Healthy Pregnancy Diet

Do you know that a pregnant woman requires around 300 extra calories per day to maintain a healthy pregnancy? Yes, that’s right! To gain these calories, one must follow the best diet for pregnant women, which includes whole grains, protein, fruits, and vegetables. Furthermore, sweets and unhealthy fats must be kept to a minimum. We know how difficult it is to carve out a balanced and healthy daily diet for pregnant women. Therefore, we bring you a list of beneficial foods and beverages for an ideal diet for pregnant women. This food list takes care of the nutritional needs of the baby and ensures the holistic health of the mother-to-be. In this article, Dr. Shraddha Galgali is the best Pregnancy Care in Punawale. will discuss a healthy pregnancy diet, including what a pregnant woman should eat what to avoid, and why?

• Dry fruits (10 to 12 pieces)
• One glass of cow milk (plain)
• Banana Milkshake
• Almond milk
• Carrot juice
• Tomato juice
• Apple juice

• Mix fruit Plate (including apricots, apples, dates, bananas, sweet figs, and oranges)
• Rava up with vegetables
• Vegetable poha with chillas
• Oats with 2 boiled eggs
• Vegetable omelette
• Whole wheat toast, butter, and omelet
• Stuffed parathas (with fillings of potatoes, dal, spinach, carrots, paneer, or beans) with curd
• Cheese and vegetable sandwich
• Cheese toast
• Rice sevai with vegetables
• Vegetable khandvi

• Chicken soup
• Spinach soup
• Tomato soup
• Carrot and beetroot soup
• Creamy spinach soup
• Pumpkin (kaddu) soup
• Banana Milkshake

• Simple paratha with curd and a bowl of dal
• Chapati with dal, curd, and a bowl of vegetable
• Peas and carrot stuffed paratha made with butter and a bowl of curd
• Vegetable khichdi
• Curd rice
• Rice and chicken curry
• Green peas pulao or jeera pulao with raita
• Rice, vegetables, and dal with a green salad
• Rice, dal, vegetable raita with one fruit
• Pea lemon rice with a green salad
• Chicken salad with vegetable soup
• Grilled chicken with curd
• Rice with kofta curry
• Paneer paratha made with butter and green salad
• Stuffed paratha with sprouts salad

• Chicken cutlet
• Bread cutlet
• Chicken sandwich
• Corn and cheese sandwich
• Roasted peanuts
• Dry fruits with dried dates
• Milk porridge with seven, oats, or daily
• Vegetable daliya
• Tomato and spinach idli
• Vegetable idli
• Mixed-veg uttapam
• Vegetable seva
• Carrot Halwa
• Lauki halwa
• Fresh fruit smoothie (banana or strawberry)
• A cup of green tea

• Chicken rice or vegetable pulao with a bowl of curd
• Mixed dal khichdi, curd, vegetable curry
• Rice, spinach veggie, dal, green salad
• Plain paratha with curd (or buttermilk)
• Roti, dal, vegetable of choice, curd (or buttermilk)

• Water: Drinking about 10 to 12 glasses of water is imperative during pregnancy. Sufficient water helps the protective fluid (or amniotic fluid) around the fetus and boosts better digestion as well.
• Dairy products: They are loaded with rich nutrients like vitamins and calcium that assist the baby’s development.
• Leafy green vegetables and broccoli: Dark green vegetables like broccoli are a good source of folate, antioxidants, and vitamins, including A, B6, C, and K. They boost hemoglobin supply, and healthy bones and keep skin concerns at bay.
• Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes have high levels of beta carotene (vitamin), which is important for fetal growth and development.
• Salmon: Routine use of salmon must be included in the diet for pregnant women as it can boost docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), generally known as an omega-3 fatty acid. The need for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves during the third semester of pregnancy.
• Legumes: Improved with plant-based nutrients like iron, protein, fiber, and calcium, legumes are a good source of plant-based nutrients that must be contained in the daily diet of pregnant women.
• Eggs: Eggs are amongst the best sources of protein. They grow amino acids and choline, among other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
• Lean meat: A healthy diet for pregnant women must include good quality protein, which comes from lean meat. Lean meat has good quantities of iron, vitamin B, and important minerals.
• Berries: Berries help in increasing your water intake as they pack lots of water and nutrients like healthy carbohydrates, fibers, and vitamin C.
• Dry fruits: A handful of dry fruits pack zinc, potassium, calcium, and fiber. They prevent constipation during pregnancy.
• Whole grains: The growing fetus requires minerals and vitamin B for its growth. Whole grains are fortified with folic acid and provide essential nutrients required by the baby.

• Unwashed food: Unwashed fruits, vegetables, and especially meat can expose you to toxoplasma (a harmful parasite), which can cause serious complications in pregnancy.
• Caffeine: While outlining the best diet for pregnant women, caffeine must always be kept off the list! Caffeine is known to raise your blood pressure and heart rate, both of which are detrimental and risky in pregnancy.
• Alcohol: Liquor utilization can prompt underlying imperfections in the child. If a woman consumes alcohol in the first trimester, the chance of abnormal facial features in the baby rises.
• Processed junk foods: Junk food cravings are real and happen to all women during pregnancy. However, you must always stay away from processed junk foods (like cookies, candies, pizza, burgers, and baked goodies made from white flour) as they can increase the toxic acrylamide levels in the mother’s body.
• Unpasteurized foods: Unpasteurised foods, including fruit juice, milk, or cheese, may contain food-borne illnesses causing bacteria like E. coli, campylobacter, and listeria.
• Raw sprouts: Raw sprouts are not among the ideal diets for pregnant women, and their consumption can make you sick. Raw sprouts grow in warm and humid conditions, an environment that is conducive for bacteria to flourish.
• Crude or under-cooked fish: Crude fish incorporate microbes, parasites, and microorganisms, which expose you to several illnesses.
• Under-cooked and processed meat: Half-cooked meat that conveys microorganisms can make you debilitated. Processed meat that contains listeria bacteria can cause vomiting and food poisoning among pregnant women.
• Raw eggs: Raw eggs include the bacteria called salmonella, and their consumption can lead to a host of health issues like food poisoning, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Good eating habits in pregnancy have a long-lasting positive effect on your baby’s growth and development. A healthy diet for pregnant women also ensures a hassle-free pregnancy experience. Based on these suggestions, a personalized diet chart can be formulated in consultation with Dr. Shraddha Galgali and a dietician. Dr. Shraddha Galgali is one of the gynecologists in Punawale. For more information on a healthy pregnancy diet or any personal inquiry, you can book an appointment or call 9923956515.