Apricots in pregnancy

Apricots during pregnancy are a healthy and tasty fruit. Let's consider whether pregnant women can eat apricots, the beneficial properties of fruits and contraindications for their use. And also recipes for delicious dishes for pregnant women from apricots.

Every expectant mother tries to diversify her diet as much as possible, to consume more vitamins so that the pregnancy goes smoothly and the baby is born strong and healthy. Summer is the ideal time of year, since it is in summer that many healthy fruits ripen, which are indispensable for a pregnant woman. A properly composed diet and regular consultations with a doctor who is monitoring the pregnancy regarding nutrition are the key to a varied, tasty and healthy diet.

• Apricots are recommended to be consumed only by those women who have no contraindications to this. Other pregnant women can eat not only apricots, but also apricot kernels.
• Dried apricots (dried apricots) are a medicinal delicacy, but dried apricots contain almost 80% sugar, so this dried fruit is contraindicated for diabetics. Apricots during pregnancy will reduce swelling and shortness of breath, help regulate heart rate, keeping it within normal limits throughout pregnancy.
• Apricot kernels contain vitamin B15 and fatty oil, which the human body needs. But for pregnant women there are restrictions on the consumption of kernels - no more than 20 grams per day.

Can you eat apricots during pregnancy?

Can apricots be eaten during pregnancy? This is a pressing question for many women who are pregnant during the season of this fruit. So, pregnant women can eat apricots, but do not forget that it is necessary to control the consumption of any red vegetables, citrus fruits, fruits and berries. Since the abuse of apricots can cause allergic reactions in the expectant mother. Let's consider the main benefits of eating apricots during pregnancy:

• Apricots are very useful for expectant mothers. The fruits contain a large amount of vitamins B, P, A, ascorbic acid. They supply the body with organic acids and minerals.
• A glass of apricot juice contains the daily requirement of iron and calcium salts. If you drink 150 g of juice daily, it will completely cover the body's daily requirement for carotene. Fruit juice normalizes stomach acidity, which is very important for expectant mothers.

All this suggests that apricots are not prohibited to eat during pregnancy. They are very useful, but you should not abuse them. If a woman has no contraindications to eating this fruit, then there is no reason to deny herself the pleasure of enjoying a juicy apricot. A balanced diet during pregnancy is the key to the full health of the future child.

Apricot recipes during pregnancy

Apricot recipes during pregnancy allow you to diversify your diet with not only tasty but also healthy dishes. Let's look at several interesting apricot recipes that can be prepared during pregnancy.

Cottage cheese pie with apricots

To prepare the pie you will need: 150 g flour, a fresh chicken egg, 50 g butter (softened) and 50 g sugar. The ingredients must be mixed and kneaded into dough. Cover the resulting dough with film and put it in the refrigerator for an hour and a half.

While the dough is resting, you can prepare the filling. Take 200-250 g of cottage cheese and rub it through a sieve or cheesecloth to obtain a more delicate consistency. The curd mass must be mixed with 100 g of sugar, 50 g of sour cream, a pinch of vanillin, an egg and a spoonful of cornstarch. All ingredients for the filling must be mixed until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.

To bake the pie, heat the oven to 200 degrees, grease the baking pan with butter. Roll out the dough thinly and place it in the baking pan, forming the sides. For convenience, you can use a split pan. Now you can put the filling in the pan. Place finely chopped or halved apricots on top of the curd mass. Bake the pie for about 40 minutes until the top hardens.

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Aromatic apricot drink

To prepare a drink from apricots, you will need 1-1.5 kg of apricots, fresh lemon, 100-200 g of granulated sugar, 20-30 g of vanilla sugar. So, apricots need to be washed, cut in half and pitted. The drink can be cooked from both halves of the fruit and from finely chopped apricots. Pour the apricots into a 2-liter saucepan, fill with water and put on the fire.

As soon as the water boils, stir the apricots, add sugar, a couple of lemon slices or just citrus zest. Boil for 10-15 minutes and add vanilla sugar. Now you can taste the drink, and if desired, add more sugar. Bring to a boil again, turn off, cool and enjoy the aromatic smell and pleasant taste of the apricot drink.

Apricot jelly

To make jelly, take 1 kg of apricots, cut in half, remove the pits and grind to a puree. If desired, you can peel the fruit. Add a packet of pre-soaked gelatin to the apricot mixture and stir well.

Pour the future apricot jelly into molds and put it in the refrigerator overnight, that is, until it hardens completely. You can decorate the top of the jelly with whipped cream or a spoonful of honey. For those with a sweet tooth, you can add some raisins to the jelly. Apricot jelly is an ideal treat for a pregnant woman in the summer heat.

Sweet apricot oil

In addition to tasty and healthy dishes, you can make aromatic apricot oil from fruits, which will be a pleasant reminder of summer on cold evenings. So, to prepare the oil, you need to take 1 kg of fresh ripe apricots and divide them into halves. In addition to fruits, to prepare the oil you will need 250 g of sugar, a spoon of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.

The preparation of the oil consists of several stages. Remove the pits from the apricots, grind thoroughly to a puree state and mix with the remaining ingredients. Put the resulting mixture on the fire and boil. After boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 1.5 hours until the oil thickens, stirring it regularly.

To determine if the oil is ready, dip a spoon into the cooled mixture. The spoon should be absolutely clean, without a watery trace. It is best to store the oil in sterilized glass jars or in the refrigerator in jars with screw-on lids.

