Hi
Thanks for posting your query.

Eating a balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your baby. There are a few foods that you should be more careful about eating while you are pregnant.

Wash all fruit and vegetables. Keep cutting boards and dishes clean. Eat 4 or more servings of dairy foods each day. This will give you enough calcium for you and your baby. Do not drink unpasteurized milk or eat unpasteurized milk products.

•During the first trimester, the mother's nutrient intake need not be increased.
•To XXXXXXX the increased requirements during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, you need to consume extra food. To take care of this, you should take some snacks in between the main meals rather than three large meals, thus increasing the frequency of feeding. Therefore, your eating pattern should be 5 to 6 meals a day. Increased protein needs can be met by including protein of good quality like milk, meat, eggs, fish. Proteins can also be obtained from food items like pulses, groundnuts, soybeans, etc., which are comparatively cheaper. To improve their protein quality, combination of plant protein like cereals and pulses along with small amounts of animal protein should be used.
•To XXXXXXX the additional iron need, foodstuffs like whole grain cereals, whole pulses, some leafy vegetables like mustard leaves, bathua, etc., dried fruits, eggs and organ meats should be consumed.
•During pregnancy, due to fetal pressure, constipation is common problem. Therefore, larger quantities of foods XXXXXXX in dietary fiber, i.e., fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals, husked pulses along with plenty of fluids need to be included in your diet. Your diet on whole should be nutritious and well balanced.

Hope I answered your query. Do let me know if you have more concerns.

Regards
Grace Abraham.

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