Pregnancy Diet Plan

1st trimester (0–12 weeks):

Focus on folate, B6, light meals to combat nausea & gas.

2nd trimester (13–27 weeks):

Higher energy, calcium, protein, iron. Appetite improves.

3rd trimester (28–40 weeks):

More calories, protein & iron, frequent smaller meals due to reduced stomach space.

First Trimester Pregnancy Diet Plan:

Small, frequent meals every 2–3 hours + plenty of fluids + light activity

On waking up (6:30–7:00 AM) — To fight morning

sickness
Purpose: kick-start metabolism, avoid empty stomach (triggers nausea)

Options (choose 1–2):

 4–6 soaked almonds + 1–2 walnuts + 1 date or fig

 2–3 plain salted crackers or Marie biscuits (dry)
 1–2 digestive biscuits or khakra
 1 glass lukewarm water with lemon & pinch of rock salt
 ½ tsp grated ginger + honey (optional)
 1–2 dry toast (whole wheat)
 1 small banana (if tolerable)
 OR ajwain water (warm) — helps with gas

Breakfast (7:30–8:30 AM) — Heavy & nutritious

Purpose: good protein, complex carbs, iron, folate, B6

Choose 1 main + 1 drink:

Main options:

 Vegetable upma (semolina/rava) with carrots, beans, peas, coriander

 Poha with peas & peanuts, garnished with coriander & lemon
 Idli (2–3) with mild sambar & coconut chutney
 Dalia (broken wheat) porridge cooked with veggies
 Besan (gram flour) chilla with coriander & mint chutney
 Moong dal dosa with tomato chutney
 Stuffed paratha (methi, spinach, or lauki) — very little oil + curd
  Vegetable oats upma or masala oats with spinach
 Rice flakes + milk + banana (if tolerated)

Drink options:

 1 glass warm milk

 Herbal tea (ginger-lemon or mint)
 Fresh orange juice or sweet lime juice
 Buttermilk with roasted jeera

Mid-Morning Snack (10:30–11:00 AM) — Light &

hydrating
Purpose: vitamins, minerals, hydration

Options:

 Coconut water
 Seasonal fruits:
Apple, Banana (small), Sweet lime, Papaya (ripe), Watermelon, Grapes (small
handful)
 Pomegranate seeds (rich in iron)
 Steamed sprouts chaat with lemon (if tolerated — avoid if gas is severe)
 Roasted makhana (fox nuts), lightly salted
 Handful of roasted murmura chaat with coriander & lemon
 1–2 dates + 1–2 almonds
 Herbal ginger or mint tea

Lunch (12:30–1:30 PM) — Balanced & light

Purpose: carbs + protein + fiber + calcium + iron

Choose from each category:

Carbs:

 2–3 phulkas (without much ghee)

 Or 1–1.5 cups steamed rice
 Or 1 serving vegetable pulao with lauki & spinach

Protein:

 Moong dal or masoor dal (thin consistency)

 Kadhi (mild, not too sour)
 Palak dal (spinach & lentils)
 Paneer bhurji (lightly spiced)
Vegetables (pick 1–2):

 Lauki (bottle gourd) sabzi

 Tori (ridge gourd)
 Tinda (apple gourd)
 Palak/methi sabzi
 Bhindi (okra) sautéed
 Carrot + beans + peas

Dairy:

 ½ cup plain curd or raita (with jeera & coriander)

Salad:

 Sliced cucumber, carrot, beetroot, tomato (peeled)

Evening Snack (4:30–5:30 PM) — Light & filling

Purpose: prevent evening slump, easy to digest

Options:

 Roasted chana (handful)

 Makhana roasted in ghee (small handful)
 Whole wheat toast + hung curd dip or chutney
 Vegetable dhokla
 Besan chilla with mint chutney
 Boiled corn chaat with lemon & coriander
 Vegetable seviyan upma
 Masala oats (light)
 1 cup herbal tea (ginger, mint, ajwain) or warm turmeric milk
Dinner (7:00–8:00 PM) — Lighter than lunch
Purpose: easy digestion, no heaviness

Options:

 1–2 phulkas + thin dal + lauki or spinach sabzi

 Vegetable khichdi with carrots, beans & spinach + ghee drizzle
 Palak paratha (light) + curd
 Rice + mild kadhi + dry bhindi
 Vegetable daliya khichdi
 Carrot & beans pulao + raita

Bedtime (9:30–10:00 PM) — Warm & soothing

Purpose: calcium & prevent overnight nausea

Options:

 1 glass warm milk (plain or with turmeric)

 Or 1 banana (if tolerated)
 Or 2 dates + 4 soaked almonds
 Or 1 piece dry toast + milk

Extra Tips
 Drink 8–10 glasses of fluids/day — water, coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water.
 Avoid too much tea/coffee.
 Avoid high-gas foods: rajma, chole, black chana, cabbage, cauliflower, fried pakoras.
 Avoid too sour/spicy/pickles if acidity or nausea is bad.
 Sit upright after meals; don’t lie down immediately.
 Walk lightly after dinner.
 Second Trimester Diet Plan
Nutritional Priorities

 Energy: +350 kcal/day over normal

 Protein: ~60–65g/day
 Iron, calcium, folate, fibre
 Small, frequent, light meals help nausea & digestion
 Avoid constipation & bloating with fibre, water & cooked veggies

Meal-by-Meal Plan
Early Morning (6:30–7:30 AM)
Helps rehydrate after sleep, ease nausea

Options:

 4 soaked almonds + 2 soaked walnuts + 1–2 dates + warm water with few drops
lemon
 Warm jeera water or ajwain water
 Ginger tulsi herbal tea with 1–2 khakra
 1 glass coconut water
 2–3 dry crackers or ½ toast (for morning nausea)

Breakfast (8:30–9:30 AM)

Should be wholesome, high in complex carbs + moderate protein

Options:

 2–3 moong dal or besan cheela + mint or coriander chutney + ½ cup curd
 1–2 vegetable paratha (spinach/methi/lauki) with little ghee + curd or pickle
 1 bowl vegetable poha (peas, carrot, beans, roasted peanuts, ajwain & hing added)
 1 bowl upma with vegetables & roasted peanuts
 1–2 multigrain toast with paneer bhurji
 1 bowl millet porridge/daliya with milk, jaggery & nuts
 1 glass milk + banana or guava or orange + handful roasted makhana

Tips:

 Add ajwain/hing to batters & dough to ease gas.

