Looking for healthy eating tips during pregnancy? Here is the answer

New Delhi: Every human being, be it of any age group, needs to be careful about his/her diet. Your eating routine not only impacts your physical health but mental health too which further impacts your personal and professional life as well. But when it comes to pregnancy, it is needed to take extra care of the woman carrying a baby inside her womb. As far as care is concerned, what plays the primary role is the diet and eating routine.

When a woman is pregnant, she needs to consume more certain nutrients like protein, iron, folic acid, and iodine. Moreover, calcium is also needed for pregnant ladies. Simply put, if someone wants to experience a healthy pregnancy, only smart food choices can help them to deliver a healthy baby.

Let’s talk in detail about the ideas to help you eat healthy during pregnancy.

Step one, right eating pattern

Consistency is the key for a healthy and fit body. It requires following a healthy eating pattern. Now, the question arises what does a healthy eating pattern looks like? Well, it includes a variety of nutritious foods and drinks.

Keep feeding yourself with a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Low-fat dairy products and protein foods are also a must to ensure a healthy diet. These should be accompanied by drinks with fewer added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium (salt). Moreover, limiting refined grains and starches will work wonders.

Step two, calories for you

There’s a myth that a pregnant woman needs to consume twice as much food. In fact, those in their first trimester (first 12 weeks) don’t need any extra calories. Moreover, during the Second trimester (13 to 26 weeks), women need only about 340 extra calories a day. Then, in the last trimester (after 26 weeks), most women need about 450 extra calories a day. You need to consult your doctor to know how many calories you need during pregnancy.

Step three, count on iron and iodine

Another mandatory factor that needs to be kept in mind to ensure healthy eating is that Folic acid is a must for pregnant women. Why you may ask. Well, it helps prevent some birth defects of the brain and spine. Iron and Iodine too are necessary in order to keep the mother as well as the baby healthy.

Step four, seafood more

It’s good to consume seafood more for an expecting woman. Fish and shellfish, both have healthy fats and they play an essential role in developing the babies’ bodies and maintaining the mother’s health. But one thing should be kept in mind only seafood that is high in healthy fats but lower in mercury should be consumed. Mercury can hurt your baby’s development. Moreover, only 8 to 12 ounces should be consumed in a week.

Step five, foods to avoid

While we discussed the foods that should be eaten during pregnancy, it also needs to be noted that there are many food items that must be avoided as they may have bacteria in them which is unhealthy. These food items include Raw (uncooked) or rare (undercooked) fish or shellfish, like sushi or raw oysters. While raw or rare meats, poultry, or eggs are a big no for women expecting babies, unpasteurized juices or milk should also be avoided. Raw sprouts, including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts also make it to the list of food items that should be kept away from Mumma-to-be.