Pregnancy is the most crucial and impassioned time in the lifetime of a woman when her body is going through immense changes and so is her mind. During this time, not only does the woman hold the responsibility of maintaining her health, but also of the foetus. This implies that she needs to be extra cautious about her diet and nutrition. A healthy pregnancy is reflected by a healthy weight gain to support the needs of the growing foetus.

  1. Weight gain during pregnancy
  2. Benefits of pregnancy diet chart
  3. Recommended daily calorie intake during pregnancy
  4. Pregnancy diet
  5. Pregnancy diet chart
  6. First trimester diet
  7. Pregnancy diet chart for second trimester
  8. Pregnancy diet during third trimester
Doctors for Pregnancy diet chart

It is suggested that women must gain 11.5 to 16 kilograms of weight during pregnancy. This weight, however, is not gained all at once.

Women gain 1 to 2 kilograms during the first trimester, following which, 0.5 kg per week is gained for the remaining duration of pregnancy.

The amount of weight gained also depends on the current weight of the woman.

Underweight women gain more than those who are overweight. Overweight women may gain only 7 to 9 kilograms of weight, while those who are underweight gain a total of 13 to 18 kilograms.

Women also gain more weight if they are carrying multiple foetuses. Those carrying twins gain around 16.5 to 24.5 kilograms of weight.

So, diet is essential to maintain a healthy weight gain in women, which will be reflective of their health as well as that of the foetus.

(Read more: Foods to eat and avoid during pregnancy)

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Following a diet chart during pregnancy will help you keep a track of your caloric intake, which will aid in the growth of the foetus. It will also help to ensure that you get a balanced diet with all the essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Other benefits of a pregnancy diet chart are mentioned below.

  • Eating small frequent meals will help in ensuring daily caloric intake. This is essential to maintain optimal levels of energy for daily activities. Energy is also required for maintaining the functioning of internal organs and in assisting the growth of the foetus.
  • Eating the right foods will help in avoiding the deficiency of folic acid and iron. This will help in preventing iron-deficiency anaemia in the mother and the child, and developmental disorders in the foetus. It will also prevent infections during pregnancy in both the mother and the foetus.
  • Having a balanced diet is also essential to ensure strong immunity of the mother and the foetus and the proper development of foetal organs. (Read more: Immunity boosting foods)
  • Other than this, a proper diet will ensure efficient postpartum recovery of the mother. Proper nourishment will aid in the growth and repair of the tissues. (Read more: Postnatal diet)
  • A balanced diet will also ensure better digestion, which will help in avoiding digestive disorders like indigestion, gas, bloating, heartburn, and more.

Now that you know the importance of following a diet chart during pregnancy, it is also essential to know the optimal caloric intake, which is different for different trimesters.

The recommended daily calorie intake during different trimesters is as follows:

  • First trimester - 1800 calories.
  • Second trimester - 2200 calories.
  • Third trimester - 2400 calories.

Those who are underweight may require some extra calories to achieve a greater weight gain.

By now you may have understood the importance of a proper diet during pregnancy, but what should your diet plan essentially contain? Let’s have a look.

Folic acid during pregnancy

Folic acid or vitamin B9 (folate) is of the vitamin B group present in many natural food items such as broccoli, chickpeas, sprouts, beans, legumes and spinach. Folic acid is essential during pregnancy because it helps in the development of the neural tube and prevents any developmental defects related to it in the newborn.

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Iron during pregnancy

Iron, as stated above, is an essential nutrient during pregnancy, the requirement of which increases due to the developmental needs of the foetus. Foetus draws sufficient iron from the mother to last for about six months of neonatal life.

To meet such high requirements, it is essential to increase iron consumption from animal sources. If you are a vegetarian, you may need to increase the consumption of vitamin C to aid in the absorption of iron from vegetable sources. Some of the food sources rich in iron are chicken, meat, eggs, seafood, lentils and green leafy vegetables.

Iodine during pregnancy

Iodine is another mineral, which is required for proper foetal development due to its role in the regulation of the thyroid hormone. Seafood, eggs and dairy contain iodine, in addition to its presence in iodised salt. Not all seafood is safe during pregnancy, so, it is better to seek expert advice on your diet.

Calcium during pregnancy

Although calcium is required in high amounts for the development of the skeletal framework of the foetus, pregnant women are not recommended to increase its dietary intake. The increased maternal tendency to absorb more calcium during pregnancy suggests that there is no need to go beyond the usual daily recommended dose for non-pregnant women, that is, 1000 mg per day.

(Read more: Calcium deficiency symptoms)

Protein during pregnancy

Protein is required for the proper development of the maternal and foetal tissues. Low intake of protein during pregnancy is likely to procure a low birth weight in infants, which can be avoided by taking a balanced diet.

