First Month of Pregnancy Diet Chart: What to Eat and What to Avoid

First Month of Pregnancy Diet Chart: What to Eat and What to Avoid The first month of pregnancy is difficult to be described in words. From feeling shocked to happy, from being tense to feeling your nerves wrecked, the positive test brings about a whole lot of emotions. The first month of pregnancy also brings about a lot of changes in your hormones and body, very quickly. The baby also grows rapidly in the first month of the pregnancy, especially the early parts of the brain and spinal cord. This is exactly why you need to make sure that you and the baby get all the nutrition you need and plan a pregnancy diet chart month by month to have a healthy pregnancy.

The first month of the pregnancy sets the course for the rest of the months to come and is often quite stressful. You are always left wondering what you should be eating and what you should be avoiding. Worry not, friend. Here is the first month of pregnancy diet chart that would help you take all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals to have a good first month.

Foods To Eat During The First Month Of Your Pregnancy 1. Folate Rich Foods: Folic Acid or Folate or Vitamin B9 is an essential vitamin that should definitely be included in your daily diet. The folic acid helps in negating the neural tube effect and proper development of the brain and the spinal cord. Include foods like whole milk, lentils, beans, peas to get your daily dose of folic acid.

1. Dairy Products: Including dairy products in your lifestyle during the first month would help you in receiving nutrients like calcium, Vitamin A, protein, healthy fats and folic acid. Adding whole milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese would help you get these required essential vitamins and minerals which help in the formation of strong bones and teeth of the baby.

1. Eggs and Poultry: If there is one food on earth that might probably be full of all the vitamins and minerals – it is eggs. Eggs are known to be rich sources of Vitamin A, B2, B5, B6, B12, D, E and K. They are also packed with minerals like phosphorus, selenium, zinc and calcium. Poultry products like chicken and goat liver also contain a high content of essential vitamins and minerals.

1. Whole Grains: Whole grains like oats, millets, barley, buckwheat, brown rice and bulgur wheat are healthy sources of carbohydrates, fibre, Vitamin B-Complex, magnesium, iron and selenium. Don’t forget that the inclusion of all the food groups in your diet makes it a healthy one.

1. Fruits: To provide all the essential nutrients for the growth of the baby, you should include fruits like apples, banana, oranges, pomegranate, guava, avocado, musk melon and strawberries. These fruits are rich in several minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

1. Vegetables: Make sure that you increase the number of vegetables on your plate to get all the nutrients that your baby needs during this phase of rapid growth. Vegetables like spinach, methi, bathua, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and cabbage are included in your daily diet.

1. Seeds and Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and chia seeds are rich sources of healthy fats. Make sure you do not avoid eating fats altogether and include these nutritious supplements in your daily diet during your first month of pregnancy. •

Fish and Meats: Lean meat portions are good sources of Vitamin B, protein, zinc and iron. These are the essential building blocks of life. Protein helps in the rapid growth of cells and tissues while iron helps in a proper and adequate supply of oxygen to the baby. Fish products are rich in omega-3-fatty-acids, Vitamin B, D, E and minerals like zinc, iron and magnesium. All of these are required to give the baby healthy and stronger bones. You can include fish cod liver oil and omega-3-fatty-acid gel capsules to get your daily dose of required nutrition. Cod liver oil helps in the healthy development of eyes.

1. Dry Fruits: Dried fruits are a good source of folic acid and healthy fats for pregnant women. You can include dried dates and apricots in your daily meal. Dried dates are also a good source of natural sugars.

Foods To Avoid During The First Month Of Your Pregnancy Now, we have shared a pretty long list of foods you should eat for a healthy pregnancy. Along with eating nutritious meals every day, you must avoid certain foods that might restrict your baby’s growth. Here’s a list of foods you should avoid during your first month of pregnancy:       

Packaged and processed foods Soft Cheese Seafood, due to the high level of mercury Undercooked eggs and meats can lead to the cases of bird flu and salmonella Caffeine Alcohol Papaya and Pineapple

For a complete pregnancy diet chart month by month, visit our website www.lovingparents.in.