic acid in citrus juice enables your body to absorb iron from foods and from your prenatal vitamin so that you do not become deficient.
Grape Juice
The compounds in grapes that give them their purple color are the same compounds that supply your body with antioxidants and nutrients you need to grow a healthy baby. Adding a serving of 100 percent grape juice to your pregnancy diet will help you consume essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, that ensure that your baby develops properly. Linda J. Murray, Leah Hennen and Jim Scott, authors of "The Babycenter Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth," suggest using grape juice to make alcohol-free sangria, which can also increase your intake of fruit and nutrients. Mix grape juice with sparkling water and your favorite fruits as one way to enjoy grape juice and take advantage of its nutritional offering.
Cranberry Juice
Cranberries are considered one of the most nutritious foods to consume during pregnancy, according to Jonny Bowden and Allison Tannis, authors of "The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy: The Surprising Unbiased Truth About Foods You Should Be Eating During Pregnancy but Probably Aren't." Look for 100 percent cranberry juice, rather than cranberry juice cocktail, which is mostly sugar and water and does not contain enough juice to make it a healthy beverage. Pure cranberry juice will supply minerals and vitamins, such as vitamin C. Bowden and Tannis recommend adding grape juice or orange juice to your cranberry juice if it is too sour, rather than adding sugar, so that your beverage remains as nutritious as possible.
References
- "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy"; W. Allan Walker and Courtney Humphries; 2005
- "Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth, and Your Baby's First Year"; Miranda Castro; 1993
- "The Babycenter Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth"; Linda J. Murray, Leah Hennen and Jim Scott; 2005
- "The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy: The Surprising Unbiased Truth About Foods You Should Be Eating During Pregnancy but Probably Aren't"; Jonny Bowden and Allison Tannis; 2010