(Read more: Post-pregnancy diet plan)

Other than these nutrients, all the components of the diet have a special role during pregnancy, like fats are important for the process of growth.

So, none of these components must be missed from the diet.

A special care of this has been taken in the following diet plan for pregnant women.

The nutritional requirements of women change during different trimesters of pregnancy along with an increase in caloric intake. A gradual increase in daily calories is recommended as pregnancy advances. Each of these trimesters has been discussed in separate sections.

The caloric requirements of a pregnant woman during pregnancy are the same as that of a non-pregnant woman, but the requirement of some dietary components may vary. The following diet chart contains an amalgam of different foods for different days, taking care of your nutritional needs. It contains food items common to the Indian kitchen and can be easily followed during pregnancy.

Day of the week

Breakfast foods

Midday Snack

Lunch

Evening snack

Dinner

Monday

Whole wheat bread sandwich with tomato and cheese

Sweet lime juice

A medium sized guava

Cooked split red lentils ("masoor dal") and apple gourd ("tinda") with roti or parantha, as per your liking

"Sattu" drink made by dissolving 2 tsp of "sattu" powder in a glass of water

Corncob or "bhutta"

Gram flour dumplings in curry ("besan ke gatte") and cooked ridge gourd ("torai") with roti and rice.

Tuesday

Broken wheat Oatmeal (dalia) with "dal" and vegetables

A cup of tea

A small sapodilla ("chiku")

Cooked fenugreek leaves ("methi ka saag"), roasted papad, rice and chapati

Buttermilk or "lassi"

Peanuts

"Kadhi", Cumin-potato stir fry ("jeera aloo") with rice and chapatis

Wednesday

Green gram ("moong dal")

A glass of milk

A banana

Cooked amaranth ("chaulai ka saag"), curd, pearl millet ("bajra") and roti

Indian gooseberry juice ("amla juice")

Sprouted grains or green grams

Spinach and cottage cheese ("palak paneer"), sorghum ("jowar") roti, lotus stem ("kamal kakdi")

Thursday

"Besan (gram flour) cheela" with vegetables

Green/Raw mango drink ("Aam panna")

A large apple

Soybean

Pointed gourd ("parwal") with boiled potatoes

Cucumber with curd ("kheera raita")

Buckwheat ("kuttu") roti

Coconut water

Roasted black chickpeas ("chana")

Cooked chickpeas ("safed chhole")

Cooked radish

Pomegranate with curd ("anar raita")

Rice and roti

Friday

Flattened rice ("poha") with vegetables

Apple juice

Few slices of watermelon

Cooked raw banana

Vegetable Kofta

Cooked turnip ("shalgam ka saag")

Mint with curd ("pudina ka raita")

Sorghum ("jowar") roti

Lemonade

Handful of nuts

Cooked pumpkin ("kaddu")

Cooked potatoes and peas ("aloo matar")

Deep fried bread ("poori")

Saturday

Whole wheat sandwich stuffed with mushroom

A glass of milk

A large mango

A few slices of papaya

Cooked mustard greens ("sarson ka saag")

Curd with jaggery ("gur")

Cumin rice

Missi roti

Pomegranate juice

Sweet potato ("shakarkand") chaat

Cooked mixed lentils

Cooked green beans

Pearl millet ("bajra") roti

Cooked peas with rice ("matar pulav")

Sunday

Semolina pancake ("sooji ka cheela") with vegetables

Buttermilk

Grapes or pear

Kidney beans ("rajma")

Bitter gourd

Curd

Cumin rice and roti

Jaljeera drink

Dhokla (made by gram flour)

Cooked jackfruit ("kathal")

Cooked beetroot ("chukandar")

Rice and roti

Beginning from the second trimester, it is more important to take care of your diet to meet the requirements of the growing foetus. An increase in calorie intake along with an increase in the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is mandatory to maintain a balanced and natural diet. Here is a diet plan you can follow.

Day of the week

Breakfast foods

Midday Snack

Lunch

Evening snack

Dinner

Monday

Tapioca ("sabudana") and peanut upma

A cup of coffee

A large apple

Cooked split chickpeas ("chana dal")

Cooked green beans

Roti and rice

Curd

Buttermilk or lassi

Boiled corns

Vegetable pulav

Sprouts raita

Mango dip ("chutney")

Tuesday

Semolina ("sooji") upma

Cooked beans

Peanuts

Coconut water

A few grapes

Kadhi

Cooked potato with sesame ("aloo til ki sabzi")

