Pregnancy Diet Myth Buster – Eating For Two
Knowing that another life is growing inside her is probably the most beautiful feeling that a woman could be gifted with. However, this is also the phase when proper pregnancy diet and hygienic supervision is required, in order to ensure proper health of both the mother and the child.
A pregnant woman almost instantly becomes everyone’s favorite and is subject to tons of advice from people around her, ranging from how she mustn’t cut her hair during pregnancy to how she must look pictures of beautiful children in order to be blessed with a beautiful baby herself. All these maybe pregnancy diet myths. Among these pregnancy diet myths, the most common one is the ‘eating for two’ myth.
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While it is true to a great extent that the child within gets its nourishment from what the mother consumes, it is certainly not true that she needs to eat for two adults during this phase of her life. An expectant mother would need to increase her food intake by a mere 500 calories, since the amount of nutrition consumed by her unborn is a minuscule amount. The nutrition that the baby receives at this stage is dependent on the pregnancy diet and is the building block of its physical and mental health. Therefore, a pregnant women needs to be conscious about her diet. This is what may be attributed to, ‘eating for two’.
Healthy Pregnancy Diet Chart
A pregnant woman’s diet should ideally be one that is rich in vitamins, protein, iron, folic acid and calcium. A quick tour of the pregnancy diet chart below will give you an insight on what kinds of food provide what type of nutrition. You can follow the below stated pregnancy diet chart, either week by week or month by month.
| Nutrient | Source | Benefits |
| Vitamin A | Carrots, sweet potatoes, dark green veggies, dried apricots, tomatoes, papaya etc. | Essential for the healthy formation of lungs, heart, kidney, eyes, bones and the nervous system, Vitamin A also helps in speedy post partum tissue repair. |
| Vitamin C | Orange juice, cabbage, sweet potatoes, strawberries, kiwis etc | Essential for absorption of iron and formation of bones. Lack of Vitamin C could lead to impaired brain functioning of the baby. |
| Vitamin D | Fish, cereal, egg yolks and lots of early morning sunlight. | Helps maintain the proportion of calcium and phosphorus within the body. A lack of this vitamin could lead to abnormal skeletal formation. |
| Protein | Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, milk and milk products, grains, seeds and nuts, sprouts etc. | Amino acids present in proteins is a component of the building blocks of cell formation. Protein intake should ideally increase in the second and third trimester. |
| Iron | Green leafy vegetables, meat, whole grains, tomatoes, pumpkin, oranges, apples, bananas, strawberries etc. | Ensures that your body makes enough blood to supply more oxygen to your baby, thus making sure your baby develops a well functioning body and brain. Also acts as a building block in cell development. |
| Folic Acid | Dark green vegetables, broccoli, oranges, okra, beans, berries, cauliflower, mushroom, corn, carrots etc. | Also known as Vitamin B9, folic acid is highly recommended, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. This is because folic acid plays a vital role in structuring the DNA of your unborn. A lack of this nutrient can cause serious birth defect in your baby’s spine and brain, also known as neural tube defects. |
| Calcium | Milk, dairy products, ragi, spinach, figs, apricots, broccoli, almonds etc. | Adequate consumption of calcium helps build your baby’s bones and teeth. |
While most of these foods are easily available and also the kind we consume on a regular basis, the key for a healthy pregnancy diet is to eat five to six of such well balanced meals per day, along with a high liquid intake that may include fruit and vegetable juices as well as water This ensures continuous supply of nutrition to the mother’s body while maintaining a healthy metabolic rate and keeping her blood sugar levels steady.
Like we all know, eating healthy is what a pregnant woman needs to do, there are certain don’ts that she needs to observe during her diet as well. A few things that are a complete no-no while following a pregnancy diet are:
o Foods with artificial color and preservatives
o Canned foods
o Uncooked or half cooked meat or eggs
o Consumption of nicotine and alcohol
o Foods cooked with MSG
Every nutrient consumed by an expectant mother plays a major role in the development of her child and thus, nourishing her body with the right type of diet and amount of food, will go a long way in ensuring her the gift of a healthy baby and thus a happy mommy hood.
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