Introduction Expectant women should take a balanced
Lactation and pregnancy are deemed to be
vulnerable periods for mothers as well as the
child.
Maternal nutrition minimizes the possible
adverse effects involved in this period.
Knowledge and information are necessary
for an individual to make healthy diet
choices.
However, the context of food choices differs
across cultures.
Foods in Arab culture have a high-energy-
density diet, mixed with fats and sugars.
Education Nutrition in Arab Culture
Foods Rich in Fiber
Pregnant women need to increase their
intake of fiber-rich foods.
Fiber foods help the body maintain few
calories and manage the pregnancy weight.
Such foods include vegetables and fruits.
85% of pregnant women in Arab countries
consume foods and vegetables less than four
times a day (Musaiger, Takruri, Hassan, &
Abu-Tarboush, 2012).
This puts both the mother and the baby at
risk of being unhealthy.
Proteins
The Arab region is a desert with less rainfall
and scarce water sources.
Consumption of meat foods and legumes is
minimal.
deity that is rich in proteins, zinc, and
vitamins.
Most people suffer from anemia (Mirmiran,
Golzarand, Serra-Majem, & Azizi, 2012).
Sources of iron include meat, fish, chicken,
and nuts.
Expectant women should take two servings
of fish, chicken, or meat.
High fish consumption increases birth
weight.
Intake of processed meat products like
sausages should be limited.
Low-fat processed meat should be taken to
reduce the cholesterol content
Calcium
Animal rearing is rare, but expectant women
require milk and other dairy products.
Dairy products have vital nutrients essential
for fetus development.
They are rich in calcium required for
development of strong bones and healthy
nerves (Kumar, & Kaur, 2017).
Young females in Arab countries are
vulnerable to calcium deficiency, which
causes osteoporosis.
Women avoid such products on belief that
they cause obesity.
Regulated consumption among pregnant
women provides calcium to the baby.
Mothers allergic to such foods should take
low fats as a great substitute.
Reduce Salt Intake
Dietary salt contain sodium and chloride
ions.
They are naturally found in foods, and are
added to many dishes for flavor and
preservation.
People from the Arab culture consume a lot
of sodium through salts (Alhamad, Almat,
Alamir, & Subhakaran, 2015).
Traditional dishes and fast foods contain
high volumes of salt.
Expectant women should not consume above
5g of sodium daily.
Recommendation
Arab nutritional culture is quite lacking,
exposing expectant women to risk.
The culture promotes consumption of
excessive salts, with minimal essential foods.
These foods are highly nutritious and can
benefit both the mother and the unborn child.
Expectant women need to consume foods
rich in calcium, proteins, and fiber.
Stores they go to
 Lulu
 Shaklan
 Union Co-op supermarkets
References
Alhamad, N., Alamir, N., Subhakaran, M., &
Almalt, E. (2015). An overview of salt
intake reduction efforts in the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries. Cardiovasc
Diagn Ther, 5(3), 172-177. doi:
10.3978/j.issn.2223-3652.2015.04.06.
Kumar, A., & Kaur, S. (2017). Calcium: A
Nutrient in Pregnancy. The Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, 67(5),
313-318. doi:10.1007/s13224-017-1007-2.
Mirmiran, P., Golzarand, M., Serra-
Majem, L., & Azizi, F. (2012). Iron, Iodine
and Vitamin A in the Middle East; A
Systematic Review of Deficiency and Food
Fortification. Iranian Journal Of Public
Health, 41(8), 8-19. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P
MC3469033/.
Musaiger, A. O., Takruri, H. R.,
Hassan, A. S., & Abu-Tarboush, H. (2012).
Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for the Arab
Gulf Countries. Journal of Nutrition and
Metabolism, 2012, 1-10.
doi:10.1155/2012/905303
Razzaghi, H., & Tinker, S. C. (2014).
Seafood consumption among pregnant and
non-pregnant women of childbearing age in
the United States, NHANES 1999–
2006. Food & Nutrition Research, 58(1),
23287. doi:10.3402/fnr.v58.23287