Mom was right when she urged you to eat your veggies.  Now, it turns out that vegetables are more important than ever when you’re pregnant.

A first-of-its-kind study from Swedish researchers found that children born to women who consumed vegetables every day during pregnancy were far less likely to develop type 1 diabetes by the time they were five years old when compared to children of moms who rarely included veggies in their pregnancy eating plan.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your pancreas (the organ that makes insulin, which allows energy to get into cells) no longer produces the insulin that you need to survive.  People who have type 1 diabetes must replace the missing insulin using shots or an insulin pump.

Nobody knows what triggers type 1 diabetes, although genes play a role. Mom’s veggie intake may be especially protective when she or the baby’s father have type 1 diabetes.

Although the link between vegetables and type 1 diabetes risk  is not definitive, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try to eat more vegetables during pregnancy. Vegetables supply carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, for relatively low calories.

Here are some delicious ways to work in vegetables every day:

• Roast peeled sweet potatoes that have been cut into wedges and lightly coated in olive oil in a 400˚F oven for 15 minutes or until soft.

• Puree canned beans (yes, beans are a vegetable - with the most fiber and protein of all the vegetables, too!) and add to soups and stews. Toss drained, rinsed canned beans into salads and soups. Use the reduced-sodium kind (Bush’s Best, for example) for less salt.

• Dip baby carrots in hummus, black bean dip, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, or low-fat Ranch dressing.

• Drink reduced-sodium vegetable juice.

Source: Pediatric Diabetes, online version.