It's no secret that during pregnancy the baby in the tummy eats what his mother consumes. Therefore, a woman needs to revise her diet. It is necessary to completely eliminate fried, fatty and spicy. And not to gain excess weight, you need to eat low-calorie, but at the same time useful foods.
Unlike other diets contraindicated in pregnancy, the protein diet is useful not only for the woman herself, but also for her future baby. The protein diet perfectly supports immunity, positively influences the intestinal microflora and helps with breastfeeding, waiting for you after the birth of the child.
What is a protein diet for pregnant women?
Contrary to the prevailing opinion that a diet is always a strict restriction in food that can harm a child, a protein diet only regulates the amount of protein consumed per day.
You need to raise the intake of pure protein to 2-2.5 g per day, calculated per 1 kg of body weight. That is, the daily protein norm should be about 100-120 g.
In this diet is not limited to proteins. Fats and carbohydrates are also allowed, as they are necessary for the normal development of the baby. Simply, their quantity must be reduced to a certain level, eliminating flour products, sugar, bread, etc.
With each meal, pregnant women should consume only one portion of protein food. With an excess of protein in the diet, there is a danger of overloading the body with the products of its decomposition - creatinine, urea and uric acid. And this, in turn, can put unnecessary strain on the liver and kidneys.
As with any other diet, during a protein diet, pregnant women should eat at least 4-5 times a day and in small portions. The approximate distribution of calories can be as follows: 30% for the first breakfast, 10% for the second breakfast, 40% for the lunch, 10% for the afternoon snack and 10% for the dinner.
Protein Diet During Pregnancy
The daily menu for a protein diet for pregnant women is based on the following allowed products:
- 2 cups of milk;
- 2 eggs "in a bag";
- 2 cucumbers, a few lettuce leaves, or any other green vegetable;
- cereals - 5 times a day, for example, pistachios or peanuts;
- 3 pieces of butter;
- Once a day, you need to eat something rich in vitamin C;
- 120 g red meat - veal, beef, mutton, lean pork steamed;
- 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese;
- a piece of cheese, for example - mozzarella;
- 150 g of fish or seafood;
- water in moderate amounts.
During the protein diet, you should limit or completely refrain from consuming chocolate, fresh bread, condensed milk, confectionery, fatty foods, sweet fruits (bananas, melons, grapes), hard-boiled eggs, refined sugar and alcohol (its use during pregnancy is generally necessary bring to naught).
It is important to eat foods that are allowed with a protein diet. For example, a piece of meat to eat not with baked potatoes, but with a leaf of lettuce. And a fresh bun with butter and a slice of tender cheese.
What is the benefit of a protein diet for a pregnant woman?
Proteins play a very important role in the development and growth of the fetus, and also contribute to the strengthening of the uterus, placenta and mammary glands.
If you do not maintain the necessary level of protein during pregnancy, its shortage can affect the health of the woman and her child. Protein deficiency is fraught with abnormal development of the fetal muscles, slowing of metabolism and a set of fat mass.
And yet this type of food ensures that a woman will leave the maternity home in the same fine form as was before pregnancy.