Guide : Diet Plan: What to eat during Pregnancy

Pregnant women need to take care of them and their eating habits as the diet has a great role in developing the health conditions of their baby. Women should eat more nutrients. Folic acid and iron are also required by the body at that time, which must not be avoided. This is the time when you need more calories. So, exactly what should be eaten –

• Eat foods rich in protein, calcium, Vitamin B-12 like skimmed Milk, curd, buttermilk (chhach), cottage cheese (paneer).
• For vegetarian people, it is advised to eat more cereals (like wheat, oat, rice), whole grains (these are the cereals in their natural form like whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, popcorn), pulses and nuts.
• Eat fruits and vegetables for fiber, minerals and vitamins.
• Eat lots of filtered (or boiled) water and fresh fruit juices. Try to avoid packed juices as they are highly rich in sugar content.
• Ghee and butter like products should be taken less. Vegetable oils are better on the other side as they contain more unsaturated fat.

Now, there are some Don’ts, that is the things which are advised not to take –

• Aerated or caffeine based beverages like coffee, tea, colas. A study has shown that the women who even drink one cup of coffee daily is more prone to give birth to an underweight baby.
• Foods made with maida (or wheat refined flour). It is an enemy to diabetic patients as it cause blood sugar imbalance, more prone to heart disease and kidney stone, contains anti-nutrients which can badly affect the digestive system.
• Seafood high in mercury, e.g., swordfish, shark and king mackerel.
• Smoked or frozen seafood like oysters, sushi, sashimi, smoked salmon.
• Unpasteurized milk can harm the baby as it is prone to infection or blood poisoning.
• Mould ripened cheese.

Earlier, in this article, it was mentioned that you need to intake extra calories during pregnancy. So, you can achieve that with –

• 2 chapatis without ghee
• 2 bananas
• 2 scrambled eggs

But, do note that you do not need to worry for first 6 months. Only, the last 3 months are crucial.

Here are some tips from famous celebrities. Let’s see –

She is a mother of 2 children, now. Paltrow married Chris Martin in 2003. At that time, she was pregnant with her first child, a daughter, named Apple Blythe Alison Martin (born. 2004). She had craved for pizzas and Mexican food during her pregnancy. The fitness advice from Paltrow –

“You have to exercise to get it all back. It was tough, very tough. So it was that and blusher and a girdle.”

Catherine shared her experience about the pregnancy. This Welsh actress is a mum of 2 children. She was excited the first time and it went easy. But the second time, she was scared and felt painful. She revealed that she had craved for Branston Pickle and Marmite during her pregnancy. She replied this, regarding the tip –

“‘During pregnancy I tried to eat well to keep up my energy levels. Three meals a day, a nice mixed diet. I love chocolate, ice cream and cakes, so that had to go straight away. I had to push myself to get to the gym. Once I was there I was fine. I also did yoga. I have a crazy frantic side, and yoga refocuses the energy.”

This Hindu American actress is a mom of 3 children (2 of which are twins). Her weight increased tremendously during her first pregnancy. She was like a balloon, as she inflated from 125 pounds to 200 pounds. Her voice also changed at that time. Also, due to her large tummy, her small butt looked more sexy, which she liked it. Her tip –

She did Yoga and went for pilates classes to lose weight, and it worked. Great!! But, her bust size increased. Her boobs size went from 36B to 38D (Yes, her cup size also changed from B to D).

She has 1 child, a daughter, Coco who was born in 2004. She said that pregnancy was not tough for her as she thought it to be, but it was not that much easy also. Her baby weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces at the birth time. This is what she shared –

“I practise Budokan. It’s a fitness regime that includes yoga and martial arts, a mind-body workout. It’s a combination of meditation, stretching and cardio exercises that develop strength and flexibility. I also found that breastfeeding helped.”

You may have gained some motivation from here. So, what do you think. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.