A well-balanced and nutrient-dense diet is essential during pregnancy for the growth of your baby and the health of a carrying mother. A nutrient-rich diet ensures that the fetus reaches the perfect level of growth before the delivery. Not only for the perfect growth but also for the anticipation of pregnancy complications, a balanced diet is vital. A nutritious diet plan is required for all three trimesters of pregnancy and can lead you to a problem-free delivery at the end.
If you are carrying a fetus in your womb, you must assure that you are consuming an adequate number of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbs, fats, etc. nutrients daily through your regular diet. We have already discussed a precise diet plan for the first trimester of pregnancy. This time it is for the second trimester, let’s find out what to eat, what to avoid and how to make an ideal diet plan for a period of the second trimester in this article below along with a few significant sides of this period of pregnancy-
- Why we need a different diet chart for different trimesters
- The importance of a healthy diet plan for the second trimester
- Foods to include in your diet for the second trimester
- Foods to avoid in your second trimester
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Why We Need Different Diet Chart for Different Trimesters:
The entire pregnancy period is divided into three equal periods in the name of trimesters. First, three months of pregnancy is known as the first trimester, the second trimester counts with the next three months and the last three months of pregnancy is known as the third trimester.
The condition of your health and the form of your baby vary differently in each trimester of pregnancy. Thus, the nutritional value of your diet must be different for every single trimester too. Among these three stages, the second trimester is the most stable phase of pregnancy for no doubt, when your body finally familiar with the growing changes of your body. This time you need to increase the number of calories you take daily to boost the growth of your fetus moderately.
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The Importance of a Healthy Diet Plan for The Second Trimester:
The second trimester of pregnancy is the period when the consumed nutrient helps to make the bones of your baby stronger, initiates significant gum growth, and boosts brain development of your baby at a moderate level. So, it is essential to follow a well-balanced diet throughout for the second trimester of your pregnancy. Make sure you include those nutrient-rich foods in your diet this time, which are skilled in brain development and strengthening bones of your baby perfectly.
Foods to Include in Your Diet for The Second Trimester:
The most important nutrients for the second trimester are as follows-
Calcium-Rich Foods:
Calcium is the most important mineral for the entire pregnancy but it became crucial for the period of the second trimester. The diet of the second trimester of pregnancy ensures the bone growth of a baby and calcium is the fundamental mineral for bone growth as we all know. It also helps in the formation of teeth, smoothness of circular system, and construction of muscles as well as tissues in a growing baby.
An adult lady should consume 1,000 mg of calcium daily through regular foods and tablets. The amount should vary depending on the age of an expectant mother. Some calcium-rich foods to include this time are-
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Dairy products
- Almonds
- Fish like sardines, salmon with bones
- Calcium-fortified fruit juice
- White beans
- Green veggies like kale, broccoli, turnips, etc.
Protein-Rich Foods:
Protein is a nutrient that helps in the brain development of a baby in the womb. So, this nutrient is also essential for the second trimester of pregnancy from every aspect. A healthy and strong-build uterus is the key to a healthy baby, as it is the home of the fetus. The consumption of protein-rich foods also helps in the healthy growth of the uterus of an expectant mother efficiently. In addition, it aids in the perfect growth of the breast of a would-be mom, which solves the breast-feeding issue of a mother after the delivery of her baby.
The exact amount of protein for an expectant mother should vary depending on her body weight. One woman must consume 1.52 grams of protein depending on per kilogram of her body weight. Some beneficial protein-rich foods in this regard are-
- Lean meat like chicken, turkey, ground meat, etc.
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Tofu, tempeh
- Fish (well-cooked fish)
- Peas
- Beans
- Lentils and legumes
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Iron-Rich Foods:
Iron is a crucial nutrient for an unborn baby throughout the entire pregnancy period. This mineral helps to carry oxygen to the developing fetus throughout all three trimesters, but it becomes even more crucial for the second trimester. Iron also fulfills the requirement of blood and prevents pregnancy complications like anemia when consumed in a perfect amount. Gynecologists suggest that the daily consumption of iron in a perfect amount could avert some possible pregnancy complications expertly. Premature birth, postpartum depression, etc are some common issues that can be terminated easily with an iron-rich diet easily.
