Healthy diet during pregnancy is very important as it helps in baby’s growth and development thereby keeping you fit and energetic.
Healthy diet for pregnant woman
A healthy diet should include food that is rich in proteins, iron, calcium and folic acid. There is a need of these nutrients for pregnant women.
- Food that is rich in iron like red meat, green leafy vegetables, pulses, dry fruits, etc., should be taken.
- Calcium rich food mainly diary products such as milk, curd, cheese, etc., are to be consumed.
- Take folic acid that is mainly found in brown rice, green leafy vegetables, cereals, etc.
Fruits and vegetables are important components of nutrition during pregnancy as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are also rich in fiber that helps in digestion. Many fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin c that helps in absorbing iron thereby promoting healthy gums for your baby as well as yourself.
If you are bored of having oranges, apples, green beans etc try to have some mangoes, sweet potatoes, apricots etc. Make a habit of drinking fresh fruit juice every day. Vegetables should be lightly cooked so that you get the nutrients it contains.
Diary products have high amount of calcium that is very important for the development of bone and of the growing baby. Eating curd after each meal is a good practice. Drink two glasses of milk every day and also have a bowl of cereal and milk in breakfast. Cheese has calcium, so cheese that is low in fat can be added to salads. If there is trouble in digesting diary products, try a glass of orange juice after each meal.
Food to be avoided during pregnancy
- Undercooked meat and diary products should be avoided:There is an increased risk of food poisoning during pregnancy which can affect the baby too. For instance, eggs should be cooked till the egg white and yolk becomes firm. If they are not cooked properly it will have bacteria.Sea food like fish should also be cooked until its flakes are separated which will ensure that it is fully cooked.
- Excess caffeine should be avoided: Caffeine if taken in excess can be harmful for the baby’s heart rate. There are some suggestions from the studies that say caffeine if consumed in excess can increase the risk of miscarriage. Your health care adviser should limit the caffeine intake as it will have harmful effects on baby’s growth and development. This can be done by limiting the cups of tea and coffees, stop eating too much chocolates especially dark chocolates as it has high content of caffeine.
- Unwashed fruits and vegetables should be avoided: It is a good and healthy practice of washing fruits and vegetables before consuming. All fruits and vegetables that are raw should be washed thoroughly to eliminate bacteria. Avoid eating raw sprouts which can contain bacteria that is harmful. Make sure that you cook sprouts thoroughly to avoid any kind of problem.
During pregnancy, it is important to focus on nutrition so that both the baby and the mother are healthy.