Once pregnant, you may find that you experience food cravings and morning sickness as your body adjusts to coping with fluctuating levels of hormones and the physical weight of the growing baby. This won't last long, but a sensible diet may help

What to eat
It's really important that you try to have a healthy and varied diet during your pregnancy to provide you with enough energy and nutrients for your baby to grow and develop. Your body also needs to be ready for a certain amount of change, so try to:

• continue to eat the recommended foods outlined