Healthy Pregnancy Diet Tips

Pregnancy brings about many changes in a woman’s life. It is a phase of excitement when you are planning so many things for the baby to come. However, with all the future planning in mind, you should not ignore your present health when you are pregnant. Diet and nutrition play a very important role during pregnancy. There are certain nutritional needs of the baby and the mother. And in this article we are going to tell you about how to satisfy them the healthy way.

Keeping your cravings apart, you will have to plan your diet in such a manner that all the needful things should only reach your baby but keep you healthy till the end of your pregnancy. If you follow a poor nutrition diet, you can develop problems like pre-eclampsia, anemia, constipation, and your baby – fatigue, cramps, mood swings, etc. after birth and all along his/her lifetime.

How to celebrate pregnancy with a healthy diet?

The diet of a pregnant woman not only defines the physical development of the child, but is also responsible for the intellectual and mental health of the baby as well. Everything you eat is going to have an effect on your baby in either a healthy manner or could hamper its growth.

First Trimester Diet Plan for Pregnant Women

During this phase of pregnancy, a woman does not need extra calories in her diet. However, you need to have foodstuffs which would provide you a good amount of protein and calcium. Vitamins such as B12, B6, vitamin D iron, folic acid and zinc are necessary as well. Folic acid prevents the baby from developing any neurological disorders and spinal cord disorders. With addition to this, you must consume minerals, important foods containing fatty acids and significant calories which are equally important for the overall development of the baby.

After Trimester Diet Plan for Pregnant Women

As the stages of pregnancy move ahead, you must begin to add more protein rich foods in your pregnancy diet. 300 additional calories are required by a pregnant woman during the final six months of pregnancy.

Weight Gain during Pregnancy

Your weight gain during the first trimester should be three to five pounds approximately on per month basis. However, during the last six months, your weight gain should not increase more than three pounds per month.

Important Foods to Include in Pregnancy Diet

Below is the list of foods which should be included into the diet of a pregnant woman.

• High fiber foods like porridge which contain natural fiber and minerals.
• Calcium rich foods, such as dairy products.
• Red and orange vegetables, such as tomatoes and carrots.
• Orange and Red Fruits having Vitamin B complex, such as apples and oranges.
• Essential Vitamins and Minerals – dry nuts like almonds, walnut and raisins.
• Calcium and Iron Rich Vegetables – broccoli, cabbage and leafy vegetables like spinach.
• Foods rich in iron, such as lotus stem, brown rice and jaggery.
• Protein rich foods, such as lentils and sprouts.

Tips on Eating During Pregnancy

• Rather than eating two or three heavy meals per day, you should split your eating styles to at least five small meals a day.
• Go easy on foods containing too much fat, sugar or salt.
• For example, if you have a food craving like eating a chocolate cake, try to have it once but not always. To substitute this craving with a healthy solution, try eating fruits or dried fruits instead.
• Drinking a lot of water will help you in getting rid of the harmful toxins in your body. It will also keep you fresh and hydrated all the time. It assists in cleaning up your bowel and is a better solution for constipation during pregnancy.
• You must strictly keep away from consuming any type of junk food as it will only add up empty calories which would not be useful for you and your baby. You will gain additional unnecessary pounds as well without any nutritional advantages.
• Stop drinking coffee as it contains caffeine which is responsible for restricting blood flow to the lower abdomen and hampers the growth of the baby.

Other Necessary Activities during Pregnancy

Apart from simply following a healthy diet, you should also take a walk one in a while to relax your lower body. You can also perform certain light exercises or yoga to calm your senses down and for reducing the pressure of baby birth. However, before doing any of the physical work, it is advisable to consult your doctor first. Reading good books and listening to great music is also beneficial during pregnancy.

You don’t have to worry about anything while you are pregnant. Just stay happy, eat healthy and enjoy this blissful phase. The foods that you eat will also help you in calming down.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/ilco.