Nutritional Value of Tomatoes for Pregnancy

During pregnancy, you generally need a little more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and nutrients to make sure your baby grows healthy and strong.

This doesn't mean extra servings of junk food, however. While your child grows, you need to feed yourself nutritious meals. Tomatoes are just one of the many fresh and healthy foods you should snack on while pregnant.

Vitamin C and Iron

Tomatoes are a source of vitamin C, one of the many essential nutrients you need during pregnancy to keep yourself and your baby healthy. Vitamin C helps form healthy bones, teeth and gums. 

 The vitamin also assists in the absorption of iron, which is of special concern during pregnancy, as pregnant women generally have higher iron needs. 

While your doctor might recommend additional iron supplements during pregnancy, eating tomatoes rich in vitamin C can help your body better absorb the iron you take in.

Lycopene

Tomatoes contain high amounts of lycopene, an antioxidant that can protect against cell damage. The National Institutes of Health notes that it's safe for pregnant women to eat foods that contain lycopene, though the safety of lycopene supplements for pregnant women has not been adequately studied. If you're pregnant, enjoy the benefits of this antioxidant, as it's naturally found in tomatoes, and steer clear of lycopene supplements.