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HEALTHY DIET IN PREGNANCY
Proper Nutrition - One of the greatest investments you can make for lifelong health of your child. Variety of genetic and environmental factors interacts to determine the outcome of pregnancy. Nutrition is one of the environmental influences one can control.
The rapid growth and development of your baby from conception to birth demands that, the mother provide the proper materials in light amount and at the right time for development to proceed normally.
A good diet will help you feel better and more able to cope with the demands pregnancy makes of your system. The most common recognized effect of poor diet in pregnancy is low birth weight of baby.
PRACTICAL DIET GUIDANCE IN PREGNANCY
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Eating According To Food Pyramid
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Eat Plenty
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Avoid This
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Eating With Awareness
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Cravings
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Myths & Misconceptions
Eating According To Food Pyramid
1. Cereals, Roti, Paratha, Rice, Idli, Paulo, Pasta etc. & Potatoes
Imp. Function
Provide complex carbohydrates, important source of energy, and vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Amount in One Serving:
1 Roti, 1 Idli or 1 bread.
1 ounce of cold cereal.
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice poha, upma
Cooked medium size potatoes
Points To Remember
You need the 10-12 servings from this group each day. Choose whole grain products. Foods to be made with little fat or sugar.
2. Vegetables
Imp. Function
Provide vitamins A & C, folic acid, and minerals such as iron and magnesium. Low in Eat provides fiber.
Amount in One Serving
1 cup of leafy vegetables.
3/4 cup of cocked or raw vegetables.
3/4 cup of vegetable juice.
I cup soup.
I bowl Raita salad.
Points to Remember
You need 4 -5 serving. Choose a variety of vegetables, such as dark-green leafy vegetables, deep-yellow vegetables and peas, beans. Include dark green leafy vegetables several times a week for the vitamins they supply.
3. Fruits
Imp. Function
Provide vitamins A, B complex, C, potassium fiber etc.
Amount in one serving:
1 medium apple, banana, or orange. 112 cup or chopped, cooked, or canned fruit.3/4 cup of fruit juice.
Points to Remember
You need 3 serving. Choose fresh fruits, fruit juices. Eat vitamin C rich citrus fruits, melons, amla. Lemon and tomatoes often. Choose fruit juices instead of fruit drinks / Cold drinks.
4. DAL Pulses, Dry Beans Poultry, Fish Meat, Eggs, and Nuts.
Imp. Function
Provide B vitamins, protein, iron and zinc. Protein and iron are especially important in pregnancy since the fetus needs for normal development.
Amount in one serving
I bowl of dal.
1bowl sprouts.
1 bowl beans or peas.
3/4 Rajma, Charm & other pules.
1/2 bowl Peanuts or other nuts.
2-3 ounces of cooked lean poultry, fish, or meat.
1 egg.
5. Milk, yogurt, Butter Milk, Paneer and Cheese
Imp. Function
Major source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins.
Calcium is especially important in pregnancy.
Amount
1 cup of milk or yogurt.
& 1/2 ounces of natural cheese paneer.
1 ounces of processed cheese.
1 big glass Lass (butter milk)
Points to Remember
You need 3 serving from this group each day. Choose low-fat, skimmed items whenever possible. Nuts seeds and almonds or sesame seeds. They are also good source of calcium.
6. Oil ghee butter &cream
Amount
You need 5-6 teaspoon / day
Points to Remember
Use teaspoon while using oil / ghee during cooking
It is wrong notion that you need lots of ghee in pregnancy
Avoid fried / fatty food as much as possible
7. Salt & sugar
Points to Remember
Cut down salt by 50%.
Avoid papads / pickles / preserved food with lots of salt
Avoid Chinese food which contains sodium monoglutamate
Take very little sugar as it is empty calories. Do not use any sugar substitutes.
MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS
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Coconut water leads to gas and indigestion so mineral- rich coconut water is not given.
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Eating coconut will cause "rotting" of baby 's head .
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Pulses give indigestion and gas to mother and child so protein-rich pulses are avoided.
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Lactating mother should have lots of "ghee" to recover from the stress and strain of delivery so she is fed large amounts of fat which leads to obesity.
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Iron rich green leafy vegetables cause Greenish diarrhea in infants.
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Castor oil helps to deliver child easily thus it is given for more than 15 days before delivery.
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Drinking water will cause distention of abdomen and fat deposition so she is asked not to drink much water after delivery.)
Cravings
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Pregnant women sometimes have cravings for certain foods.
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On occasion, giving into a craving we should cause no problems as long as the rest of diet is well balanced and what you eat is not harmful.
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If you have a strong desire to eat things that are not foods, such as clay or laundry starch, this is called pica.
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If you have this kind of craving, talk to your doctor.
EATING WITH AWARENESS
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Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere.
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Always sit down to eat.
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Don’t eat when you’re upset or angry.
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Eat only up to the point of comfort . Leave one-third to one-quarter of your stomach empty to aid digestion and avoid gas and discomfort.
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Eat more frequently every 3-4 hrs. or so but in small quantity.
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Eat whenever you’re hungry, but don’t eat when you’re not hungry.
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Avoid ice-cold food and drinks with meals.
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Eat at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
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Eat freshly cooked meals.
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Experience all six tastes at every meal.
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Relax for a few minutes after your meal.
EAT PLENTY
1. Complex carbohydrates such as rotis, idlis, poha, pulao / rice, whole meal bread and pasta
2. Fresh fruit and vegetables, which provide fibre, vitamin C and folate
3. Milk and dairy products
4. Meat, fish, pulses, sprouts, nuts and seeds
5. Oily fish and seed oils, for essential fatty acids
6. Use polyunsaturated fats avoid saturated fats from butter cream, coconut oil etc.
AVOID THIS
1.Un-pasteurized dairy products
2.Liver and liver products
3.Alcohol and cigarettes
4.Herbal medicines and all drugs except under medical supervision
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