Pregnant? Science Says Eat Your Tuna!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

I wish I'd known about the research on the importance of fish in a pregnant woman's diet when I was carrying my babies. I knew just enough to think I shouldn't eat fish at all (whether it was high in mercury or not), which was completely wrong. Given that I LOVE fish, I'm ready to beat up the people who scared me away from all the fresh seafood (low in mercury) I could have been eating, especially tuna casserole! I have to wonder if my pregnancies might have been healthier had I consumed fish while pregnant. There's no way to go back and test that theory, but I had complications during the last trimester carrying both my kiddos and have had 5 miscarriages since. 

Turns out a healthy pregnancy and healthy post-pregnancy are within reach via diets rich in healthy tuna.  According to the FDA, tuna is low in mercury and can and should be encouraged in your pregnant diet. Always eat healthy... take your vitamins, being careful not to neglect any of the essential 4 food groups, but whatever you do, don't believe the myth about eating fish low in mercury during pregnancy.Science says it's not only harmless, but healthy and beneficial to both you and your child.... even after delivery. Breastfeeding moms should continue to eat low-mercury fish like tuna for both the health of their babies and their own recovering bodies.

Turns out fish during pregnancy may just build your babies brain power and keep you from experiencing depression before and after delivery. According to recent research, women consuming on average of 2 oz of  low-mercury fish daily during pregnancy had children who reached major developmental milestones at a rate of 25% more when tested at 6 months and 30% by 18 months! Talk about compelling data.

My favorite tuna casserole recipe is one I found online awhile back. It's a simple one to throw together and has become a family favorite:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked macoroni
• 1 can (6 oz) drained tuna
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup shredded chedder
• 1 1/2 cups French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, combine the macaroni, tuna, and soup. Mix well, and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fried onions, and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

I feel blessed to have been reminded about the health benefits of fish, whether pregnant or not. It gives me a great excuse to add tuna to my grocery list and more drive to actually make that trip to the market! lol