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How to prevent anemia during pregnancy

To prevent from anemia during pregnancy, make sure you get enough iron.  A well balanced diet with adequate calories and good quality protein, foods rich in iron, folic acid, Vitamin ‘B12’ & ‘C’ needs to be taken.

Iron-rich Foods

Cereals and millets: Bajra, ragi, whole wheat flour, puffed rice and rice flakes.

Legumes: Horse gram, moth beans, lentils, bengal gram dal, rajmah, peas dry, cow peas.

Non vegetarian: Chicken liver, egg yolk, mutton, chicken.

Dark green and leafy vegetables like curry leaves powder, mint chutney, gogu, methi, amaranth, drumstick leaves, onion stalks etc. daily.

Nuts and oil seeds: Til, chia seeds, groundnuts, flax seeds, almonds and pista, melon seeds, coconut dry.

Dry fruits:  Raisins, black dates, apricot.

Include protein-rich foods

Sources of protein for vegetarians are milk, curds (yoghurt), cheese, soya nuggets, tofu and paneer.

Non-vegetarians are eggs, lean meats like fish and chicken.

Eat often and eat small meals that help in better absorption and digestion. 

The Helpers

Eating vitamin c can double the amount the ion your body absorbs.

We get vitamin c from amla, guava, berries, melon, mango, pineapple, citrus fruits, lime juice etc. along with your meals.

Use of double fortified salt (iron + iodine) is recommended.

The Blockers

Do not drink tea or coffee with your meals. Take it an hour before or after the meal.

Do not combine an iron-rich meal with too many calcium-rich foods like milk, cheese, paneer etc.

Too much fiber in the diet also affects the iron absorption.

Avoid refined and processed foods – Limit intake of pasta, noodles, polished rice, ready-to-eat foods, etc.

Avoid pickles

Dietary sources of folic acid  :Green leafy vegetables – Amaranth, ambat chukka, spinach, mint,  Oil seeds like gingelly (til) and soya bean, Orange juice, Chickpeas, Other legumes like green gram and red gram, Black-eyed beans and cluster beans.

Dietary sources of B12: Shellfish, liver, fish, lamb, egg and low fat dairy product.