NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY

One of the most important determinants of the baby's health and development, is the mother's diet. Regulation and attention to the diet should begin before pregnancy. It is essential that you be at an optimal weight - neither under nor over weight - before you become pregnant. You should also have no Vitamin or mineral deficiencies prior to pregnancy.

Once pregnant you need to eat a well balanced diet.

• Have a lot of cereals and legumes
• Nuts, dried fruits
• Spinach and other leafy vegetables
• Milk and dairy products
• fruits and fruit juices.
• Use healthy cooking oils like sunflower oil.
• Ask your doctor about iron, calcium, Vitamin B+D+ Zinc supplements.

1. If you are a vegetarian eat much more of the above. If you are a non-vegetarian include regular sources of egg, chicken or meat in your diet. Stay away from seafood - it could cause botulism.
2. If you are unable to take in milk try having milk in other forms like paneer, curd, custard, shrikhand, fruit yoghurt
3. Try to incorporate Soya into your regular diet. Soya is a rich source of iron and also has a high protein value. Soya is available in a lot of forms - soya milk, nutri-nuggets, tofu, soya rawa, soya flour, etc. These are easily available at health stores. Otherwise the simplest way incorporate soya into your diet is to grind nutri-nuggets into a powder and mix it into the wheat flour so whenever you eat chappatis or paranthas you are automatically taking in soya.
4. Eat sprouted dal raw. On cooking they tend to lose some of their nutritive value. You can have them in salads or can add them to raita (beaten curd).