Shivani Baijal, Senior Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Gurgaon
Expecting a baby is one of the most exciting experiences of a couple’s life. To make this journey smooth, an expectant mom should watch her eating habits, to avoid any unpleasant symptoms due to unhealthy eating practices.
Winter comes up with a variety of foods to give us good nutrition. And in pregnancy, it is recommended to eat a balanced diet including all basic 5 food groups such as cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk and its products and fats. So let’s know about the winter foods one should include in her diet during pregnancy. As seasonal foods have their own properties, so if you are planning to conceive or mom to be, you must include a variety of foods from each of the food groups to reap maximum health benefits.
Cereals and grains: In our nation we have a variety of grain and cereals that we can use as a flour too. Millet (bajra) is one such cereal which gains popularity in the winter season. There are many varieties of millet available in the market like little millet, porso millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, kodo millet, barnyard millet etc. They all differ from each other in color, texture, taste and nutritional values. But each of its variety benefits our body in many ways.
In general, millet is a good source of iron, protein, dietary fiber, potassium, antioxidants, calcium and folate. And all these nutrients require more during pregnancy. So one should definitely include this grain in her diet.
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Fruits: Winter brings a lot of fresh juicy fruits like oranges, sweet lime, apple, apricots, guava and gooseberry that are full of nutritional value. Consumption of seasonal foods provides the most nutrition. During pregnancy it is recommended to have vitamin C rich foods to ensure better iron absorption in the body. These fruits are a great source of antioxidants and folate and low in calories too.
Vegetables: Seasonal vegetables not only taste good, they contain the essential nutrients to suit the body’s requirement of the weather. So this winter include fenugreek leaves, mustard leaves, spinach, amaranth greens, carrot, fresh peas, yam, sweet potato, beetroot, and drumsticks in your diet. Addition of these veggies during pregnancy will provide innumerable health benefits. These vibrant colorful veggies contain a variety of unique health boosting nutrients such as iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, K, folic acid and fiber.
Milk and dairy products: We all are aware of the benefits of milk, especially in pregnancy it helps to build strong bones in the growing baby. In winter you can use milk in plenty of preparations. These recipes enhance the taste of the milk and also nutrition. You can add milk in soups to add flavor and nutrition. Or can include ginger turmeric milk, saffron milk in your diet.
Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds provide healthy fats to the body and many other nutrients. Eating apricots, figs, and raisins during pregnancy is advised to boost mother’s iron intake, as expectant mothers are prone to anemia. Walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids and aids child’s neurodevelopment. So restore these nutrients in your body during winter.
Fats and oils: Fats and oils consumption plays a vital role for the fat soluble vitamin absorption in the body. And in pregnancy it helps in the baby’s brain and eye development. Nowadays a wide variety of oils and fats are available in the market. Choose wisely grass fed animal fats or cold pressed oils for maximum benefit.
Fluids: It’s very important to keep yourself hydrated during pregnancy to prevent yourself from constipation and to maintain the amniotic fluid volume. Drink liquids throughout the day even if you are not feeling thirsty. You can increase your liquid intake by enjoying different soups like tomato beetroot soup, spinach soup, broccoli soup, mushroom soup in winter.
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Now I have said enough about what to include this winter, but it is also important to know what to avoid because the food mother consumes will influence fetus growth and development. So let’s know what you should avoid:
- In winter, the desire to drink hot liquids increases. Due to which some people start drinking a lot of tea or coffee throughout the day. But for mom to be excess consumption will block the iron absorption in the body and can lead to anemia and digestive issues.
- Generally, in winter our body craves for rich food and hence fried food consumption increases. But during pregnancy excess consumption can lead to heart burn, acidity or excessive weight gain and can develop gestational diabetes too.
- In pregnancy, it is important to control your sugar cravings especially during winters. So one should watch their total sugar intake in the form of chikki’s, panjiri, pinni etc.
- Avoid over consumption of ghee in the form of gajar ka halwa or in saag. As, excess calorie intake can cause extra weight gain in pregnancy.
At the end I would like to share some platter ideas on how you can plan your meals in winter. Here are some interesting winter plates for you:
- Palak lobia curry with steamed rice and carrot raita
- Veg millet uttpam+ Spinach sambar + beetroot chutney
- Roasted sweet potato and black bean quinoa salad
- Veg ragi paneer cutlets with spring onion mushroom soup
- Multigrain roti with methi paneer and amla chutney