Pregnancy And Baby Care Pregnancy Diet Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet

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...include an adequate intake of iron and calcium as these are the most important nutrients required by your body, especially when you are pregnant. Mostly, these are the most neglected nutrients as well.

You will find iron in abundance in the following food items:

• Pulses
• Green leafy vegetables
• Bread
• Fortified Cereals.

Apart from this, make sure you include foods that are rich in Vitamin C. Include more of citrus fruits like oranges in your diet to meet this requirement. Drinking a glass of vitamin C rich juice with your food helps in easy absorption of iron in your body. However, it is a good idea to stay away from tea or coffee as they reduce the iron absorption capacity of your body. Do not forget to take the iron supplements that are prescribed by your doctor as they are essential too.

As far as calcium is concerned, consuming dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, and such items fulfill your body’s requirement for calcium. Try to consume at least three servings of each in a day to meet the calcium demands of your body. Just like iron, apart from following this diet, it is important that you take your calcium supplements as well.

Consuming soy products, beans, and grains will fulfill your body’s requirement for protein. Drinking milk also helps in fulfilling this nutrient requirement as well.

Besides this, consuming green leafy vegetables, orange juice, cereals, dried beans, pasta, bread, and such items help in fulfilling the demand for the essential nutrient known as folate. This nutrient helps in avoiding birth defects in your baby.

Replace your cravings for sugar and sweet products with fruits and fruit juices; automatically you will meet all your nutrient requirements. Stay away from fatty and oily food items; instead switch to healthy and nutritious food. Nutritious food does not only mean eating meat and eggs. A vegetarian diet also fulfills all the requirements. Who says that a vegetarian diet during pregnancy is not enough?