Pregnancy diet charts: trimester by trimester

Your body gets all the nutrients and energy to grow your baby during pregnancy, from what you eat and drink. So, it's vital that you eat well. That's why we've prepared diet charts for pregnant women that highlight the important nutrients you need each trimester.

Our pregnancy diet charts have been checked by our nutritionist Neelanjana Singh so as to give you a balanced and healthy diet throughout your pregnancy.

We have vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet charts, as well as different ones for North Indian and South Indian dishes.

How to use our pregnancy diet charts

Our diet charts are a general guide to help you plan your weekly meals better. The aim is to help you identify foods that you like, which are good sources of the nutrients you need at your stage of pregnancy.

Keep in mind that:

• The plans are made with fruit and vegetables available in all seasons so that no matter what season you are in, you will find food sources in the market for the nutrients you need. If a fruit or vegetable is not available for you, replace it with any other that is in season and offers the same nutrients.
• A single food can be a source of multiple nutrients. So you might find the same food source is recommended in one trimester for a certain nutrient, and in another trimester for a different one. For example, lentils (dal) are a good source of folic acid, omega 3 fatty acids and iron, particularly for vegetarians.
• If you have any medical condition, allergies or follow a special diet plan please check with your doctor first before changing your diet. If you have gestational diabetes, please refer to our gestational diabetes meal plan.
• While using our meal plans, stay hydrated with eight to 12 glasses of water a day.
• Throughout pregnancy, you need to limit your caffeine intake. We’ve highlighted sources of caffeine in the plans to help you keep track of how much caffeine you are having.

First trimester pregnancy diet charts (4 - 13 weeks)

In our diet charts for the first trimester of pregnancy, you'll find foods that have the nutrients which are particularly important for your baby's development at this stage - folic acid, iron, and vitamin B6.

Folic acid protects your baby from neural tube disorders such as spina bifida and other birth disorders like cleft palate.

Iron is essential to make healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen around your body. Not having enough iron can leave you tired and breathless. Iron deficiency anaemia (low Hb) is common in India so this nutrient is important throughout pregnancy.

Morning sickness might leave you feeling queasy and unable to eat much. There is some evidence to suggest that vitamin B6 might help to ease nausea.

Download the diet chart that best suits you from the options below to eat well in your first trimester:

North Indian, vegetarian pregnancy diet charts

• First trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 1
• First trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 2
• First trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 3
• First trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 4

North Indian, non-vegetarian pregnancy diet charts

• First trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 1
• First trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 2
• First trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 3
• First trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 4

South Indian, vegetarian pregnancy diet charts

• First trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 1
• First trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 2
• First trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 3
• First trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 4

South Indian, non-vegetarian pregnancy diet charts

• First trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 1
• First trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 2
• First trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 3
• First trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 4

Second trimester pregnancy diet charts (14 - 27 weeks)

In the second trimester, your baby's bones are growing and so is the brain. You need plenty of calcium and vitamin D for growing healthy bones and omega 3 is essential for your baby's brain development.

Another nutrient we have marked in our meal planners for the second trimester is betacarotene, a form of vitamin A that helps give us healthy blood and skin.

We have also continued to highlight iron-rich foods since anaemia (low Hb) is so common in India, especially among vegetarians.

Download from the options below the diet plan that best suits your tastes and discover how to get these nutrients into your diet in your second trimester:

North Indian, vegetarian diet charts

• Second trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 1
• Second trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 2
• Second trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 3
• Second trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 4

North Indian, non-vegetarian diet charts

• Second trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 1
• Second trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 2
• Second trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 3
• Second trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 4

South Indian, vegetarian diet charts

• Second trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 1
• Second trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 2
• Second trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 3
• Second trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 4

South Indian, non-vegetarian diet charts

• Second trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 1
• Second trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 2
• Second trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 3
• Second trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 4

Third trimester pregnancy diet charts (28 - 40 weeks)

In the third trimester, your baby’s growth will speed up as he gains weight and prepares for life outside the womb. Because of this, you'll find that you’re gaining weight rapidly. Try not to worry too much about the extra kilos, as long as you're eating a well-balanced and healthy diet. Your energy requirement will increase as your baby is building layers of fat.

Vitamin K is essential for blood to clot, which is important after childbirth. So it is recommended that in your third trimester you eat plenty of food rich in vitamin K so that your body is not low on this vital nutrient at birth.

As in the first and second trimesters, iron continues to be an important nutrient in your third trimester to prevent anaemia. If you are anaemic, and the condition goes untreated, you are at higher risk of having premature labour.

Download the meal plans below to know how to get these nutrients into your diet in your third trimester:

• Third trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 1
• Third trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 2
• Third trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 3
• Third trimester, North Indian vegetarian diet chart 4

North Indian, non-vegetarian diet charts

• Third trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 1
• Third trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 2
• Third trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 3
• Third trimester, North Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 4

South Indian, vegetarian diet charts

• Third trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 1
• Third trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 2
• Third trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 3
• Third trimester, South Indian vegetarian diet chart 4

South Indian non-vegetarian diet charts

• Third trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 1
• Third trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 2
• Third trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 3
• Third trimester, South Indian non-vegetarian diet chart 4

Do I need to take supplements despite a healthy diet in pregnancy?

Eating a varied and healthy diet is the best way to get all the nutrients you and your baby need. Often, it's also easier for your body to absorb vital nutrients through food, rather than from supplements.

However, even the healthiest of diets needs a boost from supplements during pregnancy. So don't stop taking any supplements your doctor has prescribed without discussing it with her first.

In the first trimester, all pregnant women need to take a supplement of folic acid. In the second and third trimesters, your doctor will ask you to take iron and calcium tablets. How often you will need calcium and iron tablets will depend on your health and your diet (vegetarian or non-vegetarian). It's best for your body to absorb these nutrients that you don't take these tablets at the same time. Have them with a gap of at least two hours in between.

Depending on the results of your blood tests in early pregnancy, your doctor might also ask you to take a vitamin D supplement. Although your body gets vitamin D naturally from sunlight, a lot of women in India are deficient in this vital nutrient that helps your body to absorb calcium.

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