MyMaleesha The Women Magazine for A Smart Life Style.

What Should I Eat During Pregnancy?

It is not necessary for you to follow any special dietary regime during pregnancy. But you do need to take an adequate, well-balanced, varied diet consisting of food items belonging to each of the different food groups so as to provide proper nutrition to you as well as to your baby. The diet should contain sufficient proteins, vitamins and minerals, chiefly calcium and iron. Calcium and vitamin D are required for the formation of the baby’s bones and teeth and you are liable to develop anemia in the absence of sufficient supplies of iron.

You should continue to eat rice, bread or cereals in any form in sufficient quantities. They chiefly provide energy, starch, dietary fibre and B vitamins.

The other food group consisting of dais, peas, beans, egg, fish, meat and poultry is rich in proteins and your meals should contain good helpings of any of these food items.

Milk, yoghurt, cheese and milk products provide calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D beside proteins and vitamin A. If you do not relish taking milk, you may take it in any other more palatable form like ice cream, milk shake or dessert made with milk.

You should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Oranges and other citrus fruits are rich sources of vitamin C. Mangoes, papayas, carrots and other red and orange coloured fruits and vegetables provide a lot of vitamin A. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, cabbage and salads are excellent sources of iron, vitamins and minerals.

You should, however, cut down on your intake of fat and fatty foods as well as that of sugar and sugary foods, Indian sweets, biscuits, chocolates, jams, and sugary drinks with high caloric content which only tend to make you obese without providing any important nutrients. Food preparations like pastry, cakes and fatty meats, which contain a lot of fat (butter, margarine, vegetable oil), must be reduced to avoid overweight and later risk of heart disease.