The very thought of becoming a parent and giving birth to a new life can take you through the roller coaster of emotions. It’s a series of mix emotions ranging from joy to excitement to nervousness and anxiety. It is a physical challenge and hence vital that you pay proper attention to your health and well-being as well as the nutrition that your intake throughout the pregnancy. You may have to bring changes in your eating habits as there are certain foods that you need to avoid while others which you need to include in your daily intake to ensure proper growth of the baby. In this article, we have provided a complete guide on the first-trimester diet, which can prove very useful during pregnancy.
What foods to eat during the first trimester:
Here are the foods that should be eaten during the first trimester of pregnancy.
1. Spinach:
Best food for pregnancy first trimester is spinach. Spinach is extremely rich in folic acid and iron. This folic acid is helpful in allowing your baby’s neural tube to fuse in the first month after you conceive properly. The high amount of iron will help you fight with an anaemic condition which many of the women face during their pregnancy. Spinach can be incorporated in the diet by various means like eating it raw, putting a handful in scrambled eggs in your breakfast, eat it regularly in your salad.
2. Lentils and whole grains:
Protein is an important part of the diet as it helps in the growth and maintenance of the body. It especially aids in the development of your baby’s tissue and muscles and growth of the placenta. Lentils during Pregnancy can be easily included in your diet by making soup from it which is very healthy or if you have cravings for some tasty spicy food you can use lentils in your burger with the addition of spinach. Other whole grains such as wheat, rice, barley, oats, millet, corn should be included in the diet during the 1st trimester.
3. Nuts:
You should surely have nuts as your pregnancy diet first trimester as these are very healthy. Since you have to nourish two bodies instead of one now, you need an extra amount of 60 grams of protein and nuts are a very good source of proteins you can rely on. You can have a handful of nuts every day and can also crush a few to sprinkle over your yoghurt or ice cream to satisfy your craving of ice creams, and it makes it healthy too.
See More: Diet During Third Trimester Of Pregnancy
4. Citrus Fruits:
Like spinach, citrus fruits are also rich in folic acid, which help in the body’s growth and development. These also contain citric acid which, along with folic acid, can help to prevent birth defects. You can include citrus fruits easily in your diet in the form of salad, or the easiest way is to have healthy juices. Citrus fruits for pregnant 1st trimester should be included daily in your diet to give a healthy pregnancy.
5. Asparagus:
During pregnancy, as the body is supporting the metabolism of two people, so there arises a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Deficiency of vitamin D is one of them. Asparagus is very high in vitamin D content, which can help you overcome its deficiency and also makes your bones strong. With dinner, you can include it in your morning diet with your eggs like spinach. You can also include asparagus in your daily routine in the form of salad.
6. Eggs:
Apart from being an excellent source of proteins, eggs are also highly rich in calcium and vitamin D content. These nutrients are highly essential for the growth and development of the baby. It makes sure that the baby is not born with birth defects. It’s also important for the development of bones. You can include hard-boiled eggs to your first-trimester diet to remain healthy.
7. Figs:
Figs also know as dry fruits which are rich in iron and iron is an essential food you require during pregnancy to overcome anaemia. The demands by the body of the baby to produce red blood cells increases during the pregnancy, and thus, you require a high amount of iron in your body and figs are a rich source of it. Figs are also rich in, which makes it very nutritious. You can include it in your daily diet to be healthy. Additional elements like potassium, phosphorous and magnesium are also present in figs, which makes it very healthy.
8. Broccoli:
Broccoli is highly rich in fibre and iron. Iron is very important during your pregnancy for the manufacturing of red blood cells, and thus, broccoli serves the purpose to fulfil the requirement of iron and fibre. You can include broccoli in your daily salad. You can be more creative and make recipes by including broccoli in it.
9. Okra:
Okra is highly rich in folic acid and is very delicious to have it included in your diet. The high amount of folic acid during your pregnancy helps to prevent birth defects in your baby and helps the baby to be healthy. You can make tasty dishes to fulfil your cravings for different kinds of tastes during pregnancy. One of a good idea to have okra is to have it lightly fry with some flour and olive oil.
10. Beans:
During pregnancy, you need nutrients for muscle growth and energy. So best food for pregnancy first trimester is to include sufficient amount of beans in your daily diet! Beans are a rich source of protein which will fulfil your need for nutrients for muscle growth and development. You can include these in your salad like other food items, and for a tip, black bean burgers are too yummy to have!
11. Yoghurt:
Yoghurt is rich in calcium and vitamin D and eating yoghurt daily during your pregnancy will make sure that your body is getting sufficient amount of these nutrients and prevents any kind of weakness in your body and bones. You can try a cup of yoghurt with some berries to make it delicious. Also, you can try yoghurt mixed with chocolate or vanilla as an alternative for ice cream.
