Balanced diet for pregnancy

 It is important to have a nutritional and balanced diet during

pregnancy.
 Regular exercise is necessary for your health, however, avoid
over exertion.
 It is advisable to take supplements of vitamin B12, Folic Acid
and zinc for two months before conception and in the first
three months of your pregnancy.

Pregnancy can be divided into 3 stages of 3 months each called

trimesters. First trimester is for first 3 months ,2 nd trimester is from
4 th to 6 th month and the last trimester is from 7 to 9 months.

Here are some guidelines for all expectant mothers regarding a

balanced diet:

1. A lot of women experience Early Morning Sickness: an effective

and easy way to counter this is to have bland foods like bread,
biscuits, dosa , cheela etc.DO NOT remain fasting for the fear of
vomiting.
2. You may also have fruits or dryfruits with milk e.g 4-5 almonds
soaked in water or milk, fruits like apples, bananas, pears etc.
3. About an hour after this you may have a Rajgeera ladoo in milk.
4. For breakfast:
Idlis/oats/cornflakes/Thalipeeth/Parontha/Poha/Upma/Vermic
elli Porridge etc.

5. Around 11 am: have some fruits like Oranges, Mosambi , Chiku,

Guava , Pomegranate , Amla etc.
6. Around 12 noon : Have a glass of butter milk or Lassi.
7. Lunch time: Have a generous helping of Rice –Dal, Roti –Sabji,
Curd, and Salad.
8. Around 3 pm: Buttermilk or raisins soaked in milk.
9. Around 4 pm:2-3 Dates, figs , Brown bread+ boiled eggs (egg
whites only ) sprouts , salads, Paneer Sandwich or Cheese
sandwich.
10. Around 7 pm: Have a complete dinner of Roti Sabji, Dal
Rice, Salad.

11. Around 1o pm: 20- 25 black raisins soaked in warm milk.

What to eat:
 Lots a water – Have at least 10 -12 glasses of water a day
(at least 1 glass every hour). Also take butter milk, lassi,
fruit and vegetable juices (freshly squeezed, not store
bought) milk shakes etc.
 At least 2 glasses of milk every day. Dairy products like
curd cheese.
 Include green leafy vegetables, sprouts and boiled eggs in
your diet. At least 4 times a week.
 Use Jaggery instead of sugar in sweet foods.
 Include at least 2 fruits in your diet every day.
 As snacks, you may have dry fruits, figs, dates, raisins,
rajgeera ladoo. Apart from improving your haemoglobin
level and satisfying your hunger, these also reduce
chances of having acidity, nausea, gas and constipation.
 Chicken should be fresh and preferably made in less oil
and using spices sparingly. Store bought products tend to
be stale and unhygienic.
 Regularly take your Iron, Calcium, Vitamins and Folic acid
supplements as advised by your doctor .Pregnant women
require minimum of 400-800 microgram folic acid daily
and prevents most anomalies. Iron deficiency may cause
Anaemia which can be harmful to mother and the baby.
 After the completion of the 8 th month of pregnancy,
complaints of Acidity, regurgitation and Gas (flatulence)
increase. Slight modification in your diet like including
fresh milk, curd, buttermilk and fruits, avoiding oily foods
etc may benefit you.
 As far as possible try to consume cooked food within
three hours of preparing it. This will ensure availability of
vitamins and minerals.
  In the 3 rd trimester ( 7 th 8 th 9 th month) you may
experience regurgitation i. e. The feeling of food returning
to your throat.
 Keep yourself inclined while seeping (around 30- 45
degree) chilled milk and antacids may help.
 Do not have very late dinner.

What NOT TO EAT:

 Tea coffee spicy food cause nausea .Chats like Bhel, Paanipuri
Food stuffs containing ajinomoto food colours cause acidity
and are unhygienic. Store bought sandwiches may be stale and
veggies used in them may not be cleaned properly .these are
to be avoided.

 Sweets like Laddoos, tetra packed juices to be avoided as

sometimes preservatives used in them may be not good for
your health. Indians are prone to Diabetes Mellitus hence
these are to be avoided. Dates and fruits containing natural
sugars can be consumed if you have a sweet tooth.
 Meats like mutton are to be avoided. Fresh water fish are
better than sea food Avoid eating fish that you have never
eaten before.
 Avoid raw papaya as their by-products can cause utero-tonic
activities and you may experience pain in the abdomen.
 Avoid road side sugar cane juice. It can cause water borne
diseases like jaundice, typhoid etc.
 Avoid aerated and carbonated drinks.
 Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol. These are known
to cause abnormalities in the baby.