It is noticed that pregnant women are often given advises on what to eat and what to not. These different advises result in making them confused about their diet. We all are aware of the fact that unborn babies survive on their mother’s diet. So it is essential for a pregnant woman to follow a healthy and balanced diet in order to make sure that the baby gets healthy diet.

It is to be notice that the uterus, placenta, blood volume and fluid increases during pregnancy, so diet should be designed keeping all these things in mind. The possibility of depletion of mother’s nutrient increases while pregnancy. It is easy to deal with all the situations if you follow a balanced healthy diet. Mothers should always keep this in mind that they need to eat for two and should not skip their meals. This doesn’t mean that they overeat because it is a fact that mother gain more weights due to heavy diet that result in complications at the time of birth. Pre-eclampsia is one of such complications that can occur at the time of birth due to heavy pregnancy diet.

Diet for Pregnant Women:

Fruits and Vegetables

At least 5 – 7 servings of fruits and vegetables should be included in a pregnancy diet in a day. These offer essential vitamins, fiber, iron and minerals. All these are essential for your nutrition and baby’s proper growth. Different fruit or vegetable salads make your meal more interesting and flavorsome.

Proteins

For building tissues, hormones, enzymes and antibodies for both mother and baby it is essential to intake diet rich in proteins. Good sources of proteins are Legumes, Nuts and Meat. In addition to this it is good to include few kinds of seafood in your diet. For vegetarian mothers legumes, nuts and milk are the best sources of proteins.

Whole-grain products

Whole Grain products such as rice, bread, pasta and cereals contain vitamins, minerals, iron, folic acid and carbohydrates. All these are essential for mother and baby. It’s good to have at least 5 servings of whole grain products every day.

Salt and water

In order to retain the blood volume it is necessary to include adequate amount of salt in your diet during pregnancy. In addition to salt it is necessary to drink lots of water every day because water helps in flushing out the waste and toxic substances of the body quickly and it also helps expanding blood volume.

Yoghurt and Cheese

We know that some mothers hate milk and there’s good news for such mothers that they can go for cheese, yoghurt and other alternatives instead of having a glass of milk. However, it is necessary to mention here that milk is a vital source of calcium and it is good for mothers and baby.