Pregnancy is the time when it is absolutely important for you to stay healthy. At the time you need a 300 extra calories each day. The calories should come to you in form of a balanced diet with the right inclusion of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and especially whole grains. Intake of sweets and fats should be moderately taken during pregnancy. A healthy diet will help eliminate some of the adverse symptoms at the time. This way you can get rid of conditions like constipation and nausea. The intake of the right qualitative food would induce you stay healthy and invigorated. With the right food for consumption, you are always ready to give birth to a heath and nourished baby.
Ms. Geetanjali is a qualified Dietician offer custom diet plan for pregnancy in Mumbai, India. This helps both the mother and kids to have balanced nutrition.
Ample Fluid Intake during Pregnancy is Important
It is essential to have plenty of fluid intakes at the time of pregnancy. You should follow the instruction of the physician and decide on the daily fluid consumption. For the same you can drink several glasses of water each day. As part of the diet you can have soups and juices. You can talk to the doctor or the midwife regarding the restriction of caffeine and the artificial sweeteners. You should avoid having alcohol at the time as it can harm the growing fetus inside you. With the right water consumption it helps flush out the toxins from the body and help the baby stay healthy and well nourished.
Ideal Pregnancy Food
- You can have plenty of fruits when you are pregnant. You should take fruits like honeydew, cantaloupes, prunes, mangoes, apricots, bananas, oranges and the pink and the red colored grape fruits.
- Among the vegetable that are vital at the time of pregnancy, you have sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, cooked greens, and especially the red sweet peppers. These are vegetables to deliver with the right amount of potassium and vitamin A.
- Among the proteins that you should have during pregnancy, peas and beans come on top of the list. You should also have seeds and nuts. Among the fishes to try, you have trout, salmon, sardines, herrings, and Pollock.
- It is important that you consume dairy products like fat-free or low-fat yogurts, skimmed milk, and soy milk for the reason of having the right amount of potassium, calcium, and essential Vitamin D and A.
- You should make sure to have the read-to-eat cereals, and even the cooked cereals. These are rich sources of folic acid and iron.
Essential Nutrients during Pregnancy
Iron – Most pregnant moms suffer from deficiency of maternal iron. It is the most common nutritional disorder at the time. The pregnant woman requires having 27 milligrams of iron during each day. Some of the best foods with moderate iron inclusions are chicken, fish, spinach, fortified cereals, beans and green leafy vegetables. For those who are vegetarian you can try things like spinach salad with the addition of mandarin oranges. You can even have iron fortified cereal along with healthy strawberries.
Foliate or Folic Acid – The intake of required amount of folic acid will help in eliminating birth adversities and birth defects that can affect the area of the spinal cord. All pregnant women should have at least 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. The natural food sources having folic acid are green leafy vegetables, legumes, and the variety of citrus fruits. One can obtain folic acid through the fortified and the enriched food items like the pastas, cereals, breads, along with the rest of the essential supplements.
Calcium – At the pregnancy period calcium is extremely necessary for the healthy and perfect development of the baby’s bones, teeth, nerves, heart and muscles. If the pregnant woman is not having enough calcium, the amount is extracted from the bones of the fetus and this is highly detrimental. It is important to have the right amount of calcium on daily basis after and before the pregnancy period. The required amount of calcium on daily basis is not more than 1,300 milligrams per day. You must have at least three servings of low fat and calcium rich foods like the fast-free milk, cheese and yogurt and the bulk of calcium-rich soy beverages along with the other calcium rich food items.
Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
- Make sure not to have fast foods like luncheon meats and the hot dogs. Even if you are having them you should heat up the items and make them steaming hot before eating.
- At the time of pregnancy, it is not right to have unpasteurized milk and the foods made with the same. You should avoid items like soft cheese, and the list of the foods include feta, queso blanco and fresco, Camembert, brie or blue-veined cheeses. Try avoiding foods with the label made with pasteurized milk.
- You should stop having smoked and refrigerated food.
- When pregnant, you must also avoid having the meat spreads and the refrigerated pates.
- It is also not the time for you to have the raw and the under cooked items like the seafood, the quality of meats and the eggs. it is also not the right time to have sushi prepared with the raw fish. In the context, cooked sushi is always safe.
When you are pregnant, it is recommended that you have foods that are not right both for the baby and the mother. If you are not sure of the diet to adopt, you should talk to the health care practitioner. He will suggest you the list of foods to eat and avoid for you to stay healthy and disease free at the time of pregnancy.