15 Vegetarian Foods To Have During Pregnancy

Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 16:35 [IST]

Vegetarians have a lot of problem to decide on the best diet during their pregnancy. A pregnant woman needs plenty of proteins for herself and her growing baby. And for vegetarians, one of the largest sources of proteins, namely animal proteins is not an option. Vegetarian foods to eat during pregnancy should be such that they make up for this protein deficit. You must be on a diet of the best vegetarian foods to eat during pregnancy so that your baby gets the best possible nutrition.

NON VEG FOODS TO HAVE DURING PREGNANCY

Vegetarian foods for pregnant women has to be mainly rich in proteins. But you must also get other nutrients like calcium, vitamins and minerals from your diet. A vegetarian diet for pregnant women can give you everything if it is well planned. You must have the vegetarian foods to have during pregnancy in the right proportion to have a well balanced diet.

Try to have more of the protein rich vegetarian sources of protein like kidney beans, pulses, cottage cheese, soya etc. This way, you will make up for the animal proteins that other pregnant women are getting easily. Vegetarianism is not a diet restriction that will affect your baby's growth if you ensure that you are having the best vegetarian foods to eat during pregnancy.

Paneer

Paneer is the best source of proteins for vegetarians. Paneer or cottage cheese contains loads of calcium and milk proteins that will help your baby grow.

Green Vegetables

Green vegetables have zero calories and yet you can get tons of calcium out of them. Have different types of green vegetables on your plate like spinach, broccoli, kale, drumsticks etc.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are really nutritious for pregnant women. Kidney beans have plenty of proteins from vegan sources that helps your baby grow.

Curd

Curd is very good source of calcium and good bacteria that can help improve your digestive power. When you are pregnant, you are prone to heart burns. This can be reduced if you have more of curd.

Soya Chunks

Proteins is the main concern for vegetarian pregnant women. So have soya chunks to augment your protein requirement in the best possible way. You will also get Vitamin D from the soya.

Carrots

Carrots are excellent sources of vitamin A. Thus carrots must be a part of your daily diet. This will help your baby's eye sight develop properly.

Beans

You can have different types of beans like string beans, green beans, fava beans etc. Beans are very healthy because they give you proteins as well as energy. They also give you tons of fibre and roughage to keep your bowel movements regular.

Dals or Pulses

If you are an Indian, dal must be a part of your daily diet. Try out different types of dals to have some variety in your food. Dal gives you plenty of proteins so you won't miss animal protein.

Fortified Cereals

You can always have cereals that are fortified that contain extra calcium, vitamin D and DHA for the brain development of the baby in your womb.

Coconut

Coconut has plenty of good fats that will fulfill your energy requirements. And there is also the Indian myth that you can have a fair baby if you have coconut.

Nuts

Nuts like almonds give your body so much needed Vitamin E. Your baby needs all kinds nutrients for growing into a full bodied healthy child. Nuts help you snack in a healthy way without piling on weight.

Bananas

Pregnant women should always have bananas. They give you energy and loads of fibre to carry you through your high energy requirements

Milk

have plenty of milk in whatever form you can. Cold milk would be ideal during your pregnancy because it helps you get over the heart burns and acid reflux problems.

Horse Gram

Horse gram has lots of proteins that will help your baby grow. Horse gram gives your baby muscle building capacity.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are very useful for pregnant women. They help to keep your immunity against diseases strong and also give you Vitamin C and B for your baby's growth.