Diet for Pregnant Women
Do you know that a pregnant woman requires approximately 300 extra calories per day to maintain a healthy pregnancy? Yes, that’s right! To gain these calories, one must follow the best diet for pregnant women, which includes whole grains, protein, fruits, and vegetables. Furthermore, sweets and unhealthy fats must be kept to a minimum.
We know how challenging it is to carve out a balanced and healthy daily diet for pregnant women. Therefore, we bring you a list of beneficial foods and beverages for an ideal Indian diet for pregnant women. This food list takes care of the nutritional needs of the baby and ensures the holistic health of the mother-to-be.
1. Fruits And Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of every healthy diet… including your pregnancy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins and nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid that are essential for your baby’s development.
We recommend eating at least at least 2-4 servings of fruit and 4 or more servings of vegetables every day. Not sure how to do this? Try including an apple at breakfast and an orange at lunch. For your vegetables, whip up a large salad for lunch and add a side of broccoli or cauliflower for dinner.
2. High-Quality, Lean Protein
High-quality, lean protein provides essential amino acids, vitamin B, and iron which help your developing baby stay healthy in the womb.
We suggest at least 3 servings of protein every day. Instead of a bowl of cereal or a breakfast bar on the run, try a hardboiled egg. If you’ve got time in the morning, you can’t go wrong with sitting down to plate of scrambled eggs and a smoothie. Yum!
For lunch, try dicing a chicken breast on top of your salad. Dinner is a great time for a piece of fish to go with your broccoli or cauliflower.
3. Whole Grains
Every pregnancy diet should include whole grains. Grains provide fiber to help keep you regular. Grains also provide thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin that aid your digestion and make it easier for the baby to absorb the nutrients it needs.
We’ve found that between 6 and 11 ounces of whole grains like whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, or rice make your pregnancy diet complete.
It’s easy to incorporate these whole grains into your meals. Just add a bowl of oatmeal to breakfast, make a turkey sandwich for lunch, and include a side of rice with your fish and broccoli in the evening.
4. Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are one of the three main macronutrients — the others being carbohydrates and protein — that are necessary in every pregnancy diet.
We recommend eating at least 42 grams of healthy fat each day. That amounts to about 44 almonds, or one and a half avocados, on a daily basis. Though that may seem like a lot, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Here’s how to fit enough healthy fat in your pregnancy diet.
Add 6-8 almonds and 4-5 walnut halves to your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you feel hungry between meals, try munching on a handful of sunflower seeds.
And who doesn’t love a good ripe avocado? Splash on some olive oil and vinegar and you have a delicious, nutritious, and healthy-fat-packed side for any meal.
5. Dairy
Your developing baby needs plenty of calcium to build strong bones and teeth. That calcium is also essential for producing normal blood clotting, muscle activity, and nerve function. Needless to say, calcium is very important for your health and the health of your baby.
To ensure that you get enough calcium every day, we suggest 4 servings of dairy products every day. Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese, and yogurt. You could include a glass of milk with breakfast and lunch and a fruit-filled yogurt as a mid-afternoon snack. These are all great ways to get the calcium your body needs during your pregnancy.
6. Water
We’ve listed this one last, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important! Your baby’s body needs water to develop and your body needs it to function properly and stay hydrated from the inside-out!
Lather up with Mustela’s Soothing Moisturizing Balm to hydrate your skin from the outside, and drink plenty of water to hydrate from the inside.
Water should make up the majority of the liquids you consume every day. Try to drink at least 8 cups of water daily to aid with hydration.
Drink 2 cups of water first thing in the morning before breakfast and then 2 cups each with lunch and dinner. That’s 6 cups of water right there. That only leaves 1 cup between breakfast and lunch and 1 cup between lunch and dinner. Simple, right?