Can you eat jelly when pregnant?
In this article, we will answer whether you can eat jelly when pregnant, what is jelly, what are jelly ingredients, is jelly healthy when pregnant, and what is the risk of eating jelly when pregnant.
Can you eat jelly when pregnant?
Yes, you can eat jelly when pregnant. Jelly is safe to eat. You just need to eat it in moderation or choose sugar-free options. The NHS recommends eating a healthy and balanced diet with snacks low in sugar like fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
Jelly can be a high sugar content food and can affect your weight gain and if you have gestational diabetes or insulin resistance it is not recommended.
What is jelly?
Jelly refers to a type of clear fruit spread consisting of formed fruit or vegetable juice boiled with sugar and pectin. It is characterized by its clear appearance and a firm texture that holds in place.
Commercial pectin is from apples and citrus fruit. You can find it powdered or liquid.
What is the difference between jam and jelly?
Jam and jelly are both forms of fruit products widely eaten as a sweet accompaniment. They use almost the same ingredients but they have a different consistency.
| Jam | Jelly |
| Fruit Product | Fruit Product |
| Made with mashed pieces of fruit, pectin, and sugar | Made with juice, pectin, and sugar |
| It is a gelled syrup that can’t hold itself in place | It is clear and holds itself in its place |
| It is eaten as a spread or dessert | It is eaten as dessert or spread |
Is jelly healthy to eat when pregnant?
Jellies are considered a high sugar food. It is made with carbohydrates. 1 tablespoon of jelly can look like this on a nutrition label
| Calories | 56 calories |
| Carbohydrates | 14.7 grams |
| Sugar | 10.8 grams |
| Fiber | 0.21 grams |
| Protein | 0 grams |
| Fat | 0 grams |
Jelly is not a healthy food to add to your diet. If you are craving jelly, pair it with protein like cheese or turkey breast. If you have gestational diabetes, insulin resistance or problems with rapid weight gain you better not eat it.
Jelly can be included if you are on a healthy balanced diet. High-sugar food should be a little part of your diet. Is as simple as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
A few nutrients need special attention during pregnancy, like folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Ideally, 2 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables every day
- Increase your intake of whole grains and cereal foods. Choose high fiber options
- Milk, hard cheese, and yogurt are great options because they are high calcium foods.
- Choose low-fat options and good fats: fats from vegetable sources like almonds, olive oil, and avocado.
- Choose lean proteins and choose low mercury fish options.
- Drink plenty of water
- Always stay active
What is the risk of eating jelly when pregnant?
As said above, jelly can have too much sugar and carbohydrates. If eaten in moderation there is no harm but if you have gestational diabetes or insulin resistance, you should keep your intake low. It can have severe health effects on you and your baby.
Also, if you indulge too much in jam you can gain weight fast. If you gain too much weight during pregnancy there are several complications mom and baby can suffer.
- Gestational Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Complications during birth
- Baby health
Gestational Diabetes
You can develop gestational diabetes which is a state where your body has trouble producing and using insulin which leads to high glucose levels. You may need to take medication and the mother can develop diabetes even after the baby is born.
High Blood pressure
You can develop eclampsia and preeclampsia. Both can lead to mother and baby complications and even death.
Complications during birth
If you gain too much weight it’s more likely that you end up in cesarean because vaginal birth tends to be more difficult with excess weight. Also, babies of mothers who gain too much weight are usually bigger.
Baby health
Moms that gain too much weight tend to have babies with high birth weight and these babies have more risk of being obese and developing diabetes when older.
My recommendation is to include jam in a healthy balanced diet. Is as simple as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. A few nutrients need special attention during pregnancy, like folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Ideally, 2 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables every day
- Increase your intake of whole grains and cereal foods. Choose high fiber options
- Milk, hard cheese, and yogurt are great options because they are high calcium foods.
- Choose low-fat options and good fats: fats from vegetable sources like almonds, olive oil, and avocado.
- Choose lean proteins and choose low mercury fish options.
- Drink plenty of water
- Always stay active
How to add jelly to my diet?
Jelly can be added to your diet always in moderation. When jelly is made at home you can be sure that the ingredients are high quality. Also, you can skip artificial flavors and food coloring.
Conclusion
In this article, we will answer whether you can eat jelly when pregnant, what is jelly, what are jelly ingredients, is jelly healthy when pregnant, and what is the risk of eating jelly when pregnant.
Citation
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/jelly-vs-jam#store-bought-vs-homemade
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Jam-and-Jelly.html