  Keep spices mild to prevent heartburn.

Mid-Morning Snack (11:00–11:30 AM)

Light fruit or protein-rich snack

Options:

 1 seasonal fruit: pomegranate, guava, apple, orange, pear, sweet lime

 1 bowl mixed fruit chaat with a pinch of rock salt & jeera
 Handful roasted makhana + 4–5 raisins
 1 small glass buttermilk (chaas) or thin lassi
 Handful sprouts (moong) lightly steamed + lemon
 1 glass coconut water + handful chana

Avoid raw sprouts if digestion is weak.

Lunch (1:00–1:30 PM)

Main meal, balanced thali

Thali structure:

 2–3 chapati/roti (prefer multigrain)

 1 bowl dal: toor, moong, masoor, or dal palak
 1 bowl vegetable curry: options — lauki, tori, bhindi, beans, palak, carrots, methi
aloo, beet
 ½–1 cup steamed rice or khichdi (lightly spiced with jeera/hing)
 1 small bowl plain curd or cucumber/carrot raita
 Salad: cucumber, tomato, grated carrot, beet (in moderation)

Khichdi options:

 Moong dal khichdi + ghee + lightly sautéed vegetables

 Masala vegetable khichdi with coriander

Use minimum oil, prefer ghee, avoid refined oil.

Evening Snack (4:30–5:30 PM)

Light, fibre-rich to keep hunger & bloating away
Options:

 1 cup milk with turmeric + handful roasted murmura or khakra

 Vegetable oats upma with ajwain & hing
 2–3 idli + chutney
 Steamed dhokla + mint chutney
 1–2 whole wheat vegetable sandwich + tomato soup
 ½ bowl sprouts chaat
 Roasted peanuts + jaggery + coconut water

Avoid tea/coffee or keep to <1 cup/day.

Dinner (7:00–8:00 PM)

Lighter than lunch but still balanced

Options:

 2 chapati + bowl dal + sautéed vegetable + salad + curd

 1 bowl vegetable daliya + curd
 1 bowl thin vegetable oats porridge with jeera & ajwain
 2 chapati + tofu curry or paneer bhurji + palak sabzi
 1 bowl lemon rasam + rice + beans poriyal

Eat 2–3 hours before bedtime. Walk after dinner for 15–20 minutes.

Bedtime (9:30–10:00 PM)

Warm milk with pinch of nutmeg or honey
OR 4–5 soaked almonds + 2 dates
OR small bowl makhana kheer (light, less sweet)
Home Remedies for Gas & Bloating in
Pregnancy
Hormonal changes & slower digestion in pregnancy often cause bloating & gas.

Herbal & Food Remedies:

1. Ajwain (carom seeds) water:

o Boil ½ tsp ajwain in 1 cup water for 2–3 min, sip warm after meals.
o OR chew a pinch of roasted ajwain + black salt after meals.

Helps relieve gas, bloating & indigestion.

2. Jeera (cumin) water:

o Boil 1 tsp cumin seeds in 1–2 cups water. Drink warm through the day.

Soothes the stomach & reduces flatulence.

3. Hing (asafoetida):
o Dissolve a pinch of hing in warm water & drink.
o OR mix in cooked vegetables/dal to aid digestion.
4. Warm water with lemon & honey:
o Squeeze half a lemon into warm water with a little honey. Take in morning or
after heavy meals.
5. Fennel (saunf) tea:
o Crush 1 tsp fennel seeds & steep in hot water for 10 min. Sip warm.
o OR chew ½ tsp saunf after meals.
6. Buttermilk with roasted cumin:
o Whisk curd with water, add roasted cumin powder & a pinch of black salt.
7. Light yoga & walking:
o Gentle stretches & 10–15 min walk after meals improves digestion & prevents
gas buildup.

Home Remedies for Nausea & Morning

Sickness
Pregnancy hormones slow gastric emptying & increase sensitivity to smells & tastes.
Food & Lifestyle Remedies:

1. Ginger:
o Sip ginger tea: steep a few thin slices of fresh ginger in hot water.
o OR suck on a small piece of candied (dry) ginger. Proven to reduce
pregnancy-related nausea.
2. Dry snacks on waking:
o Keep khakra, dry toast, crackers, or Marie biscuits by your bed & eat before
getting up.
3. Mint:
o Chew a fresh mint leaf or sip mild mint tea. Helps reduce nausea & freshens
breath.
4. Lemon:
o Smell a cut lemon or add lemon juice to water & sip slowly.
5. Cold fruits & light meals:
o Eat chilled watermelon, sweet lime, or pomegranate to settle the stomach.
6. Vitamin B6–rich foods:
o Banana, nuts, whole grains help reduce nausea.
7. Small frequent meals:
o Never let your stomach stay empty. Eat something light every 2–3 hours.
8. Stay hydrated:
o Take small sips of water, coconut water, or lemon water throughout the day.

When to see a doctor?

If you have:

 Persistent vomiting & can’t keep liquids down (hyperemesis gravidarum)

 Severe abdominal pain or distension
 Blood in vomit or stools