Food For Pregnancy

By Sruthi Appu

Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 16:14

A Woman's healthy pregnancy is dependent on what she eats every day. Hence a healthy diet should be followed when she is pregnant. The diet that she follows during her pregnancy not only enhances her health. It plays a vital role in the baby's health too.

These following four basic food groups should be included in your diet strictly.

Starch Filled Food : Vegetables should be your first preference when you are pregnant. Starch filled foods like potatoes, rice, chapatis, oatmeal etc should be made as an important part of your daily diet. As these suggested foods are rich in many calories and vitamins it's advised to strictly have them.

Dairy Foods : Although diary products are important in your diet, it's advised to take low – fat products. Products like milk, yogurt or cheese are rich source of calcium, which are very essential for your bone. Also these dairy products have other essential minerals like zinc, iodine and magnesium, which are very much needed for the babies' health.

Fruits and Vegetables : Fruits and Vegetables, as I mentioned earlier, these two essentials should be in the priority list of your diet. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables will not only provide you with minerals and vitamins. It will also give you fiber that helps in good digestion. Hence will prevent constipation.

Meat, Fish and Alternatives : Eggs, meat, fish, nuts, pulses, peas etc are very rich in nutrients. These foods along with your dairy and starch filled foods give the baby a healthy building block. These foods are good source of iron, zinc, vitamin A and B.

Although these are the certain foods that you should follow during your pregnancy, it is also important to avoid certain foods. The food list that you should avoid during pregnancy includes:

1.Strictly avoid having sweet and sugary foods like biscuits, cookies, cakes or chocolates. Although sugar contains calories, it does not have nutrients that your body need.

2. Avoid liver and liver products, although liver products are rich in Vitamin – A, it can ruin your baby's health.

3. Avoid fatty foods like chips, pastry, chocolates etc. Although fat rich foods are high in calories too much can ruin your health. It can lead to heart diseases and excess weight gain.

Following Vitamin rich and Healthy diet can ease yours as well as your baby's life and health.