Pregnancy Food Chart Overview: Guidelines for Healthy Eating

A marriage is a covenant of a lifetime of partnership, and pregnancy is a means of cementing it. The birth of a baby spells a new era of hope, love, and happiness, not only for a family but also for the world we inhabit. Therefore, it’s highly pertinent to care for a baby in the womb properly. Pregnancy is a make-or-break time for a mother-to-be and the baby growing inside her. It’s when the basic foundations of the unborn baby’s health are laid, largely with what the mother-to-be eats. The healthier your eating habits are, the stronger your baby will be.

ARTICLE: As per an age-old belief, an expecting mother should double her food intake to nourish herself and her unborn child suitably. While most people in the modern era beg to differ, there is no harm in following traditional beliefs, especially those related to healthy food habits during pregnancy. Every expecting mother should prepare a Pregnancy Food Chart to her gynaecologist’s recommendations to suit her and her baby’s nutritional needs for each trimester.

Pregnancy Food Chart should include all the healthy foods that provide the nourishment that a mother-to-be and her unborn baby need. Not only most first-time mothers-to-be but also pregnant women, who have already experienced a pregnancy before, need to seriously follow a Pregnancy Food Chart.

WHICH FOOD IS BEST DURING PREGNANCY?

Pregnant women are often at a loss as to which food is best during pregnancy. A diet plan for pregnant women, duly prepared by an experienced gynaecologist or nutritionist, should contain a list of all foods that are best during pregnancy. Besides generous portions of grains to fulfill the dietary needs of the mother and the baby, a diet plan for pregnant women should include ample servings of vegetables, fruits, protein sources, and dairy products.

WHAT SHOULD I EAT DURING PREGNANCY?

1. Green leafy vegetables
2. Dairy products
3. Fruits
4. Chicken and mutton
5. Pulses and beans
6. Salads and soups
7. Milk
8. Fresh fruit juices

Limit the intake of sweets and fats as best as you can and concentrate on sources of protein, fruits, and vegetables, particularly the green, leafy ones, besides dairy products, including milk, to meet your and your baby’s calcium needs. Your pregnancy diet chart should include spinach, pumpkins, carrots, and tomatoes for potassium and vitamin A; apples, bananas, and mangoes (if in season) for potassium; grains; dairy products; and sources of protein, including chicken, meat, beans, and pulses. Your pregnancy diet chart should also include a moderate serving of dry fruits, as these are rich in the dietary fibre you need.

WHAT IS THE FOOD MENU FOR PREGNANT WOMAN?

India is a country of diverse cultures and cuisines. To earn a fat buck, the Indian food market relies on this culinary diversity. This gastronomic miscellany is inclusive, as it has something for people of all ages, backgrounds, tastes, and needs, including pregnant women.

The innovative print and electronic cookbooks dedicated to expectant mothers testify to this. Besides these, the internet is burgeoning with pregnancy recipes according to the dietary requirements and food preferences of different people. However, you should consult your gynaecologist or nutritionist before trying these out.

An Indian pregnancy diet should consist of healthy meals that can amply nourish both the mom-to-be and the baby growing inside her. Most of our traditional recipes include grandma’s secret kitchen tricks that gave birth to what has come to be regarded over the centuries as an ideal Indian pregnancy diet. This includes a diet rich in dairy products, green, leafy vegetables, protein, fibre sources, and fruits.

However, healthy food in no way implies tasteless and boring fare. Healthy food can also be savoury without being overly spicy, oily, salty, or sugary. The modern culinary scene is bourgeoning with healthfully delightful feasts for almost everyone, including pregnant women.

Therefore, your Pregnancy Food Chart could include an Indian pregnancy diet such as dosas stuffed with spinach or dhoklas made from buckwheat for breakfast, lentil soup containing moong dal, mixed vegetables comprising spinach, fenugreek (methi), and corn, and chapatis made from oats for lunch, while you can also take your pick from multigrain stuffed garlic chapattis, paneer paratha, and matar parantha comprising green peas, which are not only highly palatable but also nutritious.

CONCLUSION: If you are an expectant mother and are looking for wholesome, nourishing, and delectable menus to meet your dietary needs as well as those of your unborn baby, you could include some of the dishes mentioned above in your Pregnancy Food Chart. And, if you are a culinary expert who loves experimenting in the kitchen, you could create your recipes as per your nutritional needs and cravings. Enjoy these yourselves, besides sharing them with other expectant mothers, thus spreading health, joy, and goodwill all around.

For personalized guidance and to consult our experts, feel free to contact our experts at Amandeep Hospital.