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Diet & Nutrition
Updated on 3 November 2023
Food is undoubtedly one of the most vital things for survival. When it comes to your pregnancy, your diet becomes the most important thing to keep a check on. Knowing what to eat and what not to eat during pregnancy is crucial.
Two critical functions that your diet as an expecting mother must fulfill:
Before consuming water during pregnancy, boil it for at least 15–20 minutes to render it germ-free.
It helps in providing a solid foundation for the bones of the fetus. Take a cup of milk daily in the morning and evening throughout pregnancy. It facilitates the baby's proper physical, mental, and intellectual development.
Fresh butter has a cooling effect; increases vitality, energy, and enthusiasm; and improves your skin complexion and digestive health.
Many women face water retention during the last trimester of pregnancy. Buttermilk helps reduce bloating.
Ghee provides strength to the sensory organs and increases memory retention. Regular consumption of ghee is said to increase the baby's intelligence.
A lack of iron can cause incomplete embryo development, leading to several complications during childbirth.
A few drops of lemon juice sprinkled on leafy vegetables provide a good dose of vitamin C, which is essential for the optimal absorption of iron. Black raisins, dates, beetroot, pomegranate, apples, and saffron also help boost iron content. Jaggery, wheat, easily digestible pulses (such as mung beans and yellow gram, sometimes with their husks), coconut, dry dates, and poppy seeds are good sources of natural iron.
Lunch and dinner should include at least one cup of plain cooked pulses and one cup of spiced pulses. Yellow gram and green gram are exceptions for daily consumption. The entire development of the fetus is dependent on protein. Sprouts of the lighter pulses like mung should be included in the diet at least once a day, preferably with the midday meal. Steam or cook them before eating.
Pulses become easier to digest when consumed with rice or other cooked grains. Grains should be roasted before grinding, making them easy to digest.
Consume one to two teaspoons of honey daily. It improves intelligence and lends a glow to your complexion. It is beneficial for the eyes and helps purify the blood.
You may also like: 10 Benefits of Dalia During Pregnancy
The following vegetables are easily digestible and suitable for most women:
Cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, and beetroots can also be consumed daily in small quantities as a salad.
During the monsoon, water tends to contain a lot of impurities, increasing the risk of bacterial and microbial contamination in vegetables. So, consume leafy vegetables during the monsoon with caution.
Consume a small amount of plain food with very little smell at cold or room temperature. You can have white bread toast, mashed potatoes, fruits, white rice, plain hot cereal, and plain white pasta.
Eat fruits and vegetables rich in minerals and vitamins. Don't eat heavy meals at a time. Reduce it to a shorter meal at regular intervals.
There are subtle differences between what you must eat during the first trimester of pregnancy and what to eat during the second trimester of pregnancy. Here is a list of the essentials:
Second trimester: You should consume iron, vitamin C, protein-rich foods, calcium, folate, vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Also, increase your fluid intake.
Your baby will go through changes throughout the nine months in the womb. Knowing what to eat during pregnancy and having a healthy diet is always the best thing you can do for your baby’s proper development. Iron, folate-rich foods, milk products like buttermilk, butter, and ghee, dry fruits, and seasonal fruits are essential for your health and your baby’s development. Ensure you keep a list of the foods to retain and eliminate from your diet handy during this time.
1. Kominiarek MA, Rajan P. (2016). Nutrition Recommendations in Pregnancy and Lactation. Med Clin North. NCBI
2. EatforHealth Team. What are the Australian dietary guidelines?. eatforhealth.gov.au
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Written by
Mittali Khurana
Mittali is a content writer by profession. She is a dynamic writer with 04+ years of experience in content writing for E-commerce, Parenting App & Websites, SEO.
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