Pregnancy Diet Chart: Know What To Eat During Pregnancy?

One of my neighbors is pregnant and I saw her continuously looking at her pregnancy diet chart to know what to eat and what not for her baby’s health. She keeps visiting her dietitian and gynecologist with her health concern. Still, she eats preserved food that comes in boxes and plastic bags which is wrong. Also many believe that pregnant women should eat “for two”, that is, twice as much as usual. But it’s not!

So, if you’re pregnant congratulations! But be aware if you’re eating like my neighbor because it can negatively affect you and your baby’s health.

For a healthy pregnancy, it is much more important to organize a pregnancy diet chart with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, milk, dairy products, and high-quality fats. Also, drink plenty of fluids, preferably water or unsweetened tea. Don’t diet or fast, even for religious reasons. Diets and fasting are harmful to pregnant women. So, let’s see what can you eat and what not?

What Are The Rules Of A Healthy Diet Chart For Pregnancy?

During the whole pregnancy, your diet plays a crucial role that only determines the well-being, skin condition, and appearance of women as well as the healthy development of the baby. However, a proper nutritional pregnancy diet chart is one that contains the following nutrient: folic acid, iron, Iodine, calcium, potassium, carbohydrates, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, etc. Hence, your doctor will help you create a complete menu based on your individual characteristics, but there are some rules you can follow to switch yourself toward a healthy pre pregnancy diet chart. 

Rule 1: Switch To A Healthy, Balanced Diet

If you’re already following healthy eating habits, that’s great. You don’t have to change your eating habits during pregnancy too. If in ordinary life you preferred sandwiches and cakes to fruits, then you will have to significantly reconsider your eating habits.

Include in your daily diet:

Fruits and vegetables– Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of protein, vitamins, magnesium, zinc, etc. which has many health benefits. Eating raw vegetables and fruits boost the immune system; reduces the risk of cancer, and heart diseases, and acts as an antioxidant.

Source of Protein – Remember to include fresh food items such as fresh fish, dry fruits, nuts, eggs, dairy food, etc. for baby’s muscle building and brain development.

Good Carbohydrates – It is recommended to intake food items with low carbohydrates and provide energy but doesn’t spike your blood sugar. Instead of regular bread, buy whole grains, and instead of sweets, indulge in dark chocolate.

Dairy products – They are rich in calcium, which means they are indispensable for the formation of the child’s skeleton. However, try to consume dairy products at least 2-3 times a day.

Lipids – These important substances are involved in the formation of cell membranes and the nervous system. Fish, such as salmon, contain essential Omega-3 fatty acids that our body cannot synthesize on its own.

Water – It never hurts to repeat that water affects all processes in the human body. During pregnancy, doctors recommend drinking at least one and a half liters of water. Hence, the level of fluid in the body can be tracked by the color of the urine. If it is not light and not transparent, then you should drink more water. Therefore, if possible, buy mineral water rich in calcium and magnesium.

Rule 2: Don’t Eat For Two

It’s a myth that if you’re pregnant then you need to eat for two is far from the truth. Yes, of course, you’re carrying a life in you so you need more calories. To raise a baby you need a balanced diet. However, eating not only harm your figure but also affect your baby’s health. So, for that follow these rules:

• Eat at least three meals a day- For healthy growth you need to take at least three meals. It is recommended to eat at regular intervals of time. If you are still bothered by nausea, try to eat five small meals a day.

• Don’t eat Too Fast- Make a habit to eat slowly. Doctor’s always recommend eating food slowly for proper digestion. However, eating slowly will lead to feeling full and not letting you overeat. 

• Don’t let yourself get hungry- If you take long breaks between meals, then you cannot avoid the “attacks” of severe hunger, during which half the refrigerator is easily swept away. Always keep fruit, yogurt, nuts, or cherry tomatoes ready. Also, this will help to keep from impulsive cake and other harmful excesses.

Rule 3: Include DHA In Expectant Mother’s Diet

The consumption of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by the mother contributes to the normal development of the brain and eyes of the fetus and the breastfed infant. Daily intake of DHA will fulfill the need for omega-3 fatty acids in the mother’s body which is essential for the baby’s development. Therefore, doctors always recommend DHA and folic acid supplements because it plays an important role in the growth of the mother’s tissues during pregnancy.

In addition, they also help in the proper synthesis of amino acids, and also play a role in the proper production of blood. At the same time, folates in combination with vitamins C and D support the normal functioning of the immune system, and together with iron, they contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, which can be especially important at the end of pregnancy.

Rule 4: Avoid Dangerous Foods

Pregnancy is a beautiful god gift, so don’t allow harmful things to destroy this. However, things such as alcohol, smoking, and products that are contaminated with microorganisms can affect your baby’s growth. 

• Forget raw meat, chicken, or half-cooked food, as well as raw milk and cheeses based on it – all this can contain harmful bacteria.

• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables that you eat raw with special products. Even better, if you can get rid of the skin, you can safely eat them without fear of harmful bacteria like Toxoplasma or Listeria.

