Healthy Eating during pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes
‘Pregnancy’ is the word which brings a smile, a phase of serendipity, a feeling of eternal bliss. They say “you never understand life until it grows inside you”. I tell you what, It’s a beautiful phase of life regardless of a few momentarily pain and discomfort.
Do you want to follow a balanced diet, which is good for you and your baby and like to come back to shape quicker? then this blog is for you.
Ignore every individual who says “You have to eat for two” it’sa Myth and does not helpJ.Only 300 more calories per day is required for developing baby. However pregnancy makes you feel hungry, try to spread your meals four times across the day and fill the gaps with healthy snacks such as fruits, juices, and milk.
Go Green Add variety and colours to your diet, each colour group provides different vitamins and minerals. Recommendation is to eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day as part of a healthy pregnancy diet.Fill half of your plates with fruits and vegetables, a quarter of it with whole grains and a quarter of it with a source of lean protein and have a dairy product at every meal.
My diet during pregnancy -
Breakfast – One bowl multigrain cereals with milk and apple
Morning snacks – Banana or oranges
Lunch – One bowl lentils/beans, one bowl Greek yogurt (has twice the protein of regular yogurt. Plus, it's a great source of probiotics and calcium), fivecoloured boiled veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, asparagus, carrot), salad (beetroot and cucumber), one spoon of rice and vegetable soup.
Evening snacks – One egg mushroom brown bread sandwich or sprout salad and Pomegranate (important to have from third trimester)
Dinner – chicken or fish grilled and onechapatti with a glass of milk
Gestational DiabetesMost of the Asian women tend to suffer from gestational diabetes during 3rd trimester of pregnancy; however it can occur in any stage but more common in later. I have also suffered from it and that is what made me research on my food habits to control the level of sugar.
The above diet helped me a lot during/post pregnancy to maintain a healthy weight. You may prepare your own diet chart with you choice of food but just ensure, it is nutritious and full of varieties. Slow digesting carbs are good to go with, as it takes longer to be absorbed. And simultaneously it slows down the glucose entering your bloodstream, stabilizing your blood sugar levels.
Conversely, gaining too little weight during pregnancy is a concern, so watch out your diet, eat healthily and exercise. Hope it is helpful.
Share On
