Whatever your previous weight, now's the time to adopt a sensible approach to eating well. The American Dietetic Association suggest that, like all women, if you are pregnant you should choose a variety of foods from the four food groups daily: grain products, vegetables and fruit, milk products, and meat and alternatives.
Choosing foods from each of the food groups in the USDA's "Choose My Plate" can help you meet your special nutritional needs. It is important to eat regularly and enjoy nutritious snacks. You should try to eat:
- grains: 6 ounces per day
- vegetables: 2½ cups per day
- fruits: 2 cups per day
- dairy: 3 cups per day
- protein foods: 5½ ounces per day, including 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week
- oils: 6 tsp per day
Important nutrients for you and your baby
| Nutrient or Vitamin |
What is it for? |
Where can I find it? |
| Iron |
Healthy blood cells and adequate oxygen supply |
Lean red meat, dried peas and beans, whole grains, enriched cereals, dark green vegetables, dried fruits and nuts |
| Folate/folic acid* |
Brain and nervous system development, healthy blood cells |
Dark-green leafy vegetables, dried peas and beans, cantaloupe, orange juice, grapefruit, nuts |
| Calcium |
Protects bones and teeth, and helps reduce high blood pressure |
Milk & milk products, sesame seeds, almonds, blackstrap molasses, fortified soy milk, soy beans, broccoli, turnip |
| Zinc |
Building and healing tissues (baby tissues too!) |
Meats, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk products |
| Vitamin A |
Overall growth and development, vision and immune system |
Orange and dark green fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese |
| Vitamin D |
Helps calcium in protecting and building strong, healthy bones and teeth |
Sunlight, milk and milk products, eggs |
| Vitamin B12 |
Makes new cells (especially blood cells) and builds a healthy nervous system |
Lean meats, certain fish**, eggs, milk, hard cheeses, fortified breakfast cereals, soy products |
| Vitamin C |
Strengthens the immune system and helps build healthy tissues |
Citrus fruits, vitamin-enriched apple juice, green vegetables, tomato juice |
| Essential fatty acids |
Development of the brain and nervous system, hormone production, and vision |
Soybean, canola oils and non-hydrogenated margarine, some soy-based products (e.g., tofu) |
| Protein |
Builds, repairs and replaces tissues; maintains fluid balance and immune system; aids in blood clotting |
Lean meats and poultry, combined grains and legumes, seeds, nuts, and egg and milk products*** |
*Do you have a relative or friend wanting to conceive? Make sure she knows about the importance of folic acid before she gets pregnant.
Folic acid is a member of the B-vitamin family. It works with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells. Folic acid helps reduce a baby's risk of developing a type of birth defect called neural tube defect, or spina bifida. Neural tube defects happen early in pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Make sure you get enough folic acid every day even before you become pregnant. Since it's hard to get enough from dietary sources alone, most doctors recommend that healthy women take 0.4 mg (400 µg) of folic acid daily for several months before becoming pregnant as well as during pregnancy. Make sure the supplement contains no more than 1 mg of folic acid, unless your doctor recommends otherwise. Some women may need more than 0.4 mg of folic acid per day. Check with your doctor to be sure.
Other tips to increase folic acid intake:
- Choose fortified breads and cereals.
- Eat more foods rich in folic acid/folate: reach for asparagus, broccoli, spinach, oranges, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
- Avoid overcooking vegetables.
** For a list of which fish and other foods to avoid during pregnancy, see
"What foods or substances should I avoid?" in this health feature.
*** For pregnant women who follow a vegetarian diet, see "Vegetarianism During Pregnancy" in this health feature.