• Make sure the meat is well cooked to avoid the risk of toxoplasmosis. During pregnancy, refrain from sushi and other seafood that has not undergone heat treatment, as well as dishes containing raw eggs – this will help not be afraid of salmonella.

• Strengthen your precautions. Also, be sure to wash your hands after touching raw food, and use special products for washing plates, cutlery, and the refrigerator.

What Are The Symptoms Of Early Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a wonderful period! However, the changes taking place in the body at this time can greatly frighten you. The phenomena characteristic of pregnancy are different for all women, and will not necessarily be repeated during each subsequent gestation. Let’s analyze the most common symptoms, their causes, and possible methods of correction.

• Frequent urination
• Nausea, vomiting, heartburn, increased susceptibility to odors
• Pain or cramps in the lower abdomen, constipation, pain in the lumbar region
• Enlargement and soreness of the mammary glands
• Increase in body temperature
• Nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, nosebleeds
• Fluctuations in blood pressure
• Heaviness and pain in the legs
• Skin changes
• Bleeding gums

These symptoms are common in everyone while bearing a child. Some may experience them in their early pregnancy or late during pregnancy. So, it is better to consult your dietitian or doctor before making any changing in your pregnancy diet chart. Let’s have a look what you can have in your 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Diet Chart For 1st, 2nd And 3rd Trimester

In the first 3 months of pregnancy, a woman’s diet should not differ much but you need to be careful in the second and third trimesters of your pregnancy. The expectant mother should carefully consider food items and nutritional content in their diet. However, in the second and third trimesters, babies’ anatomy development occurs and most of their body parts are formed. Hence, a woman should regularly receive proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in the right amount. 

If you’re pregnant then your body needs a total of 110 g of protein, 75 g of fat, and 350 g of carbohydrates with a total energy value of 2400-2700 kcal, etc. Hence, this ratio is fully consistent with the needs of the body of a pregnant woman. Almost all expectant mothers should change their eating habits and tastes for good pregnancy health and quick post-pregnancy recovery. Therefore, after long research, we have created a trimester-wise diet chart that will help fulfill all your nutritional values.  

Pregnancy Diet Chart For The First Trimester

For a healthy pregnancy, we have to improve our eating habits from the early stages of pregnancy. During the first trimester, the body of the expectant mother actively accumulates nutrients- right now it is important to focus on the quality of foods, and not on their quantity. On the other hand, some women in their first months of pregnancy suffer from debilitating toxicosis, nausea, and vomiting, and some complaint of a change in taste preferences and paradoxical food requests.

It is crucial to understand that this is a natural reaction of the body to the fetus and eat wisely, if necessary, adjusting the menu with the doctor leading the pregnancy. However, the calorie content of the diet should not exceed 2000 kcal. However, keeping all your health conditions and body changes, we have created a pregnancy diet chart vegetarian for the first trimester.

Meal 1	5 Almonds (soaked), 1 glass of milk, roasted makhana
Meal 2	Methi ki roti, or Uttapam
Meal 3	Any seasonal fruit
Meal 4	Vegetable pulao, curd, salad
Meal 5	Milk tea (no sugar)
Meal 6	Saute paneer cubes 5-7
Meal 7	Vegetable khichdi
Meal 8	1 glass milk

Watch this video to cook the makhana recipe instantly.

Pregnancy Diet Chart For The Second Trimester 

The second trimester is a time of intensive growth of the fetus, which needs nutrition. Therefore, the calorie content of the diet at this stage increases and is about 2500 kcal. Also, it is important to limit sugar and “simple” carbohydrates.

A sample menu for the second trimester is as follows.

Meal 1	5 Almonds (soaked), 1 glass of milk, roasted makhana
Meal 2	Mooli/ gobhi Stuffed wheat roti+ curd, chana masala+ roti
Meal 3	Any fruit (except Mango, Banana, Chikkoo, and Grapes if suffering from gestational diabetes)
Meal 4	Wheat roti+ any veg, rice + any dal, or poha instead or rice
Meal 5	Milk tea (no sugar), roasted makhana/ chana
Meal 6	Atta pinni
Meal 7	Fruit and nuts milk + any porridge
Meal 8	1 glass of milk

Pregnancy Diet Chart For The Third Trimester 

The third trimester is a period of active growth of the fetus and at the same time preparing the mother’s body for childbirth. Caloric content during this period should not exceed 2800 kcal, it is important to exclude “simple” carbohydrates, and, on the contrary, enrich the diet with fiber and protein. The diet in the last month of pregnancy implies the restriction of meat; salt, and fluid intake depending on the swelling in the body.

