Your Guide to a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

A healthy diet is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, it is all the more important for a woman during her pregnancy. Your baby needs a healthy and nutritious diet to develop and grow. Gynaecologists at AMRI Hospital, one of the best maternity hospitals in Kolkata, state that you don’t need a special diet during pregnancy, but a well-balanced diet is a MUST for ensuring the right amount of nutrients both the baby and the mother.

Listed below are some of the best tips for women during pregnancy:

Don’t ‘eat for two’

Women during pregnancy tend to feel hungrier than usual, say health experts at AMRI Hospital, Kolkata. However, you do not have to ‘eat for two’. Starting your day with a healthy meal can help you avoid food items that are high on fats and sugar. Instead of cutting down on your favourite food items, you can change the amount of food to make your diet varied. Following a proper diet chart can also help you in maintaining the right balance. Your diet chart should show the quantity of nutrients you need each food group to achieve a healthy and balanced diet.

High intake of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are a storehouse of essential nutrients. In order to attain different nutrients needed by the body, it is important to eat a wide variety of food products, especially during pregnancy.  Various studies show that fruits are a good source of various nutrients potent enough to enrich your diet. Nutritionists at AMRI Hospitals recommend including at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables in your everyday diet – that can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced. It is important to ensure that you wash all the fruits and vegetables carefully before eating them.

Food items rich in carbohydrates

Women during pregnancy are advised to increase the intake of food rich in carbohydrates as it is a good source of energy. Your diet should include food items like bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, maize, millet, oats, yams and cornmeal. If you want to have chips, go for the ones with low fat and salt. You should also avoid refined starchy (white) food, and go for wholegrain or higher fibre options such as whole wheat pasta, brown rice or simply leaving the skins on potatoes.

Protein in pregnancy

Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Hence, your diet should include ample amount of protein rich food products like beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat (but avoid liver), poultry and nuts. Pregnant women should to go for lean meat and remove the skin from poultry. They should avoid adding any extra fat or oil while cooking.  Also, poultry or lamb should be cooked all the way through.