You must have come across scenarios wherein people say “Are you pregnant? If so, then you must have fruits, dry fruits, juices, and warm milk!.”
Are these foods really healthy? To know more about the right foods to include for a successful pregnancy let’s dig in to know the right facts.
Pregnancy is a beautiful phase that blesses the woman with a child. It is a long journey in which the women bring up the youngling in her body. During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes a number of changes like physical, hormonal, psychological, and others.
So taking care of a woman’s health during pregnancy is very important, not only for a healthy pregnancy of the mother but also for the good health of the young one.
You might wonder how to take care of an expecting mother. Is it only about a healthy diet during pregnancy that we need to pay attention to? Along with food, the right care needs to be given in all other possible ways like physically and emotionally as well.
In order to make this possible, let’s look at a few tips that we need to keep in mind.
1. Eating Healthy Foods
Eating healthy provides the right nutrition to both the mother and the little one and also helps to stay fit during this beautiful journey of 9 months. For this, you must know about all the foods to eat when you’re pregnant and foods to avoid during pregnancy.
2. Guidance of a Doctor
Being under the guidance of a doctor through regular follow-ups helps in better tracking of growth and development of the baby.
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In case you are looking for the right guidance for a smooth pregnancy, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and get personalised guidance.
3. Physical Activity
Physical activity as suggested needs to be carried out for a healthy pregnancy journey. There are amazing benefits of physical activity like preventing unhealthy weight gain, reducing chances of gestational diabetes, increasing chances of normal delivery, and many others.
To further know the benefits of physical activity, read the blog on top 10 benefits of regular physical activity and the importance of pre-natal exercises to know more.
4. Supplementation
It is advised to take supplements as per the doctor’s suggestion. At times, food intake is not sufficient to meet the body’s requirement of nutrients. Therefore to meet the needs, your doctor might prescribe a few supplements for a smooth and easy pregnancy.
5. Meditation
Other than the above-mentioned factors, expecting mothers should also perform meditation to keep away stress and anxiety and to keep themselves calm and relaxed.
Like I told you earlier along with all the above factors, nutritional requirement through food plays an equally important role. Let us now look at the foods to eat during pregnancy and the importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy.
Importance of Healthy Diet During Pregnancy
Nutrition plays an equally important role during pregnancy and post-delivery as well. As it is important to supply the right nutrients in the right amounts for healthy living.
The desire of every woman is to deliver a healthy baby, isn’t it?. However, for this, we need to work on it to convert it into reality. One way to work on it is proper nutrition.
Ensuring that you are taking a balanced diet containing all nutrients in sufficient amounts is key. Along with this, making sure to have small but frequent meals and keeping your body hydrated at all times is equally important.
I’m sure you must be really curious by now to know what are the 5 must include foods to eat when you’re pregnant. Now, before I tell you about those 5 superfoods, you must know about the 5 key nutrients required during pregnancy as well.
These are iron, folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acid. You must be wondering why is it important to know this. Well, because the 5 superfoods that we will be discussing now must contain these nutrients. These 5 nutrients are a must to kick start a healthy diet during pregnancy.
So, the 5 must include foods in a pregnancy diet are as follows:
- Fruits
- Green leafy vegetables
- Legumes
- Dairy products
- Nuts
Let us learn in-depth about each of these foods for pregnancy and try to understand their critical roles.
1. FRUITS
When we think about foods to eat while pregnant, fruits are definitely one of them. They contain ample amounts of fibre, vitamins, minerals, water, and these all are equally important to be taken during pregnancy. Do you know why? Let us discuss briefly.
So the fibre content in fruits helps in maintaining good gastric health, prevents constipation, and maintains blood sugar levels as well. Not only this, it also helps in reducing the chances of unhealthy weight gain of the mother thus also preventing the chances of overweight or obesity post-delivery.
Along with fibre, their water content helps in preventing dehydration, maintaining proper amniotic fluid i.e the fluid in which the baby lives.
Last, but not least, fruits are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals that are required for a healthy diet during pregnancy.