A sample menu for the third trimester is as follows:

Meal 1	5 Almonds (soaked), 1 glass of milk, roasted makhana
Meal 2	mooli/ gobhi Stuffed wheat roti+ curd or
Meal 3	Any fruit (except mango, banana, chikkoo, kiwi, and grapes if suffering from gestational diabetes)
Meal 4	Wheat roti+ any veg, rice + any dal,
Meal 5	Milk tea (no sugar), roasted makhana/ chana, makhana Kheer
Meal 6	Atta pinni, brown bread sandwich
Meal 7	Fruit and nuts milk + any porridge
Meal 8	1 glass of milk

5 Persistent Pregnancy Myths That Are Hard To Dispel

You may hear many myths or sayings from our dadi’s and nani’s when you’re pregnant. And you can’t believe that some of them are not true. Here, we will debunk some popular myths about pregnancy.

Myth #1. Vitamins Should Not Be Taken During Pregnancy

It’s a myth that taking vitamins can harm your baby’s health, but the fact is vitamins can cause deficiencies that can not only affect you but your baby’s health. However, parental vitamins can help a child’s development and can ensure a healthy pregnancy. It is recommended to consult your gynecologist before taking any vitamin supplements or you can include vitamin-rich food in your pregnancy diet chart to avoid deficiencies in omega-3, vitamin B12, iron, folic acid, calcium, etc. 

Myth #2. An Expectant Mother Should “Eat For Two”

No, it’s not true. Of course, the mother’s body needs an increased amount of nutrients, but it is enough to increase the diet by only 20-30%. For a child, the amount of food eaten is not important, because the child receives everything he needs through the bloodstream. It is best for mom to eat according to her appetite and make sure that the diet is balanced. Eating “for two” only adds weight to mom, which she then has to deal with.

Myth #3. Exercise Or Physical Activities Can Hurt The Baby

It’s completely wrong. Even if you want a healthy pregnancy, then the regular physical activity is necessary for the expectant mother. However, physical activities such as yoga, walking, stair climbing, etc. will help keep you in good shape, benefit the development of the baby, and facilitate the process of childbirth also yoga for weight loss help you quickly return to shape after them.

Myth #4: Don’t Eat Dark-Colored Food

It’s a myth that eating dark food such as Jamun, black beans, black tea, etc. can make your baby dark which is completely wrong. In fact, dark-colored food contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Your food will not decide the color of your baby. So, eat whatever you want!

Myth #5: You Cannot Cut Your Hair, Dye Your Hair And Nails 

This is quite an old superstition. Previously, it was believed that a woman’s hair contains her strength and energy, therefore, cutting them off, deprives her of some protection and this can harm the fetus. In fact, haircutting can in no way harm the mother and baby. You can also paint your nails and hair, but you need to carefully approach the choice of paint, given its composition.

Do not blindly believe all the myths about pregnancy and childbirth, since many of them do not correspond to reality and have no scientific basis. Most myths are born from ignorance and insufficient study of information, so if the expectant mother has any questions about pregnancy, it is better to consult with her doctor.

Let’s Wrap Up

You will experience lots of changes in your body when you’re pregnant, positive as well as negative. However, to fight all those negative changes you need to follow a proper diet and healthy lifestyle. All these will help your baby to grow and also help you stay healthy too. The above-mentioned diet plan will also help in your post-pregnancy recovery and you can follow Fitelo’s PCOS diet chart to achieve a normal weight increase due to PCOS.

Wish you a happy pregnancy!!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What Food To Include During Pregnancy?

Ans: During pregnancy, you need to include nutritious rich foods in your diet for the development of both you and your baby. So, eat healthily and stay happy!

Q: How To Eat Right During Pregnancy?

Ans: You need to fix your eating time. Therefore, eating less quantity in regular intervals throughout the day is a good rule of thumb to ensure your and your baby’s nutritional needs are met. Also, it will improve your digestion and keep you healthy too. Want to Know More?

Q: How To Control Your Pregnancy Craving?

Ans: Craving during pregnancy is very common, it was a sign of nutrient deficiencies in the mother’s diet. For that, you can eat in small quantities at regular intervals.

Q: Which Fruit To Avoid From Your Pregnancy Diet Chart? 

Ans: You can have any seasonal fruit and make a fruit salad for your pregnancy diet chart. But it is recommended to avoid papaya, pineapples, and grapes.

Q: What Are The Essential Nutrients Of The Pre-Pregnancy Diet Chart? 

For expectant mothers is it essential to have folic acid, protein, fiber, vitamins, sodium, calories, and carbohydrates in their diet. 

Fun Fact

However, during pregnancy weight gain, stress, and high levels of testosterone, are some most common symptoms of PCOS that can lead to miscarriage and early childbirth. These symptoms can affect your pregnancy too. Know how PCOS affect pregnancy and what are the risks in our PCOS blog.

Contact Us Today

Your search to find the right guidance to be a part of all those fat-to-fit stories ends here. So, contact us today if you are looking for a diet plan with cheat meals. Also, we will discuss how we can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Disclaimer

This blog post was written to help you to make healthy and better food choices altogether. So, be aware and take care. The important thing to consider is your health before starting a restrictive diet. Always seek advice from a doctor/dietitian before starting if you have any concerns.

Eat Healthy, Live Healthy. Enjoy a long happy life.