Apricot juice during pregnancy

Apricot juice during pregnancy is the most delicious fruit juice, which has many useful properties. Apricot juice is called "nectar of the gods" for its rich taste and unforgettable aroma. Apricot juice during pregnancy is very useful, as it helps the digestive system work and has a complex of the most essential vitamins and minerals.

Fruit juice contains lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. The peel of the fruit contains vitamins and minerals: vitamins A, K, B2, B3, ascorbic acid, calcium, iron, sodium, as well as a lot of fiber and pectin. Magnesium occupies a special place, the content of which is ten times higher than in any other juice. Magnesium helps prevent anemia during pregnancy.

Useful properties of apricot juice during pregnancy:

• Cardiovascular system

The juice contains beta-carotene, which is an excellent antioxidant and reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. The juice also contains vitamin C, which improves the elasticity of arterial walls and significantly improves blood circulation. Thanks to this, the expectant mother will not suffer from high blood pressure. Apricot juice takes care of the retina and prevents vision loss. Many women who suffer from glaucoma or cataracts during pregnancy are prescribed apricot juice.

• Digestive system

A glass of apricot juice during pregnancy before meals has a beneficial effect on the digestive system. Apricot has mild laxative properties due to the fact that it contains pectin. The juice, due to its taste, creates an alkaline environment in the stomach, which counteracts aggressive gastric juices. Apricot juice reduces flatulence in pregnant women, helps dissolve gallstones and eliminates colitis.

• For skin, hair and bones

Many women complain of brittle nails and dry skin during pregnancy. Apricot juice contains minerals and vitamins that strengthen hair, bones, and make skin elastic. Regular consumption of apricot juice prevents stretch marks.

• To protect against cancer

Apricot juice contains lycopene, which prevents cancer. The substance is well absorbed by the body after thermal or mechanical treatment. Regular consumption of juice saturates the body of the expectant mother and her baby with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Drinking juice prevents morning sickness, stomach upset, anemia and other symptoms of toxicosis, both in the early stages of pregnancy and in the last trimester.

Apricot jam during pregnancy

Apricot jam during pregnancy is a healthy sweet. Jam has a beneficial effect on a woman's digestive system, adjusts the body to normal functioning. But unlike fresh fruit or apricot compote, jam contains a lot of sugar. Because of this, it is contraindicated to abuse jam during pregnancy.

Apricot jam contains useful substances and minerals that help with heart disease, have a positive effect on brain cells due to the phosphorus and magnesium included in the sweetness. All this suggests that pregnancy is not a reason to refuse delicious things, but still, you should not overeat.

Apricots during pregnancy are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals that have a pleasant taste and aroma. Apricots are used to make juices, jam, pies, butter, puree and even jelly. Apricots take care of the health of the expectant mother and help to endure pregnancy more easily. Regular consumption of fruits improves not only well-being, but also mood.

Benefits of apricots during pregnancy

The benefits of apricots during pregnancy are obvious. The summer aromatic fruit is rich in all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the body of a pregnant woman. The high content of provitamin A, vitamins P and B, as well as ascorbic acid is a healthy cocktail for both the mother's body and the developing body of the future child. Regular consumption of apricots saturates the body with silver, iron and sugar.

• Apricots contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, organic acids, starch, and saccharides. The fruit also contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, chlorine, silicon, magnesium, and others. As for the vitamin composition, apricots are rich in vitamins A, B, C, H, PP, and E. The caloric content of 100 grams of apricots is 38.3 kcal.
• Since apricots are rich in potassium, they are recommended for kidney diseases. Apricots are rich in sugar, organic acids, mineral salts, carotene and phenolic compounds.
• Apricots improve the functioning of the nervous system and brain. The fruit is useful for hypertension, arrhythmia and heart failure. If apricots are taken by pregnant women with low thyroid function or liver disease, this leads to poor absorption of carotene. In this case, to prevent vitamin deficiency, it is recommended to take pure vitamin A.

Not only the juicy apricot pulp is useful, but also the seeds, that is, the fruit pits. Thus, apricot pits contain vitamin B15 and fatty oil, which is indispensable for the human body. But you can not abuse this delicacy, as this will lead to nausea in pregnant women, increased blood pressure and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Daily consumption of apricot juice provides the body with the daily need for carotene, calcium and iron. Thanks to this, women do not have problems with increased stomach acidity during pregnancy. And this is very important both for the health and well-being of the mother and for the health of her future child.

Contraindications to the use of apricots during pregnancy

Contraindications to the use of apricots during pregnancy are based on the composition of this fruit. Let's look at the main prohibitions regarding the use of apricots during pregnancy.

• Apricots are contraindicated to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. Before eating a juicy apricot, a pregnant woman needs to have breakfast.
• During pregnancy, it is not recommended to drink cold water immediately after eating apricots, as this will cause dysbacteriosis, that is, it will cause severe diarrhea.
• Apricots are contraindicated during pregnancy in case of bradycardia (slow heartbeat), low blood pressure and predisposition to allergic reactions.
• Fruits are prohibited for bronchial asthma, especially dried apricots. Since dried apricots provoke rapid weight gain, dried apricots are not recommended for pregnant women who gain weight quickly.

In addition to the above contraindications to eating apricots during pregnancy, you should not eat a lot of dried fruit at one time, as this will cause an upset stomach. If you like dried apricots, then when buying them in the store, pay special attention to the color of the dried fruit. Both dried apricots and apricots should be clean, the smell should be natural, without foreign impurities.

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