Pregnancy can be one of the most amazing, life altering experiences. It is the happiest and till the most nervous few months of a woman’s life. The moment of finding out that you’re pregnant is a classic example of Mixed feelings, even though your happiness knows no bounds, you can still be surrounded with panic, fear, anxiety and all sorts of confusion. For a young Indian woman, who is expecting her first child it can be an even more confusing time as all the friends and ladies around start off by congratulating you later but first by handing out a list of “Don’t eat this” things. So in times when you don’t want to be wrong but yet have multiple lists with contradicting claims, What do you do? We say, The best thing to do it dump those lists off.
We have made a special customizable diet chart of all the foods an expecting mother can safely have. A perfect and balanced diet chart for pregnant ladies.
List Of Healthy Foods To Eat During Pregnancy
Here is a list of things you can safely consume throughout your pregnancy with a few exclusions, and list of health benefits associated with each group.
1. Cereals, Pulses, Nuts and Whole Grains-
Cereals and whole grains are rich in minerals and Vitamins. For vegetarian “mommy to be” the best way to meet your everyday protein requirement is through pulses and nuts. Consume around 2 to 3 cups of Dal or any other pulses preparation to meet your daily requirement of proteins. You can also eat around 40 to 50 grams of nuts each day to supplement your protein requirement.
2. Fruits and Vegetables-
Include a good amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet every day. They act as a great source of vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Fruits also give your body a certain amount of water content keeping you hydrated. So if you do not like drinking plain water consume fruits like watermelon 4 to 5 times a day.
3. Milk and Milk Products-
Milk is the best source of Calcium, Protein, and Vitamins. Expecting mothers should increase their consumption of milk as it is extremely beneficial to the mother as well as the baby. It will be extremely beneficial in the second trimester when the baby’s connective tissues and bones are developing. Although stay away from unpasteurized milk and dairy.
4. Meat, fish, and Chicken-
For concentrated proteins the richest source is meat. For Non-Vegetarians consumption of meat, fish and chicken is healthy and advised. Although skip a few varieties of fish that contain higher levels of mercury. Like Tuna, Shark and King mackerel fish. However, low mercury containing fishes like salmon, catfish, and shrimp can be had in a proportioned way.
5. Fats-
Fats are a great way to provide a pregnant lady with the energy to support and bear the child as well it will prepare the woman’s body for childbirth and related stress. Avoid saturated fats like butter and ghee in larger quantities. Instead, cook food with vegetable oil as it is a healthier option.
6. Liquids-
One of the most important things to remember is hydrated enough. Pregnant women should drink plenty of water to keep themselves and their body hydrated. Include more fruits with high water content. Infuse your water with lime or cucumber if plain water is not your liking.
Diet Chart For Pregnant Women-
We have created this list of foods under each category which women can customize according to their will and create a new diet chart for every day. Try to incorporate a mix of some healthy option and some cheat foods every day. Consume minimum 5 glasses of water every day and include 20 mins walk twice a day for a smooth pregnancy.
Morning Drink-
Stay away from packaged drinks and juices as they have preservatives and higher amount of sugar in them. Also, skip soy milk or tofu for a while.
- Milk
- Fresh Fruit Juice
- Smoothies
- Dry fruit Shake
- Vegetable Juice
Breakfast-
- Fruit Salad
- Rava Idli
- Rava Dosa
- Poha with veggies.
- Cheese Omelet
- Cheese toast
- French toast
- Dosa with Veggies
- Mixed Veg Patties.
- Shallow fried Cutlets.
- Nuts and fruits
- Oats and Muesli.
- Lemon Sevai
- Upma
Mid-Morning Snack-
Do not consume soups of the Asian cuisine like hot and sour or wonton and manchow soups. They contain a taste enhancer called as Ajinomoto which is harmful to expecting mothers.
- Tomato Soup
- Spinach soup
- Carrot and beet soup
- Chicken soup
- Peas soup
- Lemon soup
Lunch-
- Roti with choice of Vegetable and A bowl of Dal.
- Gobhi parantha with curd
- Jeera Rice With cucumber raita.
- Parantha with Pickle and Curd.
- Vegetable khichdi with a spoon of ghee.
- Chicken curry with rice.
- Grilled chicken with chapati and rice.
- Lemon rice with Sambar.
- Aloo, Paneer Paratha and curd.
- Sprouts vegetable and Roti.
- Paneer tikka with Pulao.
- Green salad.
- Chicken salad.
- Curd Rice.
Evening Snack-
- Grilled cheese sandwich.
- Paneer Pakoda
- Hung Curd kebab
- Fried Idlis.
- Break pakora
- Chicken tikka
- Chicken keema cutlet.
- Carrot halwa.
- Lauki ka halwa with dry fruits.
- Milk porridge.
- Vegetable sandwich,
- Vegetable uttapam.
- A cup of Green Tea.
- Peas Samosa.
- Bread Upma.
- Vermicelli.
Dinner-
- Chapati with vegetable and a Bowl of Dal.
- Dal with Rice and Vegetable.
- Veg. Pulao, Raita, and salad.
- Dal Khichdi and Curd.
- Parantha with Pickle.
- Curd Rice
- Vegetable curry and Jeera Rice.
- Grilled Chicken and salad.
Some Important Things To Remember-
1. For vegetarians, it might be sometimes difficult to achieve the optimum levels of nutrients from your diet itself. For these reasons consult your doctor and ask for supplements that may be necessary and required.
2. For women who want their diet charts made out from a dietitian, remember to always point out your allergies to your doctor before he writes down a diet chart for you.
3. If throughout your pregnancy you feel uneasy after consuming something, Make sure you report it to a doctor and prohibit that substance for the remaining periods. The increased levels of hormones make you sensitive to not just some food but also creams, Soaps and fragrances so keep your eyes open for any such allergic reaction signs.
4. Do not forget to consume some protein-rich food every day. For eg- Dry fruits and Pulses.
5. If you love eating sweet but have been advised to restrict your sugar levels, Consume naturally sweet fruits. They have lesser sugar content and do not have side effects.
6. If you have swollen feet, It indicates risen water retention due to increased salts. Reduce your salt intake and keep your feet raised every day for a few hours in breaks to reduce the swelling.
7. Avoid Eating preserved foods, processed foods, artificially made foods as they can contain a higher level of preservative which may not be really healthy for you right now.
8. Always wash your food under running water to keep them free of bacteria and germs. Also, wash your hands before chopping food or cooking as well as eating.
9. Due to an increased size of your belly, the stomach contracts. You may not be able to have your entire meal at once. So portion out your lunch and other meals to avoid bloating and uneasiness due to stretching of a stomach.
10. A mother should gain about 10 to 12 kgs weight throughout the pregnancy. It is normal to put on weight everywhere. Do not panic and start dieting. It can be unhealthy for you as well as the baby.
11. Always carry a little snack with you where ever you go. It will be a great way to avoid eating at unhealthy and unhygienic places. It will also prevent you from contracting any stomach infection etc.
We hope that our list of all the yummy food option has you excited for your nine months healthy diet and with a few exceptions all the other myths related to pregnancy are cleared. So all you have to do for eating healthy during pregnancy is just Bookmark this page and refer every time you have a doubt. Here, we have you are sorted.
