Food & eating is one of the most important aspects of our lives.
And it becomes all the more important when we are talking about a pregnant lady.
Because eating a healthy and balanced diet is important not only for the optimum health of the pregnant lady herself but also for the proper growth and development of the fetus’s body & mind.

It can also help to prevent certain pregnancy related complications (for ex gestational diabetes, etc).

In this article, we are giving 5 important, easy to follow tips for day today right
food practices for a healthier pregnancy:

1. Half of the quantity of your daily diet should be fresh fruits and vegetables.
And it’s better to have seasonal fruits and vegetables.
2. A BIG NO to packaged & processed foods such as biscuits, breads, chips & other ready to eat foods. Say NO to Junk. Many times due to frequent hunger during pregnancy, ladies tend to take a lot of:
   • Biscuits
   • Mixtures
   • Bread
   • Tea
   … because they look like the easiest available options. Please don’t do this. Don’t yield to these temptations. If you are feeling hungry, you can have one of the following healthy, tasty & easily available options like:
   • Some dry fruits
   • or a banana
   • or an apple
   • or a carrot
   • or a piece of coconut
   And if it's time, take proper meals. Avoid unhealthy snacking.
3. For your main meals:
   • along with rice/chapati, you should take
   • at least one Katori/bowl of pulses/dal
   • and two bowls of fresh green leafy vegetables
   If you take too much of Chapati/rice with less of pulses/dal you are likely to have protein deficiency. Take a balanced diet.
4. Eat a variety of grains & pulses - as many types as you can get.
   • There are more than 10-15 varieties of pulses available in the market
   • eat all types, turn by turn.
   • Similarly, in place of eating only wheat chapatis, use जो, जवार, मकई, बाजरा, etc to make chapatis.
   • Similarly, rather than using just polished rice, include brown rice, black rice and a variety of millets in your meals.
5. Dinner should be:
   • early, preferably around 7pm
   • preferably 2 to 3 hours before sleep
   • & light, for example Khichdi, daliya, vegetable soup, etc.
   Otherwise if you take late dinner or heavy meals and sleep soon after that, you are likely to have gastric issues like heaviness & fullness in stomach, bloating, constipation, etc.
   • Read all these points again (& again if needed), think about these & take notes as needed.
   • Look at which of these you are doing right and where you can further improve.
   • Remember, it’s not just about you, it’s also about your baby. I hope you liked this article.