Balanced Diet for Pregnant Women: Eat Healthy & Stay Healthy!

Women’s diets during pregnancy are the main source of nourishment for their babies, so it’s important that they stay healthy during pregnancy. In order to provide the essential nutrients that a baby needs for growth and development, a mother-to-be’s diet should include a wide range of healthy foods. The following tips will help you maintain a healthy pregnancy diet, including a complete guide on a balanced diet for pregnant women. Check it out now!

What is a Balanced Diet?

In a balanced diet, you should include foods from all the food groups. Foods from the four food groups provide different types of nutrients. To get adequate nutrients, mothers should eat from all:

• Rice and alternatives
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meat and alternatives

Pregnant women should follow the following guidelines for food and portion sizes during their pregnancy.

Rice and alternatives

In addition to providing energy, these foods also contain fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Age, weight, and activity level determine how much energy an individual needs. There will usually be a need for 6 – 7 servings.

Fruits

During pregnancy, the body requires more minerals and vitamins. For a healthy body, these essential nutrients are necessary for blood production and body resistance building. In addition to vitamins and minerals, fruits also provide dietary fibre. It is recommended to consume two servings a day.

Vegetables

Vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre are all found in vegetables. For adequate levels of folic acid, at least one serving per day should be a green leafy vegetable, such as spinach or chye sim can be helpful.

Meat and alternatives

Protein plays an important role in growing and repairing body tissues, such as muscles, the heart, lungs, eyes, and skin. The growing fetus requires more protein during pregnancy, which is used in the formation of new cells. The recommended daily amount of protein is two servings. 

Note: Every woman’s health and pregnancy profile is different, so you should seek the advice of a health care professional before following any type of diet. Additionally, Divine Mother also offers a customised nutrition programme to help mothers improve their nutrition.

Why Is It Important to Follow a Balanced Diet?

Many changes take place in the body during pregnancy. As a result, the mother may have difficulty eating well. A pregnant woman’s nutritional requirements change throughout pregnancy. She requires extra calories to meet her increased metabolic demands. Her intake of iron, folic acid, vitamins B12 and D, and zinc increases. She needs to consume adequate amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and water to meet their nutrient goals. 

Here are the following benefits that you can relish while following balanced diet plan: 

Weight management

Healthy Pregnancy

Reduce the chances of pregnancy complications

Improve sleep cycle

Boost immunity 

Are There Any Additional Nutrient Pregnant Women Need?

Yes! Pregnant women need additional nutrients including iron, folic acid, vitamin D, zinc, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids. Iron is especially important for fetal brain development. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). Vitamin D supports bone formation and prevents rickets. Zinc is necessary for normal immune system function. Iodine is important for thyroid hormone production. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and promote brain development.

Is “Eating for Two” Really Matters?

Honestly, it is just one of those myths, like the all-too-familiar pregnant saying about eating for two! As a matter of fact, if you were expecting one child, and eating 2,000 calories daily, you needed only an extra 300-350 calories.

You don’t have to worry about eating a lot of extra calories if they don’t appear to be too many. The finest pregnancy diet & nutrition program designed by Divine Mother’s specialists will help you to get your diet in the proper order if you are not sure how to begin.

How to Get the Right Balanced Diet Plan for Pregnancy?

The diet of a pregnant woman should be habitually followed throughout her pregnancy, not a single diet should be missed. If you’re not sure about what to eat during pregnancy or looking for a healthy diet plan after pregnancy, you can enroll in a postpartum fitness program or participate in the Pregnancy Nutrition & Balance Diet Tips Online Session, which will surely benefit you. Our experts at Divine Mother are always available to clear your doubts!!