PREGNANCY DIET

Pregnancy Diet: Do's and Dont's

I have been asked to do this article multiple times so here it goes……

Good nutrition during pregnancy, and enough of it, is very important for your baby to grow and develop. You should consume about 150 more calories per day (for the first trimester) and 300 more calories per day (for the last 2 trimesters) than you did before you became pregnant.

It is important to remember from the time you find out you are pregnant to you are 6 months pregnant your baby is smaller than the size of your fist so you are not eating for 2 you are eating for yourself plus 150 kcals-300 kcals more for your baby. This literally means 2 slices of whole wheat bread (150kcal) or 1 cup cooked lentils/dal and 1 slice whole wheat bread/roti/chapatti (300kcal) additional per day in your normal diet.

Good nutrition does not include foods high in fat and carbohydrates. Ghee, butter, fried foods, cookies, biscuits etc provide no nutrition and just calories.

Eating a well balanced and nutritious diet is very important for a healthy pregnancy.

Remember the weight you gain during your pregnancy is the weight YOU will have to loose after the birth of your baby. Pregnancy is not a free pass to eat anything and everything you want. It is neither healthy for you nor your baby.

Healthy weight gain during pregnancy:

A woman who was average weight before getting pregnant should gain 25 to 35 pounds after becoming pregnant.

Underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds.

And overweight women may need to gain only 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.

In general, you should gain about 2 to 4 pounds during the first three months you're pregnant and 1 pound a week during the rest of your pregnancy.

If you are expecting twins you should gain 35 to 45 pounds during your pregnancy. This would be an average of 1 ½ pounds per week after the usual weight gain in the first three months.

Nutrition during pregnancy:

Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Recommended daily servings include

5-10 servings of whole grains

2-4 servings of fruit

4 or more servings of vegetables

4 servings of low fat dairy products

3 servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, lentils/dal, quinoa or nuts).

Use fats and sweets sparingly.

Choose foods high in fiber that are enriched such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables. This will help fight against constipation during pregnancy

Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet while pregnant. You should take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day. Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you.

Eat and drink at least four servings of low-fat dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1000-1300 mg of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy.

Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day to ensure you are getting 27 mg of iron daily.

Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes, and mustard greens. Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day.

Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, like dark green leafy vegetables, veal, and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens, apricots, and cantaloupe.