You have done a great job by taking utmost care of yourself and your baby through healthy diet and by supplementing yourself with required nutrients all these 7 months and now you are entering your eighth month. We are sure you do not want to take risk at this moment and so you are reading this now. You want to continue to eat healthy to have a healthy baby after all. So, do you have any specific questions in your mind now? We are going to answer few for you and as usual, we will recommend few tips.
Should You Eat More Now?
We have answered a similar question before where the question was regarding eating for two. The answer was that you don’t need to eat for two as your baby is tiny and needs just few more calories extra but not a whole meal like you eat. But today your baby weighs more than before. You might have the same question today because the previous reason is no more valid; so your question is also valid. Your baby’s energy requirements grew with time and now it’s almost at the highest requirement. Still as said before, you should not eat for two but yes, you should eat more calories than before. It is suggested to take 200 calories extra than you usually take when not pregnant; however, doctors suggest pregnant women to take 300 calories extra than usual. Now how much of food equals 300 calories? Two slices of whole wheat bread can provide you those extra calories and nothing more than that. The number of calories needed varies from woman to woman based on the physical condition. So, it is suggested to check with your dietician and take suggestion. Your doctor will check if you are underweight, overweight, or normal and if you have single baby, twins or triplets. There are many factors to consider before suggesting the amount of food you need.
Should You Skip Meals?
We understand that you may feel like or may have to skip meals sometimes for one or the other reason but this is equal to taking risk. You and your baby constantly needs energy supply through food and which should not be interrupted. In fact, we suggest you to take food on time without any delay. However, if you missed a meal then make sure not to prolong it.
Can You Eat Cooling Foods When It’s Hot Outside?
It might be hot outside or you are just feeling hot and sweating which is common these days. This is quite difficult to cope with such situations when it’s hot especially in the summers. Your body needs more energy and water during pregnancy which you are aware of. Thus it’s common to get dehydrated easily and you may feel really hot and sweat a lot. So, make sure to drink more water and fluids to replace the lost fluid content in your body. Prefer more coconut oil, buttermilk, fresh lemon water, etc. You can try plenty of healthy drinks. Carry water or any fluid in a water bottle wherever you go without fail. If you think the temperature is affecting your appetite then you can eat small but more often.
- Try having cooling side dishes with your main dish like buttermilk, pineapple and paneer salad, cucumber and carrot salad, etc.
- You can also have curd rice with cucumber and carrot, cold pasta salad or a bowl of cold soup.
- Try having fresh cut fruit salad or just a cut fruit like pomegranate, watermelon, melons, etc.
- You can also try having fruit yogurt like strawberries in yogurt, apples in yogurt or banana in yogurt.
- Try drinks like chilled milk and fruit milkshakes.
Can You Have Just Vegetarian Diet?
As you know that you need more protein but it is mostly available in non-vegetarian diet. But you do not like or do not eat non-vegetarian foods. You may be a vegetarian. What should you do in this case? Do you have to compromise with your taste and habit or do you have to compromise with the important nutrient. There is no way you can compromise with your baby’s health, but there should be away. The good news is that choosing the right food can supply required protein to your baby. Here are few foods listed below which can help you get sufficient amount of proteins.
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Pulses
- Dried fruits
- Tofu
- Nuts
- Wholegrain bread
But make sure to get sufficient amount of calcium and iron as well since these are also available mostly in non-vegetarian diet. Here is a list of foods rich in these two nutrients.
- Dairy products
- Baked beans
- Kidney beans
- Fortified soya products
- Chickpeas
- Sesame seeds
- Almonds
Breakfast
Have whole grain cereals like whole grain bread or brown bread with fresh vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, etc. Try pasta salad with fresh vegetables Try egg sandwiches as well and have milk as well.
Lunch
Have you ever tried pitta bread with lamb’s lettuce, gruyere and grapes? It’s rich in calcium, iron and vitamin C. To make this you need wholemeal pitta bread, grapes, balsamic vinegar, salad leaves like lamb’s lettuce and gruyere cheese; this takes just 5 minutes to prepare.
Toast the pitta bread in toaster or grill. Place lamb’s lettuce, gruyere and grapes over a slice and drizzle some balsamic vinegar. Have it with a glass of orange juice to get some vitamin C.
Snack
To get some vitamin C and calcium drink a glass of strawberry juice. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and milk is rich in calcium. You need few strawberries, skimmed milk and sugar.
Take all these ingredients in a blender and blend into smoothie; pour it in a clean glass and enjoy the delicious drink.
You can also try almond milk, grape juice, apple and carrot juice. Try baked spinach and cheese rolls and stir fried chicken or vegetables.
Dinner
Here is creamy chickpea curry recipe which you can enjoy with some rice and get essential nutrients at the same time. This is rich in calcium and iron. You need rapeseed or sunflower oil, onion, garlic cloves, gingerroot, curry powder, cauliflower florets, french beans, carrots, chickpeas, reduced-fat coconut milk and coriander; this may take up to 30 – 45 minutes to prepare.
Take some oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic, then add ginger root and curry powder to it. Stir it well and add some water if required to prevent sticking to the pan. Now add cauliflower florets, carrots and beans, and stir well. Then add chickpeas and coconut milk to it. Add chopped coriander and enjoy with rice; don’t forget to drink a glass of fruit juice.
