Is the DASH diet safe during pregnancy?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am 22 weeks pregnant woman. My age is 28 years and I wanted to know about the DASH diet. Is this diet safe to be followed during pregnancy? My fetus's health and growth are good according to reports. However, I want to take care of my health and follow a nutritious diet. Will the DASH diet be a good choice for providing the essential nutrients to me and my baby?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

When we talk about DASH "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" diet for people with kidney stones is recommended but when it comes to trends and sustainable healthy living I suggest the MIND diet which is a combination of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. But at this stage, you need to take care of yourself and the fetus too for a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery.

Eat small and frequent meals.
To eat a rainbow of foods with fibers like in salad add more vegetables like cucumber, onion, tomato, broccoli, lettuce, carrot, and radish.
Calcium is needed to support the development of bones, so take more milk and milk products.
Involve more dark green leafy vegetables (involve spinach, kale, broccoli, etc). These are rich in iron and will help maintain hemoglobin levels.
Involve antioxidants daily just to destroy free radicals, so consume soaked almonds and walnuts.
Involve omega 3 fatty acids as it will help in the neural and cognitive development of the baby. Thus include foods like soaked walnuts and eggs.
Increase protein intake as it is the building block of the body such as pulses, soya, paneer, milk, and probiotic yogurt if you are non-vegetarian then eat chicken and eggs.

Kindly check for aversion due to pregnancy then add in diet.

Hope this helps.