Healthy Diet Options During Pregnancy

You might be having a good and balanced diet already; however, you need to polish up your diet even more as you are now going to be a mum. Fine-tune your eating habits, with the advice of your doctor. Increase the intake of food rich in vitamins, calcium and minerals and avoid junk food, alcohol or smoking.

When pregnant, body use the energy you get from food in even more better manner. What you eat should be able to meet the needs of the growing baby and also your body needs. In the first two trimesters you need not eat more than what you actually require, however, in the last trimester you need extra 200 calories per day for the growing foetus.

It is all the more important to have a balanced diet in the first trimester as the baby’s physical and mental growth takes place during this stage. Your diet should be nutritious and well balanced consisting of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Tips, Dos, and Don’ts:

• Have a variety of food but in small portions. Excessive consumption of one food can result in unwanted weight gain and deficiency of other required nutrition.
• Include foods from all the five food groups. Consume fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains like cereals or breads, protein rich foods like fish, lean meat or lentils, and increase your consumption of daily milk products like curd, etc.
• Have three whole meals or six small portions throughout the day. It is recommended to have six small portions as it helps reduce or prevent heat burns and nausea.
• Avoid spicy, processed and canned food. Reduce your consumption of tea, coffee, aerated drinks, and sugar-enriched foods like pastries or cakes.
• Lower the intake of salt
• Do not consume big sized fish, like shark or swordfish, as they are exposed to industrial waste, which are hazardous. Also, do not consume raw seafood.
• Do not consume raw or uncooked food
• Beside a healthy diet, consume 400mcg folic acid and a prescribed dose of multivitamins, iron, calcium and minerals daily. It is advisable to start in taking these 2-3 months before you conceive.

Essential Nutrients for a Pregnant Woman:

• Protein : In pregnancy, your body needs more amount of proteins. To meet this increase in requirement of the body increase your intake of protein-rich food items like peas, nuts, and fish, meats, beans, lentils and dairy products.
• Calcium : A good amount of calcium is essential for the formation and growth of your baby’s teeth and bones. A pregnant woman requires double amount of calcium than is normally required. You need to consume 800 – 1200 mcg of calcium daily. Consume milk and milk products like yoghurt, cheese, etc. Preferably, choose skim milk and products.
• Folic Acid : Folic acid is a very vital nutrient for pregnant women. Folic acid should be consumed daily from at least 2-3 months before conceiving, if it is a planned pregnancy, otherwise from the day you get to know that you are pregnant. Folic acid is a source of Vitamin B and helps prevents neural tube defects in the baby. Consume at least 400mcg of folic acid daily and eat green and leafy vegetables, yeast, beans, citrus fruits, etc. Folic Acid is extremely vital in the first few months or forts trimester of pregnancy when the baby’s organs are formed.
• Iron : Iron is needed for formation of hemoglobin and to prevent anemia. In addition, it helps in building bones of the fetus. Consume many leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, potatoes, etc.
• Fiber : A most prevalent side effect of pregnancy is constipation or piles. Fiber helps prevent or reduce constipation. You should have a large portion of fiber rich food items every day, like salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rice, cereals, etc.
• Vitamin C : This is a wonder vitamin, which has many benefits. It builds strong immunity against infections, flu, cold, etc and help build strong placenta, and also helps in the absorption of iron. Rich source of vitamin C are fresh fruits, especially citrus fruits like orange, grapefruit, lime, etc.
• Water : a pregnant woman should guzzle down lots of water daily. Water helps in preventing constipation, swelling, hemorrhoids, bladder infections and dehydration. It also aides in digestion of food and transporting nutrients from the food eaten to the baby. Drink at least 8 glasses of water or in take fluids in the form of fresh juice and other healthy options.