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Pregnancy diet
From CopperWiki
Good nutrition during pregnancy will help to keep a developing baby and its mother healthy. This requires a nutrient-dense diet where an expectant mother opts for foods with a high nutritional content and reduces or avoids non-nutritious foods like refined sugars and junk food. In addition, a healthy pregnancy diet may require vitamin or mineral supplements, especially iron, calcium, folate and, for some women, vitamin D. A pregnant woman’s protein requirements are greater than normal.
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
A well balanced diet is very important for a pregnant woman. During the first three months of pregnancy, most of the physical and mental growth of the baby takes place. The principal organs both external and internal and the nervous system of the baby form within this period. It is very important to eat well in the early stages of the pregnancy even if you are beset with nausea. During the last trimester also, the baby experiences rapid growth and a nutritious diet during this period is essential for normal birth weight of the baby.
[edit] How does this affect me?
Good nutrition during pregnancy will help to keep a developing baby and its mother healthy. There is a need for certain nutrients, such as iron and folate during this period. If you are pregnant, a good approach is to eat to satisfy your appetite and continue to monitor your weight. A normal weight gain over the course of the pregnancy is around 10–13kg for women who are a healthy pre-conception weight.
[edit] All about diet during pregnancy
Pregnancy takes about 300 extra calories a day to maintain, and an average-sized woman can expect to gain between 25 and 35 pounds overall. This means increasing your calorie-intake from the main food pyramid food groups, according to your energy (calorie) requirements.
- Four or more servings of fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals.
- Four or more servings of whole-grain or enriched bread and cereal for energy.
- Four or more servings of milk and milk products for calcium.
- Three or more servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, dried beans and peas for protein.
[edit] Prepregnancy diet
A woman who is well nourished before conception begins her pregnancy with reserves of essential nutrients like protein, minerals (iron and calcium) and vitamins (folic acid, Vitamins A & C) to meet the needs of a growing fetus.
[edit] Diet after conceiving
A balanced diet will also enable you to have an easy pregnancy that is free of complications like heartburn, constipation and diarrhoea.
Supplement your diet with these major nutrients from the basic food groups.
- Cereals like wheat, jowar, bajra, ragi, rice etc.
- Pulses and legumes
- Dairy products like milk, pasteurized cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt etc.
- Fruits like banana, apple, asparagus and yellow fruits and vegetables like peas, pumpkin, spinach etc.
- Fats like oil, butter, sugar should be consumed in moderation.
- Have plenty of water and other fluids like juices, soups, and milk shakes.
[edit] What can I do?
Take foods that ensure that you get these essential nutrients.
- Folic acid -- Folic acid is found in dark-green leafy vegetables, liver, yeast, beans and citrus fruits, and in fortified cereals and bread. Folic acid is easily lost while cooking, so steam green vegetables or eat them raw.
- Iron-- Eat iron-rich foods like potatoes, raisins, dates, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, whole grain breads and iron-fortified cereals.
- Calcium -- Apart from dairy products, good sources of calcium include leafy, green vegetables. The recommended daily amount of calcium during pregnancy and breast feeding increases significantly from 800 to 1200mg.
- Protein -- Try to eat a variety of protein rich foods, such as fish, meat, nuts, peas, beans and dairy foods such as milk and eggs.
- Vitamin C -- A lot of vitamin C is lost by prolonged storage and cooking, so eat fresh fruits and steam green vegetables or eat them raw.
- Fiber -- Besides rich sources like fruits and vegetables, brown rice, nuts, cereals including oats, beans, peas and pulses etc are good sources of fiber.
- Water -- Drinking enough water, especially in the last trimester.
[edit] Unlearn
- Pregnant women are encouraged to eat whatever they want when they are expecting. It is said that this is the one time they really do not need to worry about their diet. This is not true. A pregnant mother needs a balanced diet which is also full of healthy foods. She is noteating for two as the ld statement goes. In fact, calorie requirements does not even go up in the first trimester.
- Contrary to popular belief that pregnant women need extra calcium; they need the same amount of calcium during pregnancy and when breast feeding as they do when they are not pregnant.
- The rules regarding pregnancy and weight gain have changed significantly in the past few years because so many women never lose their pregnancy weight gain, putting themselves at risk for obesity.
[edit] CopperBytes
- Buy only the fresh fruits and vegetables available in the market. Seasonal fruits are the most nutritious as they ripen without the usage of additional chemicals and are more reasonably priced.
- Refrigerating food for long period results in the loss of vital nutrients. So buy in small quantities and cook for the day.
- As far as possible, eat vegetables and fruits unpeeled so that your body receives the right amount of fibre and nutrients.
- Vegetables and fruits like cucumber, potatoes and carrots have vital nutrients right under the peel which we lose out on if we peel them. Remember to scrub these vegetables thoroughly before you eat them.
- Soaking vegetables in water for a longer period of time will make them lose many valuable, water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C.
- Vegetables should be cooked carefully so that they retain most of their nutrients during the cooking process.
- Include a large amount of sprouts in your diet
- Avoid using soda bi-carbonate while cooking as it destroys most of the essential nutrients present in the food.
