Eating for two is the best phrase associated with pregnant women. Carrying a baby in your womb is the biggest responsibility that a woman owns. Regarded as the most precious period of life, in this phase, you not only have to care for yourself but also the tiny tot in your womb.
A healthy diet is very important in this period. Pregnant women always wonder what all the healthy food they include in their diet will be best for both of them.
Healthy food for pregnant mothers
A high intake of calories is very important during pregnancy. It is seen that most pregnant women take 100 calories each day. Listed below are the best food items included in the diet to get the best results.
1. Fruit and vegetables
On average, pregnant women should try to take five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. The fruit can be in any form like juice, canned, fresh, or maybe canned food. Frozen and fresh fruits are most nutritious and have maximum vitamins. Even health experts recommend eating fruit is much better than drinking juice. This is because the sugar level in juices is considerably high.
Summary:
So it can be said that fresh fruits are very important for pregnant women. This is the most nutritious form of food for pregnant women. Fruits are a better choice as compared to juices.
2. Food rich in carbohydrates
Carbohydrate-rich foods include potatoes, pasta, rice, or bread. These foods are energy-rich and considered one of the most important foods in pregnancy.
Summary:
Pregnant women should try including carbohydrate-rich food in their diet. This is essential for the growth of cells and tissues.
3. Proteins
A protein-rich food is another very important food in pregnancy. Such foods include chicken, meat, eggs, and fish. For pregnant women who depend upon a vegetarian diet should consider the below-listed food.
- Quinoa- All soy products and tofu are included in this. It is a complete protein food and has all the important amino acids.
- All nuts, seeds, beans, lentil and nut butter are rich in protein and iron.
Summary:
Foods like eggs, fish, and chicken are protein-rich food. For vegetarian people, protein-rich foods are all sorts of nuts, beans, etc.
4. Fats
Fats are a very important food that should be included in a pregnant mother’s diet. However, it should not be more than 30% of the diet. Many researchers also claim that women having a high-fat diet can risk their babies for diabetes in the future. So it is of utmost importance that women take a balanced diet. The best choices for fats are monounsaturated and omega-3’s. These are healthy fats choices. These healthy fats include olive oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts, and sunflower oil.
Summary:
Fats should be around 25%-30% in the diet of pregnant women. A balanced diet is very helpful for pregnant women. Fat rich food like olive oil, sunflower oil can be a perfect example of fatty food.
5. Fibrous food
Foods rich in fibre include wild rice, whole grain bread, pasta, pulses such as beans and lentils, fruits, and vegetables. Women usually suffer from constipation during pregnancy. So eating lots of fibre will help them in minimizing the constipation risk. It can also minimize the risk of haemorrhoids. This is a very common problem observed with the growth of the fetus.
Summary:
The inclusion of fibrous food in the diet helps the women suffering from constipation. Pulses, fruits, rice are some of the fibrous foods.
6. Calcium
A healthy and adequate intake of calcium is very important during the pregnancy period. All dairy foods are rich in calcium. So you can include dairy products like cheese, milk, curd, yoghurt in your diet. Calcium-rich food like soymilk, other plant milk and juices, tofu, soybeans, broccoli, okra, and soynuts can also be considered.
Summary:
Calcium is beneficial for pregnant women. Pregnant women should try to take adequate calcium during this period.
Apart from the mentioned foods, water intake should also be increased. As the volume of blood increases during pregnancy time, a pregnant woman must remain hydrated. It will also prevent any urine infection, which is seen in many pregnant women.
Conclusion
These are just a few important foods that can be included in the diet of pregnant women. A healthy diet during pregnancy will result in a healthy baby. So eat healthily, stay healthy, and be fit. Enjoy every phase of pregnancy and satisfy your hunger craving with healthy food.
3 sources
- Pregnancy Diet & Nutrition: What to Eat, What Not to Eat
https://www.livescience.com/45090-pregnancy-diet.html - Healthy diet during pregnancy
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/healthy-diet-during-pregnancy - Pregnancy: Nutrition
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12593-pregnancy-nutrition