Rice and chapati

Amla juice

A handful of walnuts

Cooked black chickpeas

Cooked green capsicum

Rice and roti

Wednesday

Fenugreek paratha

A banana or a sapodilla

Cooked soybeans with potato

Cooked ladyfingers

Cucumber and flax seeds ("alsi") raita

Tea

Khandvi (made of gram flour)

Cooked jackfruit

Mixed salad consisting of cucumber, tomato, carrot, radish, beetroot, onion, etc

Rice and chapati

Thursday

Oatmeal

Walnuts and raisins

Milk

A medium sized pomegranate

Cooked green gram ("hari moong dal")

Cooked pumpkin

Roti and rice

Roasted black chickpeas

Golden apple juice ("bael ka ras")

Cooked red lentils ("masoor dal")

Cooked brinjal ("baingan ka bharta")

Salad

Millet roti

Friday

Tomato and cheese sandwich

Mango shake

Figs or anjeer

Cottage cheese ("masala paneer") with roti

Milk with almonds ("Badam milk")

Fox nuts ("makhana")

Cooked black-eyed peas ("lobhia")

Cooked pumpkin

Missi (made with gram flours and wheat flour) roti

Saturday

Peanuts and "sabudana upma"

A cup of coffee

A few slices of papaya

Cooked lentils with rice ("khichdi")

Roasted papad

Curd

Jaljeera drink

Vegetable cutlet

Cooked kidney beans

Cooked bitter gourd

Pomegranate raita

Roti and rice

Sunday

"Poha"

A glass of milk

One large apple with a handful of walnuts

Cooked mixed lentils

Stuffed brinjal

Cucumber raita

Rice and roti

Buttermilk

Chickpeas salad

Spinach with boiled potatoes (aloo palak)

Cooked, mashed radish

Roti and rice

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Third trimester is the most crucial part of pregnancy, during which the caloric requirements of the body increase by 200-300 calories more than the second trimester to meet the maternal and foetal requirements. A diet plan suiting these higher demands is designed below:

Day of the week

Breakfast foods

Midday Snack

Lunch

Evening snack

Dinner

Monday

Cooked buckwheat

A few dates ("khajoor")

A glass of milk

A guava

Parantha stuffed with boiled potatoes

Curd

Mint chutney

Milk with almonds

Cooked black-eyed beans

Cooked radish

"Bathua raita"

Rice and roti

Tuesday

Gram flour cheela with mint dip

A banana

Cooked split chickpeas

Cooked mashed turnips

Curd

Roti and rice

Coconut water

Roasted black chickpeas

Cooked kidney beans

Mushrooms

Missi roti

Wednesday

Cottage cheese sandwich with mint dip

Apple juice

A handful of dates

Pumpkin koftas

Cooked bitter gourd

Roti and rice

Tea

Sprouts

Radish parantha

Mango dip

Beetroot raita

Thursday

Semolina halwa

Mango shake

Fruit salad

Cornmeal flatbread ("makke ki roti")

Mustard greens

Jaggery

Pomegranate juice

Chickpeas

salad

Kadhi

Boiled potatoes (jeera aloo)

Rice and roti

Friday

Oats with milk

A handful of dates

A bunch of grapes

Cooked kidney beans

Ladyfingers

Curd

Roti and rice

Pineapple

Peanuts

Soybeans

Cooked "parwal"

Salad

"Kuttu roti"

Saturday

Poha

Buttermilk

A few slices of papaya

Cooked pigeon peas ("arhar dal")

Green beans

Mango juice

Roti and rice

Tea

Sweet potato salad

Vegetable khichdi

Cucumber raita

Sunday

Fenugreek parantha

Buttermilk

Pomegranate or beetroot

Cooked black lentils ("urad dal")

Cooked apple guard

"Besan cheela"

Salad

Coconut water

Corncob

Mushroom

Cooked ladyfinger

Salad

Rice and roti

Dr. Dhanamjaya D

Dr. Dhanamjaya D

Nutritionist
16 Years of Experience

Dt. Surbhi Upadhyay

Dt. Surbhi Upadhyay

Nutritionist
3 Years of Experience

Dt. Manjari Purwar

Dt. Manjari Purwar

Nutritionist
11 Years of Experience

Dt. Akanksha Mishra

Dt. Akanksha Mishra

Nutritionist
8 Years of Experience

References

  1. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: US National Library of Medicine; Managing your weight gain during pregnancy
  2. Noran M. Abu-Ouf, Mohammed M. Jan. The impact of maternal iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia on child’s health. Saudi Med J. 2015; 36(2): 146–149. PMID: 25719576
  3. Better health channel. Department of Health and Human Services [internet]. State government of Victoria; Pregnancy and diet
  4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [internet]: US Department of Health and Human Services; Health Tips for Pregnant Women.
  5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [Internet] Washington, DC; Nutrition During Pregnancy
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