The second trimester is the best period of your pregnancy. During this period, your morning sickness would have subsided, your energy levels are up again, and the baby bump is yet to show up and create discomfort. The diet point of view during the second trimester is the most important part of pregnancy. The baby grows the most during this period, and all the baby’s organs are formed during this trimester. A healthy second-trimester pregnancy diet will assure that the baby is growing healthy, and you are also not deficient of the essential nutrients. So here we have a list of what to eat and avoid during the 2nd-trimester diet and how you should plan the same.

Pregnancy requires extra care for the women since she is now nurturing two bodies instead of one, and thus the diet for the whole course of pregnancy should be taken seriously to have a healthy baby. The 2nd-trimester diet should also be taken care of to maintain a healthy pregnancy. So let us look at what to eat during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Nutritional Sources for Second Trimester Diet:

The various nutritional sources that should be included in the second-trimester pregnancy diet include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and lots and lots of water. The nutritional requirement should be divided into three equal portions, and each meal should contain each portion of the nutrition to keep up your energy level throughout the day and also fulfil the nutritional requirement.

Diet Chart for Second Trimester Diet:

The diet plan for the second trimester should contain a combination of the following:

• Each day you should consume at least five portions of green leafy vegetables and fruits to meet the daily requirement of iron and folic acid.
• Every meal should contain carbohydrates (Wholegrain bread, starchy foods, cereals etc.)
• Consume dairy products at least 2-3 portions to meet the daily calcium requirement.
• Foods high in proteins such as eggs, beans, fish, etc. should be consumed twice daily.
• Oily fish which is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids should not be consumed more than twice a week.
• Switch to healthy snacks such as sandwiches and yoghurts to satisfy your hunger pangs.

Diet Plan for 2nd Trimester Diet:

It is important that you prepare and follow a meal plan during the second trimester of pregnancy so that your baby gets all the nutritional requirements needed for healthy growth and development. While making the diet chart, you should include fruits and vegetables that are available throughout the year, and if some fruit or vegetable is not available during a particular season, then you should replace it with the fruit or vegetable available in that season and of the same nutritional value. The following is a sample diet chart for the second trimester. This is how your ideal diet chart should be: