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Proper nutrition during pregnancy

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Proper nutrition during pregnancy includes compliance with certain rules and regulations in the use of food in order to avoid the future mother's excess fat deposits. It is known that the overweight of a pregnant woman can provoke various complications and health problems, both for herself and for a little man who is just about to be born.

Proper nutrition during pregnancy means strict control in the use of sausages, canned foods and other long-term storage products. The balance between proteins, fats and carbohydrates, useful vitamins and minerals - the most important components of a full-fledged diet - plays a large role in the nutrition of the pregnant woman. It should be remembered that a balanced diet at different stages of pregnancy assumes a different balance of all these components.

At the very beginning of pregnancy, the nutrition of the expectant mother should not be too different from the usual. However, it is important to increase the consumption of products containing protein - the most important "building" material for the formation of fetal tissues, since it is in the first trimester that all the internal organs of the baby are formed. The protein source is dairy, meat, fish products, as well as legumes, nuts, mushrooms, eggs.

With insufficient consumption of protein foods, anemia can develop in a pregnant woman, an immunity may decrease, so it is so important to give maximum attention to nutrition.

An important condition for the child to get all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, trace elements and a comfortable stay in the womb is adherence to a special diet during pregnancy. Such a diet does not at all imply starvation, monodya, or severe restrictions in eating. First of all, it is aimed at re-usable food, i.e. Food intake in small portions throughout the day. At the same time, food can be varied, but it should not contain excessive fat, as well as harmful components in the form of dyes, fragrances, preservatives and the like.

A pregnant woman should give preference to natural, natural ingredients and products, particularly fruits, herbs and vegetables, as well as protein foods that are easily digested by the body.

Diet during pregnancy, first of all, involves the adherence of the future mother of a certain daily diet, which includes the following foods:

  • Protein food (consumption of eggs, fish, low-fat meat, dairy products, including fermented milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and yogurt) is 100-120 g; 
  • Fats - no more than 80-100 g (of which 20 g - of plant origin); 
  • Carbohydrates: their daily dose in the first half of pregnancy should be 300-400 g, and in the last 3 months - 300 g; 
  • Drinking water (in pure form) - not less than 1-1,5 l; 
  • A multivitamin preparation prescribed by a doctor (daily dosage).

The food of a pregnant woman needs to be distributed according to her calorie content: breakfast should be 30%, lunch - 40%, and dinner - 10% of the total amount of food. In additional meals recommended to use the following dosages: lunch and snack - 10% of the total amount of food. Proper nutrition of a pregnant woman includes the rational use of food in relation to time. So, to supper to the future mum is better with easily assimilable products for some hours prior to a retirement to a dream. Products of this kind include cottage cheese, yogurt, yogurt or low-fat kefir. Breakfast of the future mother follows approximately 30-40 minutes after waking up.

Proper nutrition during pregnancy includes, in the first place, the use of cooked, stewed, baked dishes. It is necessary to remember some limitations. So, a pregnant woman should limit salt intake to 5-6 grams per day. It is also recommended to control the consumption of bread and flour products, cakes, muffins, the daily norm of which should not exceed 100-150 g. From meat products, preference should be given only to low-fat varieties: first of all, chicken, beef, rabbit or turkey. From fish it is best to choose cod, navaga, zander, or icefish. Dairy products should contain a low percentage of fat. Cereals, butter, and also pasta to a pregnant woman is recommended to eat in small quantities and only as a complex meal (soups, cereals, etc.).

Proper nutrition of the future mother completely excludes the use of fast food, any kind of alcohol, spicy seasonings and spices, as well as mushrooms, smoked products, canned food, snacks, strong tea, coffee and dark chocolate. Pregnant women should always remember the moderation in eating, which consists in an easy feeling of hunger even after eating.

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Eating early in pregnancy

Every woman in the critical period of bearing a child should know about the rules of healthy eating, so that the pregnancy process proceeds without unnecessary complications.

Eating in the early stages of pregnancy should be, first and foremost, balanced and include vitamins. Even before planning a pregnancy for a future mother, it is important to consider this nuance and start taking folic acid and a complex of vitamins.

Proper nutrition will reduce the manifestation of early toxicosis. What does "right" mean? First of all, it is a well-organized diet, both in terms of quality and quantity of food consumed. It is recommended to eat often, at least 5-6 times a day, in divided portions. This principle helps to improve digestion and reduces the manifestations of toxicosis, heartburn, eliminates the problems with the work of the intestine.

Breakfast should consist of light meals (dry biscuits, crackers, kefir, oatmeal porridge). Between meals you should drink water (1.5-2 liters per day). Food should be most useful and natural, so a pregnant woman will have to completely forget about fast foods, hot dogs, smoked foods, pickles and fried foods. This applies to sausages, pickled vegetables, canned products, ketchup and mayonnaise. From the diet should be deleted sweet fizzy, as well as low-alcohol beverages. If you smoke, immediately throw!

In the early stages, a pregnant woman should take meat and fish in boiled or baked form, dairy products, fresh herbs, raw fruits and vegetables, legumes and grains, in short everything that will only benefit the body and the fetus. Often in the early stages of bearing a child, the doctor prescribes pregnant vitamins as an addition to the main food ration.

It must be remembered that pregnancy is not a time for experiments, so exhausting diets and starvation are strictly contraindicated to women. To maintain a figure in the tone, it is better to do gentle exercises and more to walk in the fresh air.

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The nutrition menu during pregnancy

The nutrition menu during pregnancy should be, first of all, balanced. The future mother should eat healthy food, eat often and gradually (5-7 times a day), do not overeat and follow the recommendations of a dietitian.

Creating a meal menu, you need to be extremely careful, because the quality of food depends on how well-being of the future mother, and the health of her baby. In a daily diet it is desirable to include extremely useful products. We need to train ourselves to have breakfast, and also to monitor the amount of calories consumed. To avoid or alleviate the condition in the manifestations of toxicosis, it is necessary to give preference to easily assimilated food (crackers, toasts), vegetable soups on water or chicken broth, sour fruits (apples, oranges, grapefruits, persimmons). From nausea to a pregnant woman will help get rid of ginger in any form (tea, additive to dishes, cookies), as well as chilled water with the addition of lime juice or lemon.

Sample nutrition menu during pregnancy:

  • Breakfast. Egg, toast, cereal, muesli, grated apple. A glass of low-fat yogurt or milk, fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juices.
  • Lunch. Fruit, fruit smoothies, low-fat yogurt, a handful of dried fruits or nuts.
  • Dinner. Soups, risotto, stews (meat and fish), whole wheat bread, fresh vegetable salad, dessert in the form of dairy products.
  • Snack. Freshly squeezed juices, cupcakes, cereal bars, fruit.
  • Dinner. Soup with protein products (chicken or lean meat), eggs in the form of omelets or boiled, tofu, legumes, vegetable salad.
  • The second dinner. Warm milk, crackers, cheese, a handful of nuts.

Among prohibited products, it is necessary to note seafood, half-baked fish, sushi, coffee, sweets, canned goods. During this period, the future mother should take only what will benefit her baby.

Diet during pregnancy

The future mother should receive all the necessary nutrients and vitamins - only in this way the body of the unborn child will develop properly.

Diet during pregnancy should be clearly thought out, because the quality and quantity of food consumed will determine the condition of the pregnant woman, as well as the process of intrauterine fetal formation. In the diet of a pregnant woman should be present foods that bring maximum benefit to the body: fruits and vegetables, cereals, dairy products, legumes, fresh herbs, fish and meat.

The future mother is better to eat often (up to 6-7 times) in small portions. So you can avoid many problems associated with malfunctioning of the digestive system, in particular, nausea, constipation, flatulence, heartburn. It is advisable not to overeat, especially at bedtime, it is recommended to eat slowly, not hurrying.

The diet should consist of cooked, stewed, baked dishes. A pregnant woman should say a hard "no" to fried, smoked, canned and spicy dishes. It is necessary to limit consumption of flour products, sweets, muffins, it is preferable to drink freshly squeezed juices, compotes, herbal teas, and also to refuse coffee and strong black tea. In the diet of the future mother, regardless of the period of pregnancy, alcoholic and low alcohol drinks should not be present.

In the pregnant menu, there must be protein food, the daily norm of which equals 75-100 g per day. This meat, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, fish. Useful are nuts (walnuts, cedar, hazelnuts, peanuts), seeds, legumes. Sweets are best replaced with fruits, raisins, dried apricots, porridges, dried fruits. The diet of the future mother should also include cereals from whole grains or uncooked cereals, liver, spinach, carrots, sweet peppers.

Properly composed diet during pregnancy is the basis of maternal and child health. This should be borne in mind every week of fetal development. Calcium strengthens the bone tissue of the baby, folic acid is necessary for the development of brain cells of the child, visual acuity, vitamins C, B, A, E are irreplaceable elements in building the nervous and other systems of a small organism. Average daily diets in the first half of pregnancy is 2,400-2,700 kcal, in the second - 2,800-3,000 kcal.

Nutrition during pregnancy

The diet should preferably be based on the recommendations of dietitians, taking into account the individual characteristics of the mother's body and the process of pregnancy.

The diet during pregnancy should be balanced. It is recommended to adhere strictly to food at a certain time. You can not overeat and starve, - everything should be in moderation, including eating. Nutritionists advise pregnant women to eat food in small portions, 5-6 times a day. Usually the diet of a pregnant woman consists of the first and second breakfasts, a full meal, a snack, and also the first and second supper. When the hunger is felt, the pregnant woman is allowed to drink a glass of kefir or to eat an apple before bed.

A future mother should listen to her inner needs and taste preferences. If you want something special, it can be a signal of a lack of vitamins or trace elements in her body. Of course, we are not talking about harmful food - it is necessary to choose useful analogs of such products. For example, sweets replaced with fruits, nuts, dried apricots and raisins.

The diet during pregnancy includes strict control over fluid intake. A future mother should use a sufficient amount of clean water (1.5-2 liters per day), preferably - purified or non-carbonated mineral water. A useful alternative to water is green tea and freshly squeezed juices. A lot depends on the right diet, including the correct development of the fetus, the normal course of pregnancy and its favorable outcome.

Fractional nutrition in pregnancy

Nutrition during pregnancy should be fractional, - many doctors say, considering the risk of excess weight gain of the future mother. Greasing (fractional food) is aimed at controlling body weight and means eating small amounts 5-6 times a day at regular intervals. The basis of fractional nutrition is that frequent intake of food brings a sense of satiety and prevents overeating, which is fraught with a set of extra pounds and problems in the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Fractional nutrition during pregnancy has a rational approach to eating. Many studies prove that a five-, six-fold intake of food is less caloric, compared to two-, three-fold meals. Physicians found that the more a break between meals, the stronger the appetite, and this leads to a greater consumption of food for a sense of satiation.

Fractional nutrition is optimal for pregnant women for better digestion. This is very important in a constantly increasing uterus, which presses on the internal organs and displaces them, including the abdominal cavity. Thus, abundant nutrition adversely affects the work of the stomach and intestines of the pregnant woman and thereby increases the risk of developing gastritis, exacerbation of cholecystitis, the occurrence of flatulence and other unpleasant symptoms.

Dietary nutrition in pregnancy

Nutrition during pregnancy is important to organize in such a way that it is not only healthy, rational and balanced, but also dietary. Not in the understanding that a pregnant woman should exhaust herself with starvation or all sorts of diets, but in terms of consuming those foods that will bring maximum benefit to her body and fetal development.

Dietary nutrition during pregnancy, primarily, is based on the intake of protein foods and vitamins. Optimum is considered to be a diet that does not exceed the consumption of 2000 calories per day. The future mother should not limit herself to taking fresh vegetables, berries and fruits, freshly squeezed juices, nuts, greens, bread with bran. In the first trimester, the body of a small man is laid. Therefore, the protein acts as a "building material" and is necessary for the formation of all organs, tissues and systems of the fetus.

The second trimester can be considered a period of active development and growth of the fetus. Daily dietary intake of the future mother should be 2500 kcal, but the feeding should not be done through sugar and all sorts of sweets, but due to vegetable fats. Vitamins (A, C, E, B, D, K) are important in this period. They are naturally found in potatoes, cereals, eggs, bran, fruits, legumes, whole grains, as well as cottage cheese, low-fat meat and liver.

Vegetable salads, raw carrots, fish, milk, fat-free cottage cheese and cheese are those products that will be of great benefit to the mother's body, helping to cope with the carrying of the baby.

Dietary nutrition during pregnancy implies a restriction in the use of salt, especially in recent months. Salt promotes fluid retention in the body tissues and can provoke the onset of swelling. In this case, the optimal solution is a salt-free diet. In favor of dietary foods should be abandoned salty, sweet, spicy and fried foods, as well as canned foods, smoked foods and pickles. In recent weeks of pregnancy, dietitians recommend reducing the calorie content of food to increase the elasticity of muscle fibers.

The most important principle of compiling a daily menu for a pregnant woman should be the introduction of simple and at the same time useful food in the diet. It is important to take into account the quality and quantity of products, as well as the type of preparation of meals, adherence to diet, all these factors affect the course of pregnancy and child development.

Balanced nutrition during pregnancy

Nutrition during pregnancy and balance are the components of one whole. Adhering to the rules of a balanced diet, the future mother will rid herself of chronic ailments, will be able to control the weight gain, and also reliably protect both her health and the health of the baby's future.

Balanced nutrition during pregnancy - what is it? First of all, it is a diet, based on the principle of consuming the most useful foods that contain enough vitamins, as well as the necessary trace elements and nutrients.

Balance in nutrition means the optimal combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. As for fats, it is desirable to get them from low-fat varieties of fish and different types of vegetable oil, as well as poultry, rabbit, beef. Such fats are easily absorbed by the body and fill it with useful energy. Proteins (amino acids) play a crucial role in the structure of cells, so their introduction into the diet of a pregnant woman should be mandatory. Proteins are saturated with products such as meat and fish (low-fat varieties), eggs, dairy products, hard cheese and cottage cheese, as well as cereals, legumes. In the framework of a balanced diet, it is important to consider the optimal combination of plant and animal proteins, thus their better assimilation will take place. For example, milk is well combined with cereals, corn, beans, rice, fish - with eggs, cheese - with potatoes.

Carbohydrates are rightly considered to be "power plants", which ensure the body's resistance to daily stresses and stresses. Carbohydrate-rich foods are, first of all, bread and pasta, dairy / sour-milk products, legumes, carrots, beets, potatoes, as well as berries and fruits / dried fruits.

Balanced nutrition during pregnancy takes into account the use of fiber, the fibers of which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestinal tract and carefully clean it. A lot of fiber is found in cereals, brown rice, legumes, greens, fresh berries. An important rule of balanced nutrition is the consumption of vitamins. To meet the daily norm of the future mother may need vitamin complexes prescribed by a doctor.

The drinking regime should also be balanced. Many processes in the body, including metabolic processes, depend on the amount of liquid. The need of an organism of a pregnant woman in a drink can satisfy 5-6 cups of liquids in the form of tea, compotes, juices, milk, and also 2-3 cups of fresh drinking water.

Sports nutrition and pregnancy

Many women are unaware of the rules of nutrition during pregnancy and often face various problems associated with the wrong way of life during the period of bearing a baby, as well as an unhealthy diet.

Sports nutrition and pregnancy: is there a connection between these concepts? First of all, it should be noted that if a woman is not countered by physical exercises and sports, she can safely lead an active lifestyle. And in this it will help sports nutrition, based on the use of natural food, rich in proteins. It should be noted that this is a common feature between sports and baby food, as protein food is quickly absorbed. Among protein-containing products, it should be noted all types of so-called. "Lean" meat (chicken, lamb, veal, beef), fish and seafood, eggs, cheese, dairy products.

The goal of sports nutrition is to saturate the body with the maximum amount of nutrients needed to grow strength, accelerate fat burning, and so on. If the future mother before the conception took sports nutrition, then in the period of bearing the child, she must exclude the intake of fat-burning or pre-training complexes, as well as caffeinated products. You should be careful with products from popular brands of sports nutrition, which contain dyes, sweeteners and flavors, and often - substances that excite the central nervous system.

Protein diet can be needed with protein deficiency, vegetarianism, egg and meat allergies, severe toxemia, which prevents the full satisfaction of the body of a pregnant woman in protein foods. In this case, you can take the protein, but only in its "pure" form, without any additives.

Recipes for proper nutrition in pregnancy

To diversify the menu, a pregnant woman can use various recipes that will not only benefit, but will also bring pleasure from the taste.

Some recipes for proper nutrition during pregnancy are given below.