Pregnancy is a phase where both the mother and baby are easily susceptible to infections especially Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Fruits being rich in antioxidants, help in improving the immunity and ability to fight infections thus keeping baby and mother strong.
A fruit a day keeps the doctor away!
You must be curious to know, what fruits can be eaten and when can they be eaten? Well, as you know fruits are easily available throughout the year and can be carried easily too. It is best to opt for seasonal fruits. Fruits are also an amazing option to binge on when hungry and are absolutely free of all side effects.
Cravings are a part and parcel of pregnancy. The natural sweetness of fruits helps to curb sweet cravings. It also keeps you full for a long period thus avoiding unhealthy eating.
A woman usually comes across a few situations wherein she is advised to avoid a few fruits during pregnancy.
Well, facts have shown that all fruits can be eaten in pregnancy except raw papaya as it contains certain enzymes that can lead to miscarriage. One other fruit to be avoided is pineapple as it can induce labour very easily which is not very safe. Rest all the seasonal fruits can be consumed easily in all stages of this beautiful journey.
In case you have been looking forward to improving your health for a smooth pregnancy, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and get personalised guidance.
Let me give you an interesting tip…
Many times, people mistake having juices in place of fruits as they think juices are also made up of fruits, so they are equally healthy. But the fact is when fruits are made into juices, their fibre content gets reduced and we did see the important role of fibre sometime back. So always prefer a whole fruit in place of juice to prevent missing out on very important nutrients.
2. GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES
Right since childhood, we are taught to eat green leafy vegetables as these are very nutritious and healthy for our body. But how exactly do they help us to have a healthy diet during pregnancy? Let us see below.
So green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of fibre, iron, folic acid, calcium, and a storehouse of vitamins like K, A, and C. How important are these nutrients? Let’s discuss in-depth below.
a. Iron
Iron is much needed in pregnancy to prevent anaemia. Generally, along with getting iron through food, supplementation is also required.
What happens if the iron stores are low, you may ask! What happens is, the red blood cells in your blood are not able to carry the required amount of oxygen to the tissues. This in turn can lead to low birth weight or premature delivery of the young one.
b. Folic acid
Iron and folic acid usually go hand in hand. Folic acid is important for the neural growth of babies. Taking insufficient amounts of folic acid can lead to neural tube defects which are basically birth defects related to the spine and brain.
Learn more about folic acid through the blog importance of folic acid in pregnancy.
c. Calcium
The third important nutrient is calcium. Since we were kids, our parents have told us numerous times how important it is for our bones and teeth. So, it is one of the important foods to eat when you’re pregnant so that the baby’s bones and teeth can form properly.
Other than that mother’s bone health is equally important to prevent weakness and pain, especially in the spine as the baby bump creates pressure on that.
d. Vitamin K
This is a key nutrient that helps in blood clotting. Low levels of Vitamin K can cause a disorder of excessive bleeding known as VKDB (Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding).
In simple words whenever we get a cut, blood starts coming out, and soon a blood clot is formed in that area and bleeding is stopped. This blood clot is formed by Vitamin K and when there are low levels, blood will keep flowing out without stopping.
Aren’t the benefits of green leafy vegetables amazing? Let’s make it a habit to include one green leafy vegetable every day, be it in the form of salad or sabzi to avail its various benefits for a healthy diet during pregnancy.
A tip to keep in mind is that make sure to clean these green leafy vegetables very well under running water. The reason is that they are generally grown on the ground and the chances of them containing bacterias are high and can make the baby or the mother sick.
3. LEGUMES
Legumes are a great source of protein, especially in a vegetarian diet. Protein is important for the proper growth and development of the organs and tissues of the baby.
Protein is important for the mother as well because her body also undergoes many changes like uterus expansion and preparing the body for lactation. So for all this protein is required which is why it is called the building block of the body.
The function of legumes is not only limited to protein. It also contains a very good amount of fibre, folate, and iron. This helps to promote the better health of both, the mother and the baby.
