Wondering how many extra calories should you consume in your second trimester?
Congratulations! You are in the second trimester of your pregnancy and here is the guide to eating right and adequately in the second trimester. This article talks about the essential nutrients that a mum to be must consume during her pregnancy along with a focus on the extra calorie intake in your second trimester
Pregnant Moms need to eat every 2-3 hours which means six meals. A combination of different food categories should make your every meal. These would be your main meals. Each of your main meals must contain all the five food groups – Carbohydrates, Vegetables/Fruits, Protein, Milk Protein and Fats. All of these nutrients work in tandem with each other and hence there is maximum nutrient absorption. Imagine if my hand was missing one finger, the hand would not be fully functional right ? The same way if any food group is missing from the meal then the absorption of nutrients is not optimum.
From the second trimester, the mother needs to consume 300 extra calories per day. This can come from a vegetable sandwich, a fruit and a cup of milk. That’s all that is required additionally per day.
As opposed to popular belief, It is advisable to not consume extra ghee in the second trimester and third trimester, as this will not make delivery easier. Also in the breast feeding phase only about 300-500 extra calories need to be consumed. Ghee and sugar should not be consumed in the breastfeeding phase as this has no connection with the mom producing more milk. This will only make the mother gain weight.
Follow the chart below for an indication on a good meal plan during the second and third trimester
DIET AND NUTRITION
