Healthy Eating during Pregnancy

Consultation- Dr ( Mrs ) Pulkit Nandwani- Topic- Healthy Eating during Pregnancy

The amount of weight women may gain during pregnancy can vary greatly. 

A healthy diet will benefit both you and your baby during pregnancy. It will also help you to maintain a healthy weight after you have had your baby. 
You may be referred to a dietician or the gynaecologist for specialist advice about healthy eating.
 You should aim to: 
• Base your meals on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice and pasta, choosing wholegrain where possible. 
• Watch the portion size of your meals and snacks and how often you eat. Do not ‘eat for two’.
 • Eat a low-fat diet. Avoid increasing your fat and/or calorie intake. Eat as little as possible of the following: fried food, drinks and confectionary high in added sugars, and other foods high in fat and sugar. 
• Eat fibre-rich foods such as oats, beans, lentils, grains, seeds, fruit and vegetables as well as wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta.
 • Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day, in place of foods higher in fat and calories.
 • Always eat breakfast. In general you do not need extra calories for the first two-thirds of pregnancy and it is only in the last 12 weeks that women need an extra 200 kilocalories a day.
 Trying to lose weight by dieting during pregnancy is not recommended even if you are obese, as it may harm the health of your unborn baby. However, by making healthy changes to your diet you may not gain any weight during pregnancy and you may even lose a small amount. This is not harmful.