Guide to a Healthy Diet during Pregnancy

The best gift you can give your unborn baby and they will forever thank you, is eating a healthy diet.

Having a healthy baby is every mom’s goal. You want to make the right choices and take care of yourself so you can reach that goal. But it’s not always easy to do it alone. 

Also, See Foods and Drinks to Avoid During Early Pregnancy

Guide to Healthy Diet during Pregnancy

Eating a healthy diet during pregnancy is one major concern for pregnant mothers who want to give the best care to the fragile life they are carrying.

Looking for information on the various basic principles of nutrition will greatly help you in understanding what constitutes a good healthy pregnancy diet.

As reports indicate, Many complications during birth among pregnant women result from an unhealthy pregnancy diet. This has, in turn, led to the loss of life when women are giving birth. This is a great worry for many of us as questions arise on who will bring the next generation into existence!

Right quantity matters

Determining the quantity to eat when pregnant is a difficult exercise due to the fact that metabolism, health problems, and exercise patterns factor in when it comes to the number of calories that your body requires.

It is recommended that pregnant women in should eat only 300 more calories per day than they would consume if they were not pregnant. The much you eat will always depend on the type of food that you eat!

Eating vegetables should be a must every day

Vegetables form a major component of a healthy diet as they help in preventing our body from diseases. While pregnant, it is highly advised for a pregnant woman to take green leafy vegetables daily.

Did you know that women who eat more fruit during pregnancy have more intelligent children?

Regulate your protein intake

Proteins are very important as they are the building blocks of the body. You should cook all your meat products really well.

Excess intake of proteins like eggs and fish e.g. shark which has a lot of mercury may lead to complications during birth or affect the development of the unborn baby.

Drink lots of water

Drinking water when pregnant helps ease your hunger pangs, relieve both bloating and constipation, and relieve headaches.

Avoid processed foods

Many pre-cooked and pre-packaged foods are packed with sodium, unhealthy fillers and loaded with preservatives. Excessive intake of such foods may lead to complications during pregnancy in Kenya.

If you have to eat foods like hot dogs, prepare them yourself so that you can ensure they are well done. Otherwise, you risk bacteria infections that may even affect your unborn baby.

Eat healthy fat

Fats are essential for your baby’s development. Always go for olive oil and avocados, these are nutritious and healthy for the fetus.

Nuts are also a great source of good fat too.

Ginger as a nausea reliever

If you suffer from nausea and pregnancy morning sickness get yourself ginger as a natural remedy.

Avoid spicy and acidic foods

During pregnancy, hormones change and your digestion is slower than usual. The muscles are also relaxed than usual and this may cause acid reflux or heartburn. Reducing the intake of spicy and acidic foods at this stage will help reduce acid reflux.

Get lots of fiber

Intake of fiber supplements can cause bloating. Getting more natural fiber as part of your diet will help reduce bloating. Eat wholemeal grains to boost your fiber intake.

Take Supplements

As the myth put across that a pregnancy diet filled with natural whole foods should provide you with plenty of vitamins and minerals to keep you and your baby healthy, take no chances.

Go for supplements that are specifically designed for pregnant women to fill in any gaps in your pregnancy diet. Before embarking on this make sure you get approval to do so from your doctor.