During pregnancy, mothers must focus on maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet. They must get a list of healthy food and meal planning tips from doctor to eat well during a pregnancy.
One should always remember, the baby inside depends on you for proper nutrition. So, if you will take healthy & balanced diet your child will become healthy and so will you.
Pregnancy is the most nutritionally demanding period in all women’s life. Pregnancy deals with rapid cell division and organ development of the baby. Adequate supply of nutrition is required to meet the increased demands of your body. During pregnancy eating should be pleasure as it is throughout life. Expected mothers should continue to enjoy their favorite foods in moderation .The nutritional needs are higher by 300 Calories over the pre-pregnant state. This will ensure that you will have adequate weight gain.
Most mothers-to-be think that they need to “eat for two” for proper growth of the baby. However, “eating for two” may not be always being required. If you are already above the ideal body weight (Obese) or have diabetes, you need not eat for two. The amount of food that you can eat during pregnancy is dependent on your physical activity, your pre-pregnant weight, and presence of any illness.
Almost all pregnant women need to get more protein, more of certain vitamins and minerals such as folic acid and iron, and more calories (for energy). If your diet is poor to begin with, making the transition to eating nutritious meals is one of the best things you can do for your baby's health.
But eating better doesn't mean eating more or rather, not much more. If you start off at a healthy weight, you need no extra calories during the first trimester, about 300 extra calories a day in the second trimester, and about 450 extra calories a day in the third trimester. If you're overweight or underweight, you'll need more or less than this, depending on your weight gain goal.
You could also eat folic acid-rich foods, such as the following, during your entire pregnancy.
MAGNESIUM:
Magnesium is essential for all muscle health, including your uterus. It helps to make and repair tissue, also. Luckily, it is plentiful in salad greens, nuts, soya beans, seeds (particularly pumpkin, melon and sunflower) and whole grains.
Vitamin A:
Vitamin A helps to keep your skin and the linings of your internal organs healthy. Eat plenty of reduced-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, paneer and cheese, for their retinol (animal- derived vitamin A) content, remembering not to use out-of-date products.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D are sunlight, dairy products especially milk, yoghurt, butter, margarine and paneer.
Fortified whole wheat breads and cereals like brown rice, whole wheat, and oats are very good for a healthy mother-to-be and baby too.
Fish and seafood are the best dietary sources of these nutrients, so make sure you use plenty of fish recipes. Fish is also an excellent source of iodine. If you don't eat fish, your doctor may advise you to take a supplement.
Many women find having ginger tea very helpful in relieving constipation. You can also substitute fresh fruit juices with fruits you will benefit from the fibre content of the fruits.
CALCIUM:
Calcium is important for nerve transmission and muscle contraction, as well as for healthy teeth and bones. As you are supplying calcium to your baby for her skeleton, make sure that you are eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, especially dairy foods and canned fish with bones.
Choose reduced-fat versions of dairy products as well as a balance of non-dairy sources of calcium to keep your fat intake down.
These foods are all rich in calcium:
· Dry fruits such as almonds, figs, cashews, walnuts,
· Apricots (dried), brazil nuts and peanuts
· Coconut
· Baked beans, rajma, soya bean
· Cheese
· Chickpeas
· Canned fish (with bones)
· Cottage cheese/paneer
· Milk (including fortified soya milk) and other dairy products, such as paneer, curd, cheese, etc.
· Tofu
· Green vegetables such as spinach, parsley, broccoli, fenugreek leaves, drumstick leaves, cabbage, capsicum, tomatoes, amla.
· Dry lotus stem
· Yoghurts, ice-creams, buttermilk and lassi.
· Fruits include oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, grapefruit, lemon, blackcurrants, cranberries and mangoes.
WATER:
Drink eight to ten large glasses of water a day in addition to any other drinks. In the hot humid weather increase your fluid intake to keep yourself hydrated. Avoid fizzy caffeinated and artificially flavored drinks and choose healthy and alcohol-free options such as fresh fruit and vegetable juices, coconut water, soups, and milk shakes, aam panna, lassi, buttermilk and milk shakes.
IRON:
Although some doctors like to recommend iron supplements to all pregnant women, they can cause constipation in some. If your doctor says that you are anemic, you may need to take iron supplements and also eat iron-rich foods, such as leafy greens, like spinach, mustard greens, fenugreek leave, mint, coriander, and radish, black grapes and pomegranate are good sources of iron.
Other iron rich foods are Lean red meat, poultry, fortified breakfast cereals, rice flakes, roasted bengal gram, wheat germ, wheat bran, and oat bran, dry fruits such as raisins, dates and canned sardines. You could also sip some lemonade or warm water to which grated amla is added along with your food. Try adding a dash of lemon juice to your salad, vegetables or dal -- the vitamin C in the lemon helps iron absorption.
FIBRE:
Fibre is essential for a healthy digestive system and to prevent constipation. It also helps to keep blood sugar levels constant. Fibre is derived from plant sources such as seeds, grains, fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals. Meat and dairy products do not have any fibre.
There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble, and you need both in your diet. Soluble fibre helps you to feel full for longer and releases sugars evenly into the blood. Insoluble fibre prevents constipation by moving food through the body quicker, and carrying away waste products in stools.
Below is the list of few soluble and insoluble list of fibre enriched food:
Mainly soluble fibre: apples, pears, bananas, berries, legumes like soybeans and peas, carrots, broccoli, oats, barley, pulses, root vegetables like onions, yams, potatoes and rye bread.
Mainly insoluble fibre: beans, corn, fruit and vegetables (especially with skin), vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower, celery, green leafy vegetables, lentils, nuts, seeds, wheat bran, rice bran, brown rice and wholegrain cereals.
Speak to your doctor before changing your diet or if you are allergic to any particular source of food. Never take supplements unless your doctor has prescribed them.