One would-be-mom should consume 27-30 mg of iron regularly through the second trimester of pregnancy for the perfect growth of her baby. Some normal food sources iron are-
- Cooked seafood
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole Grain products
- Fortified breakfast cereal
- Leafy green vegetables
- Oatmeal
- And lean meat
Vitamin-D Rich Foods:
Vitamin D is a nutrient that works similarly as calcium and fortified the bones as well as the teeth of a growing baby inside the womb. It has been observed that the pregnancy complications that come from vitamin D deficiency mostly occurred due to the lack of vitamin D mostly during the second trimester. The most common problem we face for the search of vitamin D is the proper sources of this particular nutrient. It is seen that vitamin D could be consumed from direct sunlight only. However, there are a few fortified foods you can find as the natural sources of this nutrient. Simply include in your daily diet and stay away from the issue of vitamin-D deficiency smartly.
One pregnant woman should consume 600 IU of vitamin D per day during the second trimester of her pregnancy. Some natural sources of vitamin D apart from the sunlight are-
- Animal liver
- Fish liver oil
- Cheese
- Egg yolk
- UV-exposed mushrooms
- Fresh tuna
- Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel
- Fortified juice and drinks
Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acid:
An omega-3 fatty acid is a vital nutrient for the entire pregnancy but it plays an even more significant role in the second trimester of your pregnancy. Apart from brain development, omega-3 fatty acid supports heart development, strengthens eyesight, fortifies the immune system and manages the central nervous system of a growing baby perfectly. The intake of a moderate number of omega-3 fatty acids through your daily foods can avert several pregnancy complications expertly. Premature delivery, postpartum depression, development of preclampsia, etc. are some issues you can prevent with the consumption of this nutrient.
One expectant mother should eat 1.4 g of omega-3 fatty acids regularly, especially during the second trimester of her pregnancy. Besides omega-3 fatty acid-rich capsules, you can find this nutrient easily in some foods naturally, they are-
- Flax seeds
- Chia seeds
- Fish oil
- And oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, etc.
Folate-Rich Foods:
Folate is a nutrient that is known as folic acid in normal terms. This is a nutrient that comes from vitamin B and is considered one of the essential components for the entire pregnancy session. The regular consumption of folic acid becomes crucial from the period you are trying to conceive and to the period you are delivering a baby. This compound diminishes the risk of premature labor, spina Bifida, a neural tube defect, congenital heart defect, etc. problem skillfully. It also instigates the healthy growth of your baby throughout the entire pregnancy period, when consumed regularly.
One woman should eat 400-800 mg of folic acid daily in her pregnancy to have a problem-free delivery. The amount could vary depending on the natural folate amount of the body of an expectant mother. Some natural sources of this single nutrient are-
- Fortified cereals
- Oranges
- Whole Grain products
- Dark leafy veggies
- Black-eyed peas
- And legumes
Foods To Avoid In Your Second Trimester:
To avert any kind of pregnancy complication in the near future, you must make your second-trimester diet plan noticeably and avoid certain foods attentively. Some must-avoidable foods for the second trimester of pregnancy are as follows-
- Raw meat
- Raw eggs
- Uncooked fish
- Fish with high mercury like swordfish, shark, tile-fish, king mackerel, etc.
- Unpasteurized dairy products
- Soft cheese
- Instant-foods with meat
- Seafood
- Caffeine products
- Alcohol
- And products with artificial sweeteners.
A nutritious and balanced-diet plan is essential for a healthy mother and baby during pregnancy, read the given article to know about a perfect diet plan for the second trimester of pregnancy,