Best Diet For Pregnancy

Pregnancy is that blessed phase of a woman’s life when she carries a new life in her womb. The pregnancy period starts from the time she conceives till the time she delivers the baby. The diet plays a very important role in this phase of life as adequate strength and stamina is required during pregnancy. Moreover, a poor diet may lead to lifelong consequences on the physical and mental growth of the child.

All the mothers-to-be dream of delivering healthy babies without any complications. Diet, indeed, plays a significant role in nurturing the infant and getting it out healthy into this world. Let us quickly learn some basic tips that would answer a general query -how to stay healthy with pregnancy diet.

This is the high time to start with nutritious, delicious and well balanced diet. A pregnant woman needs some extra calories during pregnancy besides having more of vitamins, minerals and fiber. But those extra calories should not come from junk food which has zero nutritive value.

To keep in mind the need for a well balanced nutritious diet you should include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be taken instead of canned or processed food. Fruits and vegetables are very good source for natural vitamins, minerals and roughage. Roughage (fiber) is very much important during pregnancy as to avoid constipation which may cause a plenty of problems as piles etc in a pregnant lady. Milk and milk products should be included in the daily diet pattern as yoghurt, buttermilk, etc as they are rich in calcium and essential amino acids. The daily recommended dose of calcium should be increased to 800-1200 mg in pregnancy.

Foods that are rich in folic acid like green leafy vegetables and fortified whole grains reduce the incidence of neural tube birth defects. Your doctor may recommend folic acid supplements but a large orange will provide 54 mcg or just two spears of broccoli yields 61 mcg which is around 10% of the minimum daily requirement of around 500 mcg. Do remember to either lightly steam or eat leafy green vegetables raw as overcooking can destroy the folic acid content. If you are taking multivitamins as a matter of course do check the label as the brands do differ quite a bit. Most prescription prenatal supplements contain 800 to 1,000 mcg of folic acid so be careful not to overdose or it may mask a condition called pernicious anemia. Did you know that research has found that the body absorbs the synthetic version of this vitamin better than that found naturally in foods?

Whole grain cereals and pulses should also be taken. Fish, meat, egg, nuts, beans, peas are very good source of protein as well Iron, calcium and vitamin B 12 are very much essential in pregnancy phase. Raisins, dates, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, parsley, wheat germ, whole grain breads, cereals including oats, brown rice, potatoes, iron fortified products, jaggery and milk products etc are to be included in this phase of life.

Its best to sprout pulses overnight and take it next day for best results. Nuts like almonds, figs, walnuts, raisins etc can be. should be soaked overnight in a bowl of water and consumed next day for best results. The soaked water can be very nutritious and taken along with the nuts. 

Vitamin C is also very important and hence, pregnant lady should include at least one fruit rich in vitamin C such as orange, amla (avla), tomato, grapefruit etc. Carrot, squash, yellow and bell peppers, papaya etc (orange or yellow color fruits) should be included in the daily diet as they are very rich source of beta carotene, which is needed by the body to produce vitamin A.

During pregnancy the body should be well hydrated, so drinking a lot of water and fresh fruit juices is recommended. Make sure you drink clean water so as to prevent water borne diseases during pregnancy. Special care should be taken during this phase while selecting oils too. Nuts’ oil, olive or avocados are better options for a pregnant lady. Trans fats and saturated fats should be avoided. Excessive tea, coffee, soft drinks and baked products should be avoided. Also drinking tea with iron rich food slows down its absorption and hence to be avoided. Alcohol and smoking should be completely avoided.

In Brief,

Foods to Consume - Nuts, fruits, vegetables, green leafy veg, whole grains, pulses, milk.

Foods To Avoid - Eggs, Soya, meat, fish, papaya, baked products, refined products, coffee, food deep fried in oil etc

Foods Not To Consume - Cigarette, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine.