The best thing about being pregnant is that you can eat as you please and not feel guilty about the weight that you put on. Some believe a woman to be more appealing and sensuous when she packs on the pounds during her pregnancy. The food that you can indulge in makes up for the hours that you stand in front of the sink throwing up everything that went in the previous day. The point that you need to keep in mind though is that you need to eat larger quantities of nutritious food. That’s where most women go wrong. Most of your cravings will be for foods that are low on nutrition and you can spend the entire day indulging in your cravings and it will not help your condition in any way.

You need to increase your calorie count but it need not be a drastic increase. Start with 300 calories daily and work your way up as you progress. Speak with your dietician about what are the necessary changes in your diet that you need to make. Your diet now needs to be a healthy balance of fiber, vitamins, zinc and iron. Start the day with a fiber rich meal in order to give yourself an energy boost. Drink plenty of water during the day. The water and fiber in your diet will ensure that you have regular bowel movements and do not suffer from constipation.

You will need to cut back on certain foods. Caffeine is dangerous to your health at this point in time and hence you must avoid it completely. Give up tea and coffee for the entire term of your pregnancy and when you are breast feeding.

Eat plenty of protein. Chicken and eggs are the best source of protein and you must not feel shy to indulge in them at this point. Eat a lot of non fat yogurt and drink plenty of milk. This will help you to increase your vitamin D intake daily. Milkshakes and smoothies are great as they give you a shot of milk along with a healthy does of fruits.

Eat plenty of apricots and nuts. They help you to increase the amount of folic acid in your body. You must also take your prenatal medications on time; never leave the house without taking your prescription.