Thinking about consulting a dietician to eat dry fruits in pregnancy? You can get all the vital information you need right from your home. This blog can help you understand the role of various dry fruits in each phase of pregnancy.
Pregnancy comes in three trimesters, each of which has varied dietary needs for pregnant women. Therefore, you can know the best dry fruits in pregnancy based on other factors as well.
Benefits of having dry fruits in pregnancy
When you’re pregnant and looking for a sweet treat, you can always go for dry fruits as they have:
1. Iron boost–
Raisins, dried apricots and dates can help prevent anemia, a common issue that women face in pregnancy.
2. Fiber for digestion–
Prunes and figs can keep constipation at bay while you nourish your baby with healthy foods.
3. The blend of Calcium & magnesium–
The bone & nerve function of a foetus in the womb depends on vitals as such. Moreover, as these compounds are found in pista and almonds, they act as a natural source of the same.
4. Healthy fats–
The best dry fruits in pregnancy make sure the brain & retina are developed with proper nourishment. Moreover, being a natural source it does not come with possible side effects.
6 Best Dry Fruits to eat in pregnancy
The pregnancy perks of these crunchy goodies called dry fruits will help you have a healthy pregnancy if you add these nuts.
Almonds
- It sets the prior basis for strong bones & teeth of your growing baby. Moreover, it gets rid of muscle cramps.
- Moreover, it gets rid of muscle cramps.
- Vitamin E in them acts as an antioxidant for cells with placenta health.
- Gives you active energy for mother and crucial for fetal growth followed by safe delivery.
Tip:
Soak for 4‑6 hours and peel skin for better digestion.
Walnuts
- The Omega‑3 in this brain shaped nut is the best to nourish the brain & retina in the foetus.
- Therefore, with just a tad bit amount of Folate it discards the chances of neural tube defects.
Tip:
2‑4 halves a day are enough due to their high calorie content, so portion control.
Pistachios (Pista)
- Saves the mother from getting anemic and helps with the increased blood volume of the pregnant female.
- Moreover, the Vitamin B6 in pista is good for the protein metabolism, and slims down your chance to nausea.
- Fiber in this nut can keep constipation at bay along with a healthy bowel.
Tip:
You can eat them when lightly salted or raw, not fried. 10‑15 nuts ≈ 1 tbsp.
Makhana (Fox Nuts)
- Being Low‑calorie, it is a low‑fat snack if saving yourself from weight gain during pregnancy.
- The blend of Magnesium + Potassium in this one nut is a pro for the mother’s BP.
- Furthermore, all this while reducing common leg cramps that occur while pregnant.
- In addition, Makhana is safe if you have any nut‑allergy concerns.
Tip:
You can eat it when lightly roasted without any extra oil/salt. 1‑2 tbsp (handful) a day.
Peanuts (Groundnuts)
- They are the legit nutrient suppliers for fetal growth & neural tube in just a pea sized nut.
- Vitamin E & Resveratrol in groundnuts make them the safest organic antioxidant boost and the best dry fruit in pregnancy.
- Healthy monounsaturated fats is a class of fats in peanuts. Moreover, it is really good for your hormone synthesis and balance.
Tip:
So as to look out for allergies, you can start with 5‑6 nuts and watch for reactions. In addition, roasted and unsalted ones are the best.
Quantity to Eat- a dietician’s view
As per the pregnancy dietician, the amount of dry fruits you consume in each trimester varies. The different stages of foetus development have different nutritional needs. Therefore, this is a tabular illustration for dry fruits in pregnancy.
Trimester |
Approx. total dry fruits |
1st trimester |
1-2 tbsp(~15-30 g) |
2nd trimester |
2-3 tbsp (~30-40 g) |
3rd trimester |
2.5-3.5 tbsp (~ 45-50 g) |
PORTION SIZES OF DRY FRUITS:
Breakdown of common dry fruits for pregnant women:
| Dry fruit | 1 tbsp (~15 g) |
| Almonds | 12-14 nuts |
| Walnuts | 7-8 halves |
| Cashews | 9-10 nuts |
| Raisins/ dried apricots | 15-20 raisins/ 2-3 apricots |
| Dates | 2-3 Medium |
| Pistachios | 15-20 shells- off |
Dry Fruit Powder for Pregnant Ladies
Having dry‑fruit powder during the prenatal period can be a neat yet nutrient-dense add‑on for you. However, you must keep it moderate and safe for best results.
Why Dry Fruit Powder?
There are many reasons that dry fruit powder for pregnant ladies is gaining so much popularity.
– Convenient–
The ease to just sprinkle it on oatmeal, smoothies, yogurt or laddoos without chewing whole nuts is fascinating.
– Concentrated nutrients –
Dry fruits in pregnancy supply your body with nutrients like iron, calcium, healthy fats, fiber, and crucial vitamins. However, all of them are present in their most concentrated form in powders.
– Easy to mix –
You can blend the powder with dates, figs, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, a pinch of cinnamon and whatnot for your favourite flavor.
Precautions while eating dry fruits in pregnancy
Here are some things that you must keep in your mind while aiming for a blend of nutrients:
– Soak almonds, raisins, apricots for 4‑6 h for easier digestion and reduced anti‑nutrients (phytates).
– Also, you must avoid candied or honey‑glazed dry fruits.
– 30 g dry fruits ≈ 150‑180 kcal. Therefore, if you are tracking your weight, keep it within the extra 300‑450 kcal/day (2nd/3rd tri).
– If you eat around 25 g fiber daily, it will help your bowels.
– For better iron absorption, you can pair dry fruits in pregnancy with vitamin C sources.
– Dates/raisins are sweet and thus, if you want to avoid gestational diabetes risk, cut down sweet fruits. You may rather add more nuts/seeds to enjoy their benefits.
– Too many almonds can lead to high oxalate and may affect kidney stones. Thus, to avoid this, you can balance it with other nuts.
– Soak nuts like almonds for 4‑6 h and peel their skin). In addition, wash the dried fruits well and dry before grinding them in a powder.
– If you have thyroid, PCOS, gestational diabetes, or any complication, run it by your pregnancy dietician first.
