Pregnancy diet chart: what to eat each day
A healthy pregnancy diet is a balanced, home-cooked diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, protein such as daal, eggs, chicken and fish, and 2 to 3 portions of dairy a day. You don't need to eat for two. Take folic acid until 12 weeks and vitamin D throughout.
What to eat every day
| Food group | Aim for | Good choices |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables and fruit | At least 5 portions a day | Palak, methi, carrots, tomatoes, guava, oranges, dates, apples |
| Starchy foods | With every meal; choose wholegrain | Wholemeal roti, brown rice, oats, daliya, potatoes with skin |
| Protein | 2 to 3 portions a day | Daal, chana, rajma, eggs, chicken, fish, lean meat, paneer, tofu |
| Dairy | 2 to 3 portions a day | Milk, dahi, lassi (low sugar), pasteurised cheese, laban |
| Healthy fats | Small amounts | Nuts, seeds, olive oil; go easy on ghee |
| Fluids | About 8 to 10 glasses; more in hot weather | Water, milk, coconut water, lassi |
Sample diet chart: Pakistani and Indian food
An example day using everyday South Asian dishes. Swap freely between similar foods.
| Meal | Example |
|---|---|
| Early morning | A glass of milk or 2 to 3 soaked almonds and a few dates |
| Breakfast | Wholemeal paratha with little oil, or 2 slices of wholemeal bread, with a fully cooked egg or omelette, and a bowl of dahi |
| Mid-morning | A piece of fruit such as an orange, guava, apple or banana |
| Lunch | 1 to 2 wholemeal rotis, a bowl of daal or chana, a vegetable sabzi such as palak or bhindi, and salad with lemon |
| Afternoon | Roasted chana, a handful of nuts, or fruit chaat |
| Dinner | Chicken or fish salan cooked through, or keema with vegetables, with roti or a small portion of rice, plus raita |
| Bedtime | A glass of warm milk, plain or with a pinch of haldi or a few strands of saffron |
Vegetarian? Replace meat and fish with extra daal, chana, rajma, paneer, tofu and dairy, and ask your doctor about vitamin B12.
Sample diet chart: Gulf and Arab food
| Meal | Example |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Foul medames or shakshuka with eggs cooked through, wholemeal khubz, cucumber and tomato |
| Mid-morning | Labneh (pasteurised) with vegetables, or fruit |
| Lunch | Grilled chicken or fish with vegetables, a small portion of machboos or rice, and a salad such as fattoush |
| Afternoon | 3 dates with a handful of nuts and a glass of laban |
| Dinner | Lentil soup (shorbat adas), a wholemeal wrap with grilled meat and salad, or a vegetable stew with rice |
| Bedtime | A glass of milk or a pot of yoghurt |
What changes in each trimester
- First trimester (weeks 1 to 13): no extra calories needed. Focus on folic acid and on eating what you can keep down if you feel sick: small, frequent, plain snacks. See morning sickness remedies.
- Second trimester (weeks 14 to 27): appetite returns. Build meals around protein, iron and calcium. Iron needs rise, so eat daal, chana, green vegetables and lean meat, with vitamin C to help absorption.
- Third trimester (weeks 28 to birth): add a healthy snack a day. Smaller, more frequent meals help with heartburn. Keep up calcium for your baby's bones.
Tips for South Asian and Gulf kitchens
- Use less ghee and oil; cook curries with a few teaspoons rather than a ladle.
- Choose wholemeal atta and brown rice more often than white rice and naan.
- Limit mithai, sweet lassi, karak and fizzy drinks, especially if you're at risk of gestational diabetes.
- Have tea and coffee between meals, not with them, so they don't block iron absorption, and keep caffeine under 200 mg a day.
- Make sure meat, kebabs and eggs are cooked through, and milk and paneer are pasteurised or boiled.
- In hot weather, drink more water than you think you need.
Foods to avoid
Unpasteurised milk and cheese, raw or undercooked meat, eggs and seafood, liver (kaleji), high-mercury fish such as shark and swordfish, and alcohol. Check any food in our pregnancy food safety guide.
Pregnancy diet questions
How many extra calories do I need in pregnancy?
None in the first trimester. Later, you need only a little more: UK guidance says about 200 extra calories a day in the last trimester, and US guidance about 340 a day in the second trimester and 450 in the third. That's roughly an extra snack, not an extra meal.
Which fruits are best in pregnancy?
All fruits are good when ripe and washed. Oranges, guava and kiwi are rich in vitamin C, bananas in potassium and dates in fibre. Ripe papaya and pineapple are fine in normal amounts.
What should I avoid eating in pregnancy?
Unpasteurised milk and cheese, raw or undercooked meat, eggs and seafood, liver and kaleji, high-mercury fish, alcohol, and more than 200 mg of caffeine a day. See our food safety guide for details.
Do I need supplements if I eat well?
Yes. Take folic acid (400 micrograms) until 12 weeks and vitamin D (10 micrograms) throughout pregnancy. Take iron only if your doctor prescribes it.
General guidance for healthy pregnancies. If you have gestational diabetes, anaemia, high blood pressure or another condition, follow your doctor's or dietitian's plan.