You may have heard the term which states that pregnant women should eat for two, aka two servings, considering that at this time there are small creatures living in your body. Actually the perception of such a diet is not correct.
A healthy diet for pregnant women is different from the food intake for non-pregnant women, but that does not mean that the portion of pregnancy food should be doubled. Women who eat a two-person diet while pregnant are at risk for unwanted weight gain. Being overweight during pregnancy can increase your risk of developing back pain, gestational diabetes, or high blood pressure. This diet can also make the size of the fetus larger so that the risk of giving birth by caesarean section is higher.
During pregnancy, you are advised to consume more calories than usual and at this time you may feel hungrier than usual. However, that does not mean you have to add one serving of food at each meal.
You are only advised to increase your calorie intake by 340 calories per day during the second trimester and about 450 calories in the first trimester. While in the first trimester, you are not advised to increase your calorie intake. This figure is specifically for those of you who have normal weight.
So in total, the amount of calorie intake you need each day is as explained below.
- In the first trimester, you need an intake of about 1800 calories.
- In the second trimester, you need an intake of about 2200 calories.
- In the third trimester, you need about 2400 calories intake.
However, don't just rely on the range of the number of calories you need every day, such as by eating all kinds of food to meet that number. The type of calorie intake for the body is also important to note.
For example, your fetus will not enjoy any nutrients when you eat fast food. As a result, he will absorb all the nutrients he needs from your body. This can have a negative impact on your health.
In essence, in a day, you are advised to eat various types of food so that your body gets a balanced nutritional intake. The types of foods that are good for pregnant women include:
- Foods that contain folic acid. You are advised to consume as much as 600 mg of folic acid per day while pregnant. This intake can prevent your baby from developing neural tube defects in early pregnancy. Folate can be found in spinach, broccoli, oranges, strawberries, fortified cereals, rice, and oatmeal.
- Protein food. This intake can support fetal growth and development while in the womb, you know! Protein foods that you can consume in this case are soy, beef, chicken, fish, eggs, or other dairy products.
- Fibrous food. Consumption of fiber-containing foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can prevent you from becoming constipated during pregnancy.
- Calcium food. Want the growth of your little one's bones and teeth to run optimally? Come on, consumption of calcium foods, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, broccoli, or almonds.
- Fatty food. In addition to making you energetic, this intake is needed to help the development of the fetal brain and central nervous system. However, choose healthy fatty foods, such as avocado, salmon, olive oil, sunflower oil, or nuts.
When pregnant, you must be wise in eating food because at this time the growth and development of the fetus depends on what you consume. Pregnant women also often experience cravings. If you crave unhealthy or strange foods, it is advisable not to indulge these desires.