  • Dessert "The Cup of the Persians". Ingredients for preparation: yoghurt - 200 ml, nuts - 2 tbsp. Spoons, banana - 1 piece, apple - ¼ of a part, peach - ½ part, currant (or other berry) - 2 tbsp. Spoons, kiwi - 1 pc. All ingredients must be mixed - and the dish is ready! You can eat such a dessert as a breakfast or a snack.
  • "Vegetable mix". The composition of such a useful dish includes broccoli, zucchini, carrots and artichoke (1 piece each). All vegetables must be divided into parts: artichoke - clean, broccoli - divided into inflorescences, carrots and zucchini cut into circles. The dish is cooked for a couple, and then seasoned with a sauce in the form of mixing dried basil with olive oil. You can add greens to taste.
  • "The Lenten Meatcher." To prepare such a dish you will need a piece of boiled meat (lean) - 200 g, yogurt (100 g), parmesan (3 tablespoons), greens and any vegetables (to taste): tomato (2 pcs.), Carrots (1 pc. ), you can use zucchini, cabbage and the like. Meat should be cut into three separate circles, and then greased with yogurt and put on each meat circle sliced vegetables, put the dish in a bowl, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Use a microwave to cook the dish. Cooking time - 30 seconds.

For cooking, you can use imagination, combining useful products among themselves: for example, oatmeal and yogurt (mix and add pieces of fruit, dried apricots and honey); vegetables and fruits (cut into carrots, cucumber, and apple, mix and add yoghurt, brynza, olives).

Nutrition during pregnancy should be correct and as diverse as possible and it is necessary to deliver the true pleasure to the future mother !, which means a complete refusal of harmful food: fast food, smoked products, fried foods, marinades, etc. The future mum will benefit more than stewed, baked food, as well as cooked or cooked for a couple. In addition, all food products must be exceptionally fresh and natural, without preservatives, colorants and harmful food additives.

Food for Pregnancy

From the proper nutrition depends the health of the future mother and her child. Some products should be discarded, the use of others should be limited - all this should be taken into account when choosing products and compiling a daily menu of a pregnant woman.

Foods during pregnancy should be most useful and natural. Among the obligatory products are eggs, non-fat varieties of fish and meat, dairy and lactic products, legumes, sweet potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cereals, nuts, and leafy vegetables. In short, all foods that contain a lot of useful substances (microelements and vitamins), must replenish the daily diet of the future mother.

An irreplaceable source of protein is meat. It should be preferred to its low-fat varieties - beef, chicken, rabbit meat, veal, turkey. Dark greens (cabbage, spinach, lettuce) are saturated with vitamins C, E, K. Very useful for pregnant are various fruits and vegetables, as well as berries that will provide the body with the necessary minerals, vitamins, antioxidants.

Products must be necessarily fresh, contain natural ingredients and bring the maximum benefit. When choosing them, pay attention to the date of manufacture, shelf life, storage conditions. The future mum is contraindicated products, which contain preservatives, food additives, flavor enhancers. It should be discarded marinades, salty foods, smoked products, fast food. Such food not only harms health, but also adversely affects the work of internal organs, which in the process of bearing a child and so undergo a heavy load.

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Cholagogue food in pregnancy

Often the process of bearing a child provokes the emergence of problems associated with the work of the kidneys, liver, gall bladder. This is how a cholelithiasis can develop, which is highly undesirable for a pregnant woman. To minimize the possibility of the formation of stones in the bile ducts or gall bladder, the expectant mother needs to take care of the proper nutrition.

Cholagogue foods during pregnancy are, first of all, lactic acid products, cottage cheese, fresh vegetables, juices, spinach, vegetable oil, whole grains, celery. The diet of a pregnant woman will help to diversify salads from fresh vegetables and fruits in vegetable oil, porridge, ginger tea, freshly squeezed juices (especially grape), broth of wild rose.

"Enemies" of proper nutrition, which exacerbate the work of the gallbladder, are fried and smoked foods, coffee, any pastry, fatty borscht and soups - they are harmful to the body because of the high fat content, overload the work of not only the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, but also the liver and gallbladder.

To keep the process of digestion within the norm, you can use cholagogue collections of herbs. However, before using them, a pregnant woman should consult with her doctor, since some types of medicinal herbs are prohibited for use during the period of bearing and lactation.

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