food during pregnancy

Essential food during pregnancy

There is not even an iota of doubt that pregnancy is one of the most crucial times in the life of a woman whether mentally, physically or psychologically.
 However, being physically healthy is of utmost importance. A healthy nutritious diet helps your baby grow and develop as the food you eat is the main source of baby’s nutrition. Therefore, we are telling you about variety of foods you should include in your diet in pregnancy because it is more about what you eat than how much.

• Milk and Dairy products –

 Skimmed Milk, Yogurt or Curd, Cottage cheese, Buttermilk are some of the dairy products which are rich in calcium, vitamin B-12 and proteins.

• Cereals, Dals, Pulses and Nuts – 

These are good sources of proteins if you do not consume non-vegetarian food. You need about 45 grams of nuts, 2/3 of a cup of legumes and one egg to get sufficient amount of proteins each day.

• Fruits and Vegetables – 

We cannot emphasize more on the fact to include these staples in your diet. They are the prime source of vitamins, minerals and fibre

.• Meat, Fish and Poultry – 

These foods provide concentrated proteins. They are highly recommended if you do not mind eating non-veg food.

• Fluids –

 Have plenty of fluids intakes. Drink water in abundance in addition to fresh fruit juices. Make it a point to always drink clean boiled or filtered water.

• Breads and Grains – 

 The body’s main source of energy in pregnancy comes from the essential carbohydrates found in breads and grains. Wholegrain enriched products provide important nutrients such as iron, Vitamin B and Fibre.

Balanced Diet for a pregnant woman

(Sedentary work)

Food Group quantity in gram

1. Cereals and millets 300
2. Pulses 60
3. Milk (ml) 500
4. Roots and Tubers 100
5. Green leafy vegetables 150
6. Other vegetables 100
7. Fruits 200
8. Sugar 20
9. Fats and oils (visible) 30

For Nonvegetarians 30 gram of pulses can be substituted with 50 gram of

meat / chicken / fish / egg.

YOUR DAILY DOSE

What to eat to get the nutrients you need

CALCIUM -

 1,000 mg where to get it: Dairy foods, dark leafy greens, calcium-fortified foods.FIBER -

25 to 35 mg where to get it: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans and peas).FOLATE -

 600 mcg where to get it: Legumes, broccoli, asparagus, oranges. (Folic acid is the synthetic form, available in supplements and prenatal vitamins.)IRON -

27 mg where to get it: Dry beans, meat, oatmeal, tofu.VITAMIN C -

 85 mg where to get it: Citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, dark leafy greens.