12. Salmon:
It is very nutritious to have fish during your pregnancy. Salmon is one of them, and it is rich in calcium and vitamin D, which is good for your bones as well as the development of bones of your baby. You can include some salmon in your diet as an additional ingredient in pasta or veggies or you can include it in your morning diet with eggs.
See More: Healthy Meals During Pregnancy
13. Chicken:
Chicken has a high amount of iron which aids in the manufacturing of red blood cells and provides enough oxygen to your body. It is best for pregnant women to include organic hormone free meats during pregnancy to have a healthy baby.
14. Lean Beef:
If you get sufficiently cooked beef, then it is highly nutritious for you as it contains lots of iron which is healthy for you as well as your unborn baby. Grass-fed, organic and hormone free beef is very healthy and nutritious to include in your diet for a healthy baby and mother.
15. Collard Greens:
Since most of the women lack iron during their pregnancy and thus collard greens are a good source to combat the problem of deficiency of iron. You can add this to your soup or be a bit creative, and there are hell lots of recipes available to incorporate collard greens into your diet.
16. Dairy products:
Dairy products are not just rich in proteins, but it also provides a sufficient amount of calcium required for the bones and muscle development. The various dairy products that can be consumed during the 1st trimester of pregnancy are A2 cow milk, yoghurt, curd, cheese, cottage cheese, etc.
Foods to avoid during the 1st trimester diet:
Cravings are very normal throughout the pregnancy, especially during the 1st trimester. However there are certain foods, howsoever you crave for should be best avoided. The list of what food to avoid in 1st trimester is as under:
- Fishes that have a high mercury content such as swordfish, king mackerel, etc
- Raw eggs or under cooked fish
- Raw meat or poultry
- Unpasteurized milk
- Raw sprouts
- Soft cheese
- Raw cabbage
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Eggplant
- Black grapes
- Too much of sugary stuff
Supplements needed for the first trimester:
A balanced intake of vitamins, minerals, calcium, and other nutrients is very important throughout the pregnancy, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. The following are the additional nutritional requirement during the first trimester in the form of supplements:
1. Prenatal Vitamins:
If you are taking a healthy balanced diet, all you would need additionally is a tablet of prenatal vitamin that will contain 400mcg of folic acid. This will aid in proper nervous development of the child and reduce the possibilities of birth defects.
2. Essential supplement:
Another supplement that will be required during pregnancy is iron as it will enable proper blood flow. However, if your diet isn’t rich in other nutrients, you can take other multivitamins also provided its nutritional value is within the permissible limits during pregnancy. Consult your doctor before taking any multivitamin tablet during pregnancy.
Diet plan for the 1st trimester:
Now that you are expecting and you have 2 lives doesn’t necessarily mean you need to double the intake of your food. Your foods should be double in the nutrients and not in calories. A lot of fresh fruits and vegetables should form an integral part of your 1st-trimester diet plan. Eat a lot of whole wheat food, keeping a check on the refined and sugary food.
Diet chart for 1st trimester:
The following is a sample diet chart for your 1st trimester.
Breakfast:
- Milk or paneer
- Anyone of the following
- Vegetable Daliya
- Veg. Upma
- Vegetable poha
- Wheat flakes
- Mid-morning snack
- A bowl of fresh fruits
Lunch:
- one plate salad
- one bowl dal
- one bowl vegetables of your choice
- 3 rotis
- Raita/curd/buttermilk
Evening snack:
1 glass A2 cow milk
Anyone of the following:
- Bhunnachanna
- 1 besan chilla
- 1 boiled egg
- A bowl of fresh fruits
- 1 bowl sprouts
Dinner:
- 1 plate fresh salad
- one bowl vegetables
- 1 bowl dal or curd
- 3 chappati
- Bedtime
- Dessert or
- Milk
1st trimester diet tips:
The following are the tips for eating in the 1st trimester
- Break your meal into 5-6 parts and have smaller portions each time.
- 3-4 servings of fruits should be eaten each day.
- 3-5 servings of vegetable should also be a part of your daily diet.
- Dairy products should be taken a day thrice.
- 2-3 servings of proteins and whole grains are a must.
- Avoid too much sugary food, or that can cause gestational diabetes.
- Avoid unhealthy street food as much as possible.
Now that you have to take care of 2 lives, it is important that you follow a healthy diet plan for the first trimester and in fact throughout the pregnancy. This will aid you in reaping proper nutrition and have a healthy and robust baby. Eating healthy and following healthy habits can make the pregnancy very smooth and enjoyable.
