Future mother's diet, or what to eat when pregnant?

The menu during pregnancy is very important for the proper development of the child and its health in the future. This is the time when you should pay special attention to the regularity and balance of meals. What are the rules of proper nutrition during pregnancy and what products cannot be missing in a pregnant woman's daily menu?

The first 1000 days of your baby's life begin right now, during which the baby is developing intensively, its digestive system is maturing and metabolism is being programmed. The way you eat during pregnancy has an impact on your baby's present and future health.

Diet during pregnancy

The menu of the future mother should contain the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals, so it is very important to include all groups of food products in it. The plate should contain cereal products, milk and dairy products, meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, fish and healthy fats. A proper diet of a pregnant woman is primarily the regularity and balance of meals. Remember that already in the first trimester of pregnancy, the demand for energy increases in relation to the period before pregnancy (+85 kcal). The demand for energy continues to increase in the following trimesters. In the second trimester, the energy demand increases by 285 kcal, while in the third trimester, the diet should be richer by 475 kcal compared to the period before pregnancy. A healthy and balanced diet during pregnancy supports your and your baby's health, and will also allow you to recover faster after childbirth.

Weight gain during pregnancy is associated with numerous processes that take place in a woman's body. The fat reserves that accumulate during this time are only a part of the "extra kilos" - this is the so-called energy storage from which you will draw e.g. during breastfeeding.

A balanced diet in pregnancy should include, first of all, good-quality protein products (good-quality meat, fish, legume seeds), complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats. Minerals and vitamins such as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine and vitamins A, D, C, E, B vitamins and folic acid are also important.

10 rules of a proper diet during pregnancy

1- Eat regularly, preferably 5 meals a day, every 3-4 hours. Regular meals will help to control morning sickness and reduce hunger pangs.

2- Eat vegetables or fruits with every meal, dietary fiber will help you avoid unpleasant constipation.

3- Sprinkling with olive oil on vegetables and fruits will allow better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins into the body. In the second and third trimesters, eat about 400 g of vegetables and 400 g of fruit daily. Remember to diversify.

4- Eat for two, not for two.

5- Start the day with a hearty breakfast, preferably one rich in protein products and complex carbohydrates.

6- Choose healthy unsaturated fats, rich in omega-3 and omega-6 vegetable fats (including olive oil, canola oil).

7- Bet on healthy snacks, eat vegetables, fruit or nuts in between meals.

Choose the highest quality products.

8- Drink plenty of fluids about 2.3 liters a day. Adequate hydration of the body mobilizes the kidneys to work, helps to remove toxins and facilitates metabolism. Choose water to quench your thirst.

9- Do not forget to wash the products you use to prepare your meals, and keep dishes and kitchen utensils that have come into contact with raw meat, eggs and fish clean.

10- Proper diet during pregnancy should ensure health not only for the future mother, but most of all for the growing baby. Pay particular attention to what you eat and take care of a wholesome and balanced diet during this special period for you.