Legumes such as kala chana/ chickpea/ rajma/ lobia etc being rich in these nutrients can be included in one’s routine for foods to eat during pregnancy.
One tip that I would like you to keep in mind is that gastric issues are very common in pregnancy. Generally, legumes also have the tendency to cause gas. Hence try to have them before evening in case of gastric issues. Also consuming in boiled form instead of soaked may help reduce its effect on gastric issues.
To know how to manage nausea in pregancy, read this blog on how to manage nausea in the first trimester of pregnancy.
In case you have any such medical condition(s) and you’re looking for the right treatment for a safe pregnancy, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and get personalised guidance.
4. DAIRY PRODUCTS
Since childhood, you must have been told to drink milk daily as it makes you strong. Well, this is true because it contains a good amount of energy, protein, fat, calcium, vitamins, etc. that are greatly required by your body.
Being rich in Vitamin D, it is also important for a healthy pregnancy. Read on this blog “Keeping vitamin D under check for a healthy pregnancy” to know further.
When we think about foods to eat when you’re pregnant, the role of milk plays an even greater role. So drinking milk daily in pregnancy gives all the required nutrients in just 1 glass. So at least 2 servings of milk i.e 2 glasses of milk should be taken daily during pregnancy.
Wait! You don’t like milk? Oh, it’s okay because you can replace it with other dairy products like a bowl of curd or 50–70 grams of paneer or a glass of buttermilk.
Do keep this one tip in mind to avoid consuming your dairy products with iron-rich food products because calcium reduces the absorption of iron in your body.
5. NUTS
Looking for tasty snacks to munch on? Then you must definitely opt for nuts! They are loaded with healthy omega fatty acids, protein, iron, antioxidants, vitamin E, and some minerals as well.
Not only this, nuts help in the better neural development of the baby. Its omega fatty acid content helps to keep your heart healthy. They also help in brain health and keep us calm and stress-free at all times.
So expecting mothers can have a handful of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews on a daily basis without any worry.
Hmm, I know what you are thinking! You must be wondering if it’s safe to have as they are warm in nature? Let me tell you that this again is a myth, as all the nutrients present in these nuts are beneficial in pregnancy. Hence have them worry-free.
Aren’t these superfoods amazing? You must make sure to include them in your day-to-day routine to ensure a healthy diet during pregnancy.
Did you know that having nuts after soaking helps in the removal of a component called tannin that reduces the absorption of nutrients like iron?
There are various myths going around in the market that really makes us confused about what to eat and what to avoid during pregnancy, and what actually is best for both the mother and the growing young one.
One very common myth, that I generally come across is that “a pregnant woman should eat for two”. Well, we might be thinking with the logic that there are two bodies so this saying is right. But this logic is actually wrong.
The fact is that during the first trimester of pregnancy, the calorie requirements aren’t that high. But, as the pregnancy progresses, in the latter two trimesters her energy and other nutrient requirements increases. However, this depends upon the weight and BMI of the mother.
That is why I would suggest not overloading yourself with food because that will cause gastric issues. Not only that, it can also increase the chances of becoming overweight and obese. This sometimes tends to be the main cause of other health issues like gestational diabetes.
Pregnancy is quite an adventurous ride, isn’t it? I’m sure, by now you would understand the importance of a healthy diet during pregnancy. However, always remember that intake of the 5 superfoods we saw earlier is not always sufficient.
This is because the body has to meet the requirements of certain desired nutrients. At times, it becomes difficult to supply them completely through food and might have to be supplemented.
Likewise, I would suggest not jumping to conclusions instantly and always contacting your health care provider to know what is best for you i.e, what all foods to eat when you’re pregnant and what foods to avoid during pregnancy.
To know what is best for your health and to ensure a healthy diet during pregnancy, you can download the Zyla app or visit our website Zyla.in and check out the Ova Pentacare Pregnancy Program.
Through our amazing expert panel of nutritionists, physiotherapists, and specialized doctors, Zyla will ensure that you are receiving the best care for a healthy pregnancy. So don’t delay any further and start your pregnancy journey with a happy note.
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