Diet in pregnancy: scheme and information on nutrition to follow
Diet during pregnancy is essential for our health and our baby's. The quality of the food we eat during pregnancy, in fact, has an important effect on our body and that of the fetus. Paying attention to your diet during pregnancy, therefore, does not arise from the simple need not to gain too much weight, but above all from that of taking care of the well-being of mother and child.
Following a balanced diet such as the one we suggest - offering you a scheme of recommended elements and those to avoid, as well as numerous advice provided by the Ministry of Health itself - is important from the period preceding conception and until after childbirth, breastfeeding. including breast.
Guidelines of the diet in pregnancy: what must never be missing!
A correct diet during pregnancy must be healthy and varied, in order to offer the fetus all the nutrients it needs for its development. Both during pregnancy and during breastfeeding, there will be a need for a greater number of vitamins (in particular vitamin A, D, C, B6, B12, folic acid), mineral salts (calcium, iron, phosphorus) and lipids (fatty acids essential).
If there is not enough folic acid in the mother, the fetus could have defects in the neural tube. It will therefore be essential to increase the intake of folic acid so that it reaches at least 400 micrograms per day. If you want a baby, it would be good to start supplementing your diet with folic acid already before conception and then for the three months following it. .
Essential fatty acids are also fundamental for the development of the fetus, which are very important for brain structures. The organism does not produce them spontaneously, and they must therefore be supplemented by means of the diet, for example by increasing the consumption of Omega-3s.
Other foods that should never be missing in the diet during pregnancy are fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates, proteins, milk and derivatives, foods rich in fiber (especially essential if you suffer from constipation, which is very common in pregnancy).
Those who are vegan or vegetarian will have to be careful to take in a greater number of proteins, increasing the usual consumption of at least 6 grams per day. They will also need to consume more vitamin B12.
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Diet in pregnancy: food pattern to be preferred, limited and eliminated
The diet during pregnancy, as we said, must be as varied as possible and always rich in the nutrients we have listed. It will also be important for the future mother to eat at least 4 meals a day and no more than 5, eat slowly, in order to reduce the sense of bloating, and drink at least 2 liters of water a day (better not sparkling!).
Here is a scheme of foods to prefer, those to be limited and those to be eliminated entirely, as recommended by the directives of the Ministry of Health. We also add those foods that can only be consumed with due precautions, because they can cause fetal pathologies, infections or toxins, carrying pathogens.
Foods to prefer:
- Fresh food to keep its vitamin and mineral content unaltered
- Lean meats eaten well cooked
- Fish like sole, cod, hake, trout, dogfish, red snapper, sea bream cooked roasted, baked, steamed or stewed
- Lean cheeses such as mozzarella, ricotta, crescenza, robiola
- Milk and yogurt, preferably lean
- Seasonal vegetables and fruit, well washed, every day.
Foods to limit:
- Coffee and tea: prefer decaffeinated or decaffeinated products (caffeine crosses the placenta and has a much stronger effect on expectant mothers!)
- Salt: prefer the iodized one to avoid the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension
- Sugars: prefer complex carbohydrates, such as pasta, bread, potatoes
- Eggs: no more than 2 per week, well cooked
- Fats: prefer extra virgin olive oil.
Foods to avoid:
- Alcoholic beverages: alcohol reaches the blood of the fetus which does not have the enzymes suitable to metabolize it, damaging its nervous system and other organs!
- Ready-to-eat products based on smoked fish: better to avoid
- Short-aged cheeses, soft or semi-soft, with molds: prefer other cheeses
Foods that can only be consumed with due precautions:
- Raw unpasteurized milk: consume only after boiling
- Raw or undercooked eggs: only after careful cooking (the yolk must be coagulated)
- Raw or undercooked meats: cook the meat well up to the heart (the pink color must disappear)
- Sausages and fresh salami: cook well until the heart
- Raw, undercooked or marinated fish: consume only after cooking
- Raw seafood: consume only after cooking
- Raw fruit and vegetables, frozen berries: consume vegetables and fruit only after careful washing; frozen berries only after cooking
Here is a video with the foods to watch out for during pregnancy:
Diet in pregnancy: when to eat to not gain too much weight and feel good?
The diet during pregnancy is affected by the increase in the nutritional needs of the future mother, who must now satiate the baby she carries in her womb. In reality, it is above all the need for proteins that increases, while that of fats and carbohydrates remains the same!
Consequently, if the pregnant woman eats more fruits, vegetables and legumes, she will not need much else, except for folic acid. A healthy diet will provide her with the vitamins and salts she needs for her health and that of the baby. , without gaining more weight than necessary.
How do we deal with the cravings then? Doctors agree: it is always worth satisfying them, but paying attention to the quantities. Without exaggerating, in short, or you really risk gaining a lot of unnecessary extra pounds!
In the first 3 months of pregnancy, weight gain can be about 1 kg, due to the increase in blood volume and the growth of the uterus: it is therefore not necessary to increase the dietary intake, just eat healthier by following the indications of our scheme and supplementing with folic acid.
From the fourth month on, however, the growth of tissues and the fetus increase the caloric requirement and the weight of the pregnant woman's body increases by about 1-2 kg per week. In this phase we recommend an additional consumption of 350 kcal per day for the second trimester of pregnancy and 460 kcal per day for the third trimester.
The additional requirement for a proper diet during pregnancy, however, varies from woman to woman, based on her BMI. A woman of normal weight will be able to gain between 9 and 16 kg, but it will be different in case of underweight, overweight or twin pregnancy. Your doctor will be able to advise you well! Remember, however, that gaining too much weight during pregnancy can create complications for both you and the baby - it's not cosmetic!
Further advice for a correct diet during pregnancy
A correct diet during pregnancy must also be accompanied by some extra attention. First of all, remember to always wash your hands, especially before and after touching raw foods. Avoid consuming prepackaged products after the expiry date, and in any case eat them immediately after their opening.
Try to always keep cooked foods separate from raw ones and immediately refrigerate those cooked that you do not consume immediately, and then reheat them thoroughly before consuming them. Be careful not to consume more than 100 grams of large predatory fish (swordfish, sharaloids, marlin, pike) per week and no more than 2 portions of tuna, always per week.
For more information and insights on the diet in pregnancy, you can consult the website of the Ministry of Health.
