Preconception Indian Recipes | Pre pregnancy diet Indian |

It is the biggest change in a woman's life. A mother's body should be healthy to nurture a new life. It is a big responsibility, and one should be ready to accept it as a challenge and also enjoy this period of change in your life.

Broccoli and Almond Soup, Protein Rich Recipe

3 Key Pointers for Preconception

1. Maintain a weight that is appropriate for pregnancy as this is a better indicator of maternal health during your 9 months of gestation. Even if you are slightly overweight or underweight, there is no reason to panic as long a s you are at a weight level that you are comfortable with. Here is a formula to help you determine what weight is appropriate for your height. Height (cm) - 105=Ideal Body Weight (kg.) (105 is a standard figure derived for women from Broca’s index for ideal body weight.

2. Do not smoke or drink alcohol or use any recreational drugs.

Palak Paneer has 93% RDA of folic acid. See palak paneer recipe and calories for palak paneer.

3. Have a complete medical checkup, including blood analysis, which will indicate your iron, haemoglobin and folic acid status. These nutrients are vital during your pregnancy and are required in large quantities for the foetal growth and development. It is important that you build up their reserves before you actually conceive.

Essential Nutrients for Preconception (Nutrition before Pregnancy)

A woman who has been well nourished before conception begins her pregnancy with reserves of many essential nutrients.  A woman should begin making changes in her diet and lifestyle 3 months to a year before conceiving. It has been proved in a lot of studies that a healthy mom has a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. 

Beet Treat, Carrot Beet and Apple Juice

Healthy nutrition in man and woman has always been linked to enhanced fertility in both. A well-nourished woman will have enhanced chances of conceiving naturally as she will have a healthy reproductive system. Moreover the mother will also easily be able to meet the needs of the growing foetus. 

The key nutrients for a woman in preconception stage are

1.    Folic Acid

2.   Iron

3.   Calcium

4.   Protein

5.    Vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin C & Vitamin E

Healthy Moong Chaat

It is important to build up reserves of these nutrients before you actually conceive to have a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Folic Acid and Preconception 

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for a woman is 100 mcg of folic acid and for a pregnant woman is 4 times i.e. 400 mcg. During preconception there is no such specific allowance, but a woman should definitely concentrate on acquiring 400 mcg of folic acid per day at least 3 months before conception. 

Major sources of folic acid include 

·       veggies like tomatoes, spinach, broccoli etc. 

·       nuts and oilseeds like almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds etc. 

·       a variety of beans and pulses.

Moong Dal Dosa, Broccoli and Baby Corn Stir-fry and Hariyali Dal are some examples of folic acid rich fare. Do try and include them in your daily meals. Also read in detail about Folic Acid Rich Food for Pregnancy.

Hariyali Dal ( Pregnancy Recipe )

Iron and Preconception

Iron is a key nutrient essential for fetal blood formation in the first trimester. Later in the second and third trimester the needs for iron surges to accommodate increased maternal blood volume. However building iron reserves should begin in the preconception stage.

This will later help to prevent anemia in the mother-to-be and ensure a good supply of oxygen and nutrients in the mothers body and to the baby later after conceiving. 

The key source of iron are

·       green veggies like spinach, cauliflower greens, chawli leaves, colaccasia leaves etc. 

·       seeds like sesame seeds and garden cress seeds.

·       beans and sprouts

·       cereals like jowar, bajra and buckwheat. 

·       some fruits like pineapple and watermelon. 

To stock up on your iron stores recipes like Buckwheat Dhokla and Beans and Amaranth leaves Dal are a wise choice. Also read in detail about Iron Rich Foods for Pregnancy.

Buckwheat Dhoklas

Calcium and Preconception

Calcium too is an important nutrient during preconception and pregnancy both. A woman planning a baby needs to stock up on this nutrient for bone strength and later for development of fetal bones and teeth. An adult woman needs 400 mg of calcium daily, while a woman in preconception should focus to consume around 1000 mg / day, which is in reality at par with the needs of a pregnant woman. Stock it up in advance. This is because the after conceiving the growing fetus will take its share from your body and then you shouldn’t be depleted of these key nutrients. 

The main source of calcium are

·       Dairy products like milk, curd, paneer etc. 

·       Cereals like ragi and buckwheat.

·       Pulses like moong, kabuli chana, masoor etc. Sprouting these pulses make them all the more             calcium rich. 

·       Seeds like sesame seeds and nuts like almonds and walnuts. 

·       Veggies like broccoli and some greens.

Rely on food fare like Sprouts Masala Matki and Broccoli Soup to build your calcium reserves. Also read in detail about Calcium Rich Foods for Pregnancy.

Keeping these requirements in mind, we have included recipes protein rich recipes like Rajma and Urad Dal and multi-vitamin recipes like Buckwheat Moong and Vegetable Khichdi and Nachni Sesame Khakhra.

Rajma and Urad Dal

Preconception Recipes Rich in Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid and Fibre

Enjoy Preconception Indian Recipes | Pre pregnancy diet Indian | and other pregnancy articles below.

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Pregnancy Dals and Vegetables Recipes
Pregnancy Desserts Recipes
Pregnancy Fiber Rich Recipes
Pregnancy First Trimester Recipes
Pregnancy Folic Acid Rich Recipes
Pregnancy Second Trimester Recipes
Pregnancy Third Trimester Recipes