Pregnant women need milk and milk products for protein and calcium. You need extra calcium for your baby's growing bones and teeth, as well as your own. Dieting during pregnancy is not recommended as it may result in a smaller and unhealthy baby, and it could also affect your health. Vigorous exercise is also not recommended. Folate (known as folic acid when added to foods) is a B-group vitamin found in a variety of foods. Some breakfast cereals, breads and juices are fortified with folic acid. This will be listed on the nutrition label of these products. As well as a healthy diet, it is also recommended that a folic acid supplement be taken prior to conception and for the first three months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Folate taken over this period can prevent up to seven out of 10 cases of neural tube defects. Eat four to six smaller meals a day instead of three bigger ones to help relieve the heartburn and discomfort you feel as your baby grows bigger. Whether or not you're pregnant, a healthy diet includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. The U.S. government publishes dietary guidelines that can help you determine how many servings of each kind of food to eat every day. Eating a variety of foods in the proportions indicated is a good step toward staying healthy. This is not the time to cut calories or go on a diet. In fact, it's just the opposite - you need about 300 extra calories a day, especially later in your pregnancy when your baby grows quickly. If you're very thin or carrying twins, you'll need even more. But if you're overweight, your health care provider may advise that you consume fewer extra calories. Healthy eating is always important, but especially when you're pregnant. So, it's important to make sure your calories come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby's growth and development. Foods rich in protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish (aim for at least two servings of fish a week, including one of oily fish), eggs and pulses (such as beans and lentils). These foods are also good sources of iron. Butter, ghee, milk, shrikhand, honey, fennel seeds, sweets made from jaggery rather than white sugar can also be taken in small quantity. Rice, pulao, Khichri, Murmure, Chapati, Bhakari, Paratha, Gujarati thepla are the items made from wheat and rice and are beneficial. Items such as bakery bread, bun, sandwich, pizza, handva, dhokla, khaman, idli, dosa, tomato, tamarind, curd, kadhi they increase the swellings and acidity. If such problems do not exist, you can take in small quantity. If you are allergic, do not take even if they are tasty. During pregnancy, a woman's body needs more iron than usual to produce all the blood needed to supply nutrition to the placenta. Good sources of iron are green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, strawberries, muesli and whole meal bread. Iron is more easily absorbed if it is taken in conjunction with vitamin C - either as a supplement or in citrus fruit or juice. Tea and coffee can interfere with the body's absorption of iron.
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