Food for pregnant women is one of the important components for any woman who is planning to become a mother in the future. The health of the girl herself and her unborn child depend on proper nutrition. It is important to start eating right before conception, then your baby will be able to fully develop, while still in the womb. In addition, the woman herself will remain in good physical shape.
How to eat?
Food for pregnant women plays an important role in the course of the pregnancy process itself. Previously, many believed that a young mother was able to eat for two, so women were often frankly overfed, but in our time, approaches to nutrition have changed dramatically.
Currently, most experts are inclined to the fact that in choosing food you need to be very picky. The main thing is that pregnancy is not a reason to eat more than usual. Only if you really feel hungry or your doctor recommends this.
Of course, the baby eats thanks to the supply of nutrients that it receives from the mother, so the woman’s energy needs increase, but not by much. Therefore, this should not affect cardinally. After all, the fetus is still under development. By the end of pregnancy, the increase in the daily dose can reach up to 150 kilocalories.
Proportion in Nutrition
Food for pregnant women should be nutritious, tasty and varied. Different types of products should appear on your table almost every day. It is important to observe the proportions when using them, because during pregnancy, the body needs some substances more, and much less, some. To avoid a possible nutritional deficiency, you need to ensure that your diet every day contains: eggs, meat, fish, at least half a kilogram of fruits and vegetables, dairy products (with a low fat content), vegetable and butter (it has everything essential fats), bread, starch products.
In addition to proper and balanced nutrition, it is important to regularly take multivitamin and mineral complexes that can satisfy the body's need for a daily dose of vitamins. The drug and the recommended dose should be determined with your doctor.
There is a mode
Food for pregnant women should bring them pleasure, their internal psychological state, which, ultimately, affects the health of the child, will depend on it. Therefore, eating best according to the regimen. Chewing something constantly is not the best option. Nutritionists advise during pregnancy to try to eat every four hours, without missing this time.
The menu for pregnant women must include a delicious and full breakfast. It can consist of a dairy dish, granola, fresh fruit, a small amount of whole grain bread. Delicious food for pregnant women must be at lunch, because this is for many the main meal. If you don’t have enough time for this, eat at least a sandwich with fresh vegetables and a salad that can be seasoned with corn oil. For dessert, some fruit or yogurt is required.
But dinner, unlike dinner, can be easy so as not to go to bed with a full stomach. It can be completely made dietary by including only some fruit, unsweetened cookies and one dairy dish.
For a mid-afternoon snack, consider low-fat sandwiches, fruits, juice, and yogurt. What pregnant women should not eat is fried and fatty foods, puff and pastry buns, sausage, pizza, sausages. All this can harm the baby and the body of a young mother.
Nutrition problems
Pregnant diets are often associated with various problems and negative factors. Many have nausea, to cope with it, you can try to eat less, but more often. In such cases, large amounts of calcium help. If nausea persists for several days, you should definitely tell your doctor about this.
Power outages occur due to constipation. In order for them to pass, you need to drink water in small portions often, and also eat foods high in fiber and dietary fiber. These are boiled or fresh vegetables (up to three times a day), at least two different fruits, cereals (almost everything except rice and semolina, in which the necessary fibers are missing).
If you feel a burning sensation in your stomach, this means that you must urgently exclude pickled, smoked, fried and spicy foods from the diet. And after eating, you should not immediately go to rest, but sit with your legs raised. In no case should you overeat for the night.
Psychotypes of pregnant
Modern doctors distinguish several psychotypes of pregnant women. From which one of them a woman belongs, her attitude to food depends.
It happens that there is a type of "eternal alarmist." In this case, the anxiety that occurs during pregnancy exacerbates the anxiety state of mind. Such a woman eats with almost no appetite, constantly afraid of something wrong. She spends most of her day thinking and searching for information on whether she can eat a particular dish. Doctors recommend these girls to diversify the menu and start doing yoga.
Another popular psychotype is conventionally called "glutton." Taking advantage of her position, such a woman begins to eat everything indiscriminately. At the same time, those around you can begin to indulge her whims and spoil the young mother in every possible way. In this case, there is only one advice: if you still want to please and pamper yourself, then make a choice in favor of dietary products, constantly thinking about the future health of your baby.
The psychotype "bioecologist" is characterized in that such a woman begins to eat exclusively biologically pure and safe products. She is sure that a vegetarian diet will benefit her, can ski in the later stages of pregnancy, go on vacation to distant lands.
Doctors are convinced that meat is necessary for a growing and emerging body. If you absolutely do not want to eat it, then eat more fish, nuts, eggs and dairy products.
Women related to the "business woman" psychotype are constantly busy. Even while eating, they do not stop turning to their important business. Such a young mother often spends all time outside the house, constantly regretting that she can not devote enough time to sports.
Such women are advised to slow down the pace of life, it is better to do it gradually. You need to find time for a balanced diet, wherever you are - in the office, traffic jam or business trip.
Pregnancy Tips
In addition to general nutritional advice for pregnant women, there are several individual recommendations that will allow you to eat balanced.
Healthy food for pregnant women in the early stages - cheeses. You need to choose those that are based on pasteurized milk, as well as processed and hard varieties. But it’s better to cut off the crust from them.
Buy meat and jelly in vacuum packs. Pay particular attention to their expiration dates.
Dishes from raw fish and other seafood are allowed to be eaten only if you are confident in their quality and freshness. Before cooking, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly, at least once a week, perform spring cleaning in your refrigerator, throwing away everything that is not needed. Wash vegetables and herbs thoroughly. Submit fish and meat to hot processing, immediately before eating, warm dishes well, do not store ready-made meals in the refrigerator for more than a day.
