What Should Be the Nutrition During Pregnancy?

By Dr. Geeta Buryok in Nutrition And Dietetics , Dietetics

Nov 08 , 2020 | 1 min read

A proper weight gain during pregnancy is essential for maintaining health and well-being of both the mother and fetus. What an expecting mother should focus on is to have a modest and consistent weight gain.

Nutrients such as iron, vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids, and folic acid are important to supplement during pregnancy. Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial not only for the mother but also for the fetus. Dr. Geeta Buryok gives us the nutrition recommendations for pregnant women which should also be maintained after pregnancy for a healthy lifestyle.

Some general recommendations for a healthy diet during pregnancy include:

Consume whole grain instead of items made from white flour. These include bread, cereals and brown rice.
Whole fruits are advised but avoid canned fruits in heavy syrup because they contain extra sugar. Fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, pomegranate and melon are excellent choices. Be cautious with a number of acidic fruits you eat like oranges, pineapples, lemons, and limes as they cause severe heartburn. However, if they do not affect you there is no reason to avoid them in the diet.
Consume vegetables such as leafy greens and others.
Lean protein from both plant-based and animal-based sources is recommended: Try tofu, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, chicken, fish, eggs etc.
Milk, cheese and yoghurt. Try to stick to low-fat dairy sources
Healthy fats: such as canola oil, walnuts and almonds. These contain omega-3 fatty acids which are essential – meaning the body cannot make them so they must be supplied from the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease cardiovascular disease and improve heart and blood vessel function. During pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids are also important in brain development of the fetus.