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Expert Shares Complete Healthy Diet Guide For Pregnant Women From Breakfast To Dinner
- •Dr. Preeti Gurjar emphasizes that pregnancy diet must balance protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats rather than focusing on excessive weight gain.
- •Breakfast should be nutritious and protein-rich, including options like sprouts, peanut upma, eggs, seasonal fruits, and buttermilk.
- •Lunch should comprise green vegetables, curd, salad, chapati, and lentils to maintain proper nutritional balance.
- •Healthy mid-meal snacks like roasted gram, makhana, fruits, and limited dry fruits are recommended instead of fried or sugary foods.
- •Dinner should be light and include protein sources like lentils, beans, or chickpeas along with roti or a small amount of rice.
Key Questions Answered
According to Dr. Preeti Gurjar, a pregnancy diet should maintain a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat rather than focusing on excessive eating solely for weight gain. Meals should provide adequate nutrition and essential nutrients for the baby's development, including nutritious breakfasts with protein options like sprouts or upma, and well-balanced lunches featuring seasonal vegetables, curd, salad, and chapati.
Pregnant women should avoid eating too much sugar, excessive daily calories, and heavy meals at night. For mid-meal hunger, fried or sweet foods should be replaced with options like roasted gram, makhana, fruits, or a limited amount of dry fruits. If gestational diabetes or high blood sugar occurs, special control over sugary foods is necessary under a doctor or dietician's guidance.
Preparation for a healthy pregnancy is best started even before conception, with severely underweight or overweight women consulting a doctor to reach a healthy level beforehand. Since many women experience iron, vitamin D, or vitamin B12 deficiencies, doctors may prescribe supplements after testing, which should never be started without medical advice.
