NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY

Child bearing imposes both physical and mental strain. To be able to counter this, it is important that the mother has a healthy diet during pregnancy. Health and well-being of both mother and baby in the womb depends on the mother having a wholesome nourishing diet. The aim of the nutritional plan Successful pregnancy requires a diet that: Maintains maternal nutritional needs and helps in the development of a healthy foetus Provides continuous adjustments in maternal body composition and metabolism Provides good maternal nutrition, which is vital for health and reproductive performance of the mother and the health, survival and development of the baby The dietary advice is as follows: Eat a variety of food from all food groups (cereals, pulses/non-veg, milk, fruits and vegetables, oils & nuts, sugar). Cereals: Choose from whole wheat, wheat bread, multi grain bread, ragi, bajra and jowar Pulses: Include a variety from green gram, horse gram, soya beans, black eyed beans Fruits: Eat 2-3 whole seasonal fruits daily Vegetables: One cup each with lunch and dinner. Restrict root and tubers Green leafy vegetables: Thrice a week Milk and milk products: Preferably skim milk. 400 ml a day Oil: Choose from sunflower or safflower oil. 3-4 tsps a day Fluid intake should be at least 2-3 litres per day Raw salad with at least one meal a day Non vegetarian foods: Chicken (no skin), fish (not fried) or eggs white

 Have small, frequent meals 5-6 times per day. Maintain at least 1 -2 hour gap between dinner and bedtime. For morning sickness keep crackers, plain sweet biscuits/ rusk or toast handy. Have at least one portion of dry fruits 25gms (almonds, walnuts, figs-2, raisins) each daily. Follow it up with citrus fruits so the absorption of iron is better. AVOID Coconut in excess Sweets, toffees Deep fried foods Soft drinks, alcohol, ice cream, honey, jaggery, etc. Salty foods like pickle, processed foods, salty snacks Maida based foods like naan, kulcha, roomali roti Fats like vanaspati, butter, cheese, ghee, re-used oils Limit the intake of caffeine containing foods to less than 300mg/day (i.e. 2 cups of coffee or 3 cups of tea) Salt intake 5gm /day and if patient has pregnancy induced hypertension, then restrict the intake to less than teaspoon/day Healthy meal plan for pregnancy- Your diet plan will be prepared by the dietician to suit your tastes and requirement A sample diet On waking 8 - 9 am Almonds (2) + water 1 glass or Plain milk or tea/coffee with one spoon sugar Roti- 3 numbers (no oil) or 1 medium bowl of upma/poha or 2 table spoon raw oats cooked in water. Add 150 ml milk + 1 Fruit or Wheat bread sandwich with vegetable slices. 1 Fruit/egg white omelet or 1 medium bowl of wheat flakes with skimmed milk Buttermilk/tender coconut water/1 Fruit

11 am Lunch 1-1.30 pm

Rice- 1 cup (100g) + 2 rotis Sabzi- 1 cup (100g) + salad 1 cup + dhal or greens -1 cup (100g) + curd 1 cup (75 ml), greens thrice a week Low fat paneer/egg/grilled chicken/fish (1 serving)

Tea 4 pm 6 pm

Tea/coffee 1 cup + 2 plain biscuits or wheat crackers (optional)Whole fruit (guava/apple), home made sprouts or bhel puri (150g) or 2 Vegetable sandwich (multigrain bread + green chutney + cucumber) or Buttermilk mixed vegetable soup (200 ml)

Dinner 8-8.30 pm

2 Dry rotis + green gram/brown channa/mixed vegetable curry/palak dal/mushroom curry Bed time Skimmed milk (1 glass)