Useful substances and microelements
The menu for pregnant women must necessarily contain micro and macro elements that contribute to the full development of mother and baby. Proteins should be contained in sufficient quantities, because this is the main building material that will form the baby's body. The most useful are proteins of animal origin. Pregnant food preferences should be aimed at eating at least 150 grams of lean meat daily (this can be pork, liver, lamb or beef), as an alternative, it is recommended to eat as much chicken, fish or two eggs.
It is important to get enough carbohydrates. They are needed for internal organs and muscle function. The body most easily assimilates them in the form of complex sugars; they are found in potatoes, pasta, dried fruits, bread and rice.
Fats are necessary for pregnant women to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. They also take a direct part in the development of the nervous system, brain, embryo cells, which is especially important for a newborn. They can come from different sources. These are vegetable salads, sunflower oil, meat, vegetables, fish (nutritionists recommend fatty varieties - herring, mackerel, sardines, halibut, mackerel). The only thing you should not give preference to deep-fried dishes. They have hidden fats that belong to the list of what pregnant women should not eat. They are found in buns, sausages and minced meat.
The list of pregnant foods should include calcium. It forms the bones and teeth of the baby. It is convenient to get it from cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, cheese. Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium, which is found in large quantities in eggs, whole milk products and fish. But most of all it is produced under the influence of sunlight. So do not miss the opportunity to soak up the sun, just do not overheat.
An important element for both mom and baby is iron. There is a lot of it in whole beef, liver and special preparations. Pay attention to the presence of this element in the body, because studies show that every fifth mother at the beginning of pregnancy has no iron at all.
Folic acid forms the cells of the body of the child. It prevents fatal malformations and developmental disorders. During pregnancy, the need for folic acid increases many times. This vitamin is found in parsley, lettuce, spinach, if you wish, you can take special multivitamins.
Diet in the first trimester
The food for pregnant women differs by week and trimester. What is possible in the first is not recommended in the second or third. At the very beginning, you should come to terms with the fact that your needs for food will change dramatically. There are many stories about eccentricities when women suddenly want incredible taste combinations of products and dishes. Do not deny yourself this. The body itself must figure out what you are missing and in what quantities.
For example, when you really want seaweed, it means that you do not have enough iodine in the body, the desire to eat dairy products indicates a lack of calcium. Potatoes and fresh fruits make up for the lack of vitamin C, fish contains vitamin B1, and bananas have vitamin B6 and potassium. Therefore, fruits for pregnant women play such an important role.
At the same time, young mothers often refuse the most important and necessary products, for example, meat. The food of pregnant women in the first trimester is highly dependent on early toxicosis, over time this passes.
If necessary, start taking special protein vitamin-mineral complexes that will help make up for the lack of nutrients, but be sure to consult your doctor first.
Second and third trimester
In the subsequent stages of pregnancy, mothers should be more strict about their diet. It is worth restricting yourself in something, because the gastrointestinal tract begins to work to the limit, constipation and heartburn occur.
To solve these problems help baked, stewed food or steamed dishes. Do not eat fried food, as it causes thirst. And excess fluid during pregnancy leads to edema.
For the same reason, limit the use of salty foods, replace rock salt with iodized salt, try not to abuse it. Salted fish, smoked meats from the diet should be completely eliminated.
In the last two months before giving birth, mothers are advised to minimize salt food, drinking no more than one liter of liquid per day. At the same time, it is not worth giving up salt at all, as this can lead to dehydration of the body.
Drink caffeine-free coffee throughout your pregnancy. Firstly, you will reduce the burden on the body without experiencing stress from weaning from your favorite taste, and secondly, the exciting effect of a real coffee drink can affect the muscles of the uterus and lead to termination of pregnancy.
Now you thoroughly know what pregnant women can eat.
Maternity Dishes
There are many useful and tasty recipes for pregnant women, which are recommended for future young mothers. For example, you can try Italian salad with pearl barley.
This balanced dish will provide you with a large amount of vitamins necessary for the body. You will need the following ingredients:
- 400 grams of pearl barley;
- 70 grams of olives;
- 100 grams of pine nuts;
- two teaspoons of dried Italian herbs (for example, oregano or thyme);
- a bunch of green onions;
- a bunch of parsley;
- Bay leaf;
- three tablespoons of lemon juice;
- zest of one lemon;
- 60 grams of olive oil;
- a tablespoon of mustard;
- ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Soak barley all night. Then fill with fresh water, add bay leaf, salt and cook for about an hour until fully cooked. Prepare the salad dressing separately. To do this, mix olive oil with mustard, adding lemon zest, lemon juice, a little sugar and pepper. Mix everything thoroughly. Season the prepared barley with this sauce, only after that you can sprinkle with Italian herbs.
Finely chop olives, pine nuts, green onions and parsley and add to the salad. After mixing it again, let it brew for at least 30 minutes, after which you can serve.
Minced meat casserole
You can diversify your lunch menu with a casserole with minced meat and broccoli. To do this, take:
- 500 grams of minced meat;
- 300 grams of broccoli;
- two eggs;
- three tablespoons of breadcrumbs;
- 100 ml cream with a fat content of 20%;
- 100 grams of grated cheese;
- ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Break the egg into the minced meat, add salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. After kneading everything well, put in a baking dish. Lay the broccoli on top.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg, pour in the cream, salt and mix. Pour this mixture on top of broccoli. Sprinkle all with grated cheese, send to the oven to bake. The dish is cooked at a temperature of 180 degrees for about an hour.
As you already know, a large number of sweets for pregnant women is not recommended. For dessert, you can afford a few teaspoons of honey, fresh fruits or dried fruits. Always remember that in fruits there are a lot of simple carbohydrates that can quickly increase the level of glucose in the blood. In addition, they contain a large number of useful and really necessary substances.