Although some people think that the pregnant women are supposed to eat for two, this isn’t necessarily true when it comes to the pregnancy diet menu. In fact there is no need for extra calorie intake during the first trimester at all. The best thing you could do in this period is to have a diet chart to make sure that you eat everything that you and the baby need.
Pregnancy diet chart
You should know that the requirements vary from one woman to the other. This is why the diet charts take into consideration the personal requirements and daily routines of pregnant women. For instance the needs of working women are different than those not working.
If you are working your pregnancy nutrition will include more ‘on the go’ kinds of foods. All in all we can say that the main point of this chart is to ensure that women eat everything that they need. The chart includes different food categories.
Dairy products
In this case the pregnancy diet menu should come with yogurt, skimmed milk and also other kinds of dairy products. This way women will have all the calcium, vitamin B12 and protein intake that they need. If the woman in question is lactose intolerant, she won’t have any dairy products in her diet.
Protein sources
Protein is very important for the development of the baby, and this is why it is part of the pregnancy nutrition chart. The diet should include cereals, whole grains, nuts and pulses. As another source of proteins pregnant women could also have steaks and chicken meat.
Fruits and vegetables
When it comes to the pregnancy diet menu some of the building blocks of the nutrition are supposed to be fruits and vegetables. These don’t only contain vitamins, but also fibers and minerals. The best thing about them is that they are healthy alternatives for snacks.
Meat, fish and poultry
Unless you are a vegetarian, these foods should also be part of your diet menu for pregnancy. As it has been mentioned before, these are rich in proteins. Proteins are very important to make sure that you will have a healthy pregnancy.
Water and fluids
If you are thinking about the pregnancy diet menu you should know that it is very important for pregnant women not to get dehydrated. This is easy to achieve if you drink enough water, fruit juices and other kinds of fluids during this time. This could also become a very good way to get some extra vitamins.
Folic acid
According to the specialists the diet chart for pregnancy should contain folic acid at least until the 12th week of pregnancy. Folic acid offers vitamin B to pregnant women. If a woman has too little folic acid in her system it is possible that her baby will be affected by neural tube disorders after birth.
Now you know what your pregnancy diet menu is supposed to contain. Make sure that your diet comes with all these elements, and more.
