How to eat right for pregnant women? Nutritionist’s recommendations

Pregnancy is a special time in a woman’s life. During this period it is important to follow a nutritious diet, maintain health and take care of the body.

Founder of the International Institute of Integrative Nutritionology

I will tell you where to start the path to proper nutrition for pregnant women and how to make up for vitamin deficiencies with the help of healthy products.

With the onset of pregnancy, a woman needs to reconsider her usual diet. First, you should not start eating for two. This approach will lead to weight gain and problems with carrying the baby.

Excess body weight provokes high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, which is called diabetes of pregnancy, the risk of premature labor increases.

Overweight women are advised to reconsider their diet, to give preference to fresh vegetables, greens, a sufficient amount of protein and the right fats. Trans fats and fast carbohydrates should be excluded.

Nutrition of the pregnant woman should be balanced and individualized, taking into account all deficiencies of vitamins and minerals. But it is necessary to consult a doctor.

When correcting the diet, it is necessary to take into account all factors, from bad habits to chronic diseases.

It is important to adhere to the general rules of nutrition:

1. Observe the regime: three full meals and one healthy snack.
2. Normalize the drinking regime: it is necessary to drink when thirsty, aim for an individual norm – 30 ml per 1 kg of weight. It is recommended to consult with the doctor leading the pregnancy.
3. During periods of toxicosis, it is important to adhere to a fractional diet: eat small portions six to seven times a day.

In the first trimester, the volume of nutrition should correspond to the norms before pregnancy. After this period, the indications may change depending on the condition of the pregnant woman, weight gain, growth and development of the baby.

For the entire period of pregnancy, it is necessary to exclude from the menu products containing preservatives, dyes, artificial flavorings, trans fats, refined sugars.

A woman’s diet should contain a large amount of vegetables, greens, fruits (with caution eat grapes and bananas), different types of meat and fish, whole grain products, legumes, nuts, seeds.

Nutrient composition of each meal should be complete: contain vegetable and animal proteins, complex carbohydrates, fats. A sufficient amount of vegetable fiber (at least 30-40 g per day) helps to effectively cope with a delicate problem: constipation.

As rich sources, it is better to choose greens, rye bran, apricots, figs, green peas.

Protein is recommended to add to every meal – it combines well with fats, complex carbohydrates and fiber.

Protein of animal origin: turkey, rabbit, chicken, duck, lamb, veal, different types of fish, seafood, chicken eggs, quail, dairy and sour milk products (if well tolerated).

I recommend consuming animal protein in the form of minced meat, souffles and other light structures. Before cooking, it is better to soak meat in lemon or lime juice or natural apple cider vinegar.

Of vegetable proteins it is better to choose: dal, mungbean, chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, chia seeds, mushrooms, buckwheat, tofu, hemp seeds.

Remember that legumes (as well as nuts) need to be soaked before cooking and consuming. Plant proteins (legumes) should be soaked overnight in acidified water (add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the water).

Natural vegetable and animal fats should also be included in the diet of pregnant women. Add butter, ghee oil, fatty varieties of cheese and fish, egg yolk, duck, lamb, beef liver, cod liver, and homemade chicken to your grocery list.

Vegetable fats are found in coconut milk and butter, raw oils, nuts, olives, avocados.

To replenish your omega-3 stores, you should eat shrimp, lobster, crab, clams, salmon, mackerel, herring, lamb, flax or hemp seed oil.

The structure of a complete diet is completed by complex carbohydrates: these are whole-grain cereals, legumes, vegetables, greens. The norm of consumption of complex carbohydrates for pregnant women on average is 130 g per day, but these figures are better calculated individually.

It is important that in the diet of the pregnant woman had products rich in vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamin E is necessary for the prevention of premature labor, it improves the trophicity of the fetal egg. This vitamin is rich in wheat germ oil, almond oil, almonds, salmon, olive oil, sunflower seeds.

To replenish vitamin A, you should eat cod liver, turkey, beef and chicken liver, carrots, chicken egg yolks.

Vitamin A boosts a woman’s immunity, helps form a healthy placenta and supports the synthesis of progesterone (female sex hormone).

Folic acid (vitamin B9) is necessary for a woman at the planning stage and throughout pregnancy. The substance prevents congenital anomalies in fetal development, in particular defects in the formation of the neural tube of the fetus, protects against miscarriages.

The maximum concentration of vitamin B9 is found in goose liver, beans, mung beans, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, asparagus, seaweed.

Vitamin C and vitamin B12, iron and calcium are necessary for good health of the baby and future mom.

Products rich in vitamins: beef liver, mussels, mackerel, chicken egg yolk, rose hips, cilantro, bell peppers, sea buckthorn, black currants, ramson, broccoli.

Sources of iron and calcium:

• seaweed, apricots, beans, red meat, offal, almonds, buckwheat groats;
• poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cheese, sardines with bones, almonds, celery, hard cheese, cabbage, shrimp, cottage cheese (in the absence of milk intolerance).

The more diverse and richer will be the diet, the more vitamins and minerals will enter the body of a woman. During pregnancy, there are no unnecessary elements.

Each is important for the overall health of the woman and the full development of the baby. Therefore, at the planning stage, throughout pregnancy and after the birth of the child, eat a full diet.