Basic Nutritional Requirements During Pregnancy

Nutrition plays a very important role during pregnancy. Every woman wants to have the best nutrition during pregnancy in order to support the pregnancy as well as the health of her baby.

There’s always doubt when it comes to how much to eat during pregnancy and what to eat in order to support healthy weight gain as well as the growth of the fetus.

In a daily routine when a woman isn’t pregnant, she requires about 2000-2200kcal/day. But during pregnancy, a woman requires about an additional 300kcal/day in the first trimester, 340kcal/day in the second trimester, and 450kcal/day in the third trimester. Follow this calorie intake pattern and avoid eating for two during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is also very demanding when it comes to vitamin and nutrient intake. Iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin B complex, vitamin D3, and protein are a few important nutrients to include during pregnancy through your diet as well as through supplements.

A pregnant woman requires about 30mg/day of iron, 1000-1300mg/day of calcium, 60mg/day of protein, 600-800μg/day of folic acid, and 1000-2000IU/day of vitamin D3.

In order to meet this nutritional requirement to support healthy pregnancy as well as the growth of the fetus diet, it’s important to include foods like green leafy vegetables, jaggery, bajra, dates, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, eggs, etc. along with the supplements prescribed by your doctor during pregnancy.