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Diet in pregnancy

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Healthy food choices during pregnancy

A practical overview on what to eat, what not to eat and how to eat during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very special and unique period during the life of a woman. She is excited about the fact that she is nurturing and bringing a new life to the world. At the same time, she will be quite stressed out due to anticipation, anxiety, fear and her new body condition. While she is concerned about doing the right things during this phase, she is also being bombarded with a lot of hear-say talk on what to do and what not to. It is important to stay grounded with scientific facts and do the right things. An important aspect to take care is about how to eat healthy during pregnancy to positively influence the health of the baby as well as the mother.

A healthy pregnancy will develop in a healthy body and diet is an important ingredient for that. A diet regime being very stringent can be emotionally stressful and become counter productive. At the same time, it is important to know what to eat and what not to eat, to ensure necessary nutrition to you and the baby. A general rule of thumb for safe eating is to have natural foods instead of refined / processed food and avoid anything that you are allergic to. It is also advisable not to experiment anything new and exotic during pregnancy period. Ideally, you should start eating healthy right from the pre-conceptional period and continue through the pregnancy.

What to have:

You should have a wholesome balanced nutritious natural diet with 5 portions of fruits and veggies with good hydration. Below are the important nutrients you should include and their purpose along with some example food items that provide those.

  • Carbohydrates are energy giving and should make up about 1/3 of your total food intake. e.g. Rice, whole wheat roti, potatoes, sweet potato etc.
  • Proteins mainly contribute to body building / growth and repair function. It will also promote the growth of the baby. Pulses like lentils (daal), green gram(moong), chickpeas (chana), egg, fish and meat etc. are some of the items that provide proteins in adequate quantities.
  • Fats act as energy stores for the body and is important to maintain vital functions of the body. Also, certain fats aid the brain development of the foetus. However, it should be less than 30% of the total calorie intake and should comprise of mono unsaturated or Omega-3 fats like Olive oil, Peanut Oil, Sunflower oil, Sesame oil, nuts and seeds
  • Water requirement is higher in this phase due to body changes. Inadequate water intake leads to fatigue, headache and feverish feeling by the end of the day. It is important for better health of urinary tract to avoid infections in pregnancy as well as maintaining sufficient water around the baby. Good hydration also helps in reducing constipation. You should have at least 10 to 12 glasses of water in a day, which also includes other liquids that you consume like milk, juice, tea, coffee etc.
  • Vitamins and minerals are important for the proper functioning of the body. All vegetables including green leafy ones and fruits are rich sources of these as well as fibre. You should include 5 portions of vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Below are some examples of what constitutes one portion
    • 1 orange / 1 Apple / 1 pear / 1 cup of grapes and cherries
    • 1 average cup of unsweetened juice / smoothie (approx 150 ml) is one portion but this is recommended only once a day
    • 1 cup of boiled chickpeas or baked beans or dal or moong
    • 1 handful of nuts like badam, walnut, pista, peanut etc.
    • 3 tablespoons of any vegetables or salad
    • 1 heaped tablespoon of any dry fruit

What NOT to have:

  • Outside food, street food and fast/junk food. Typically there is low nutritional benefits for these. At the same time, they pose high risk from chemical additives and other bacterial contaminants. Focus on having small frequent healthy meals and snacks to control cravings for these.
  • Any kind of half cooked meat and meat products as it can cause bacterial infections and toxoplasmosis (a parasitic infestation harmful for the developing baby)
  • Half cooked or raw eggs and anything that contains raw egg like maionese , souffle, tiramisu etc.
  • Fast food items with pâté (grounded meat/veggies with fats). They could be under-cooked.
  • Soft cheese. Make sure that the cheese you are using is pasteurized.
  • Big fish like tuna, swordfish, shark and king mackerel because of high mercury content.
  • Too much of salty, greasy and sugary food as it might induce acidity and may cause nausea.
  • Excess caffeine intake. The recommendation is a maximum of 200 mg of caffeine. So you can have up to maximum of two cups  of coffee in a day. Even iced tea, regular tea, green tea cola, diet coke, soft drinks all contain caffeine. So, all of these also need to be consumed in moderation.
  • Alcohol, smoking and substance abuse. Any such dependencies should be managed right from pre-conceptional period.

How to have:

  • Ensure that you have a proper and timely breakfast to give you full energy for the day
  • Opt for small frequent meals rather than three major meals which will reduce your acidity, nausea ,vomiting and food cravings
  • Avoid outside food as much as possible to reduce the risk of food poisoning
  • Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating to ensure pesticides and other bacteria / contaminants are washed off.
  • Do not wait for the body to feel thirsty, you should have small frequent sips of liquids.

These are some of the general instructions about diet during pregnancy based on guidelines from different scientific bodies. As you can see, the overall theme is i) to reduce risks from outside / processed foods and have fresh natural food ii) have a balanced proportion iii) avoid experimentation and iv) consume in moderation.

Some specific questions that are frequently asked about diet in pregnancy are covered in a subsequent post – Diet in Pregnancy FAQ

Other related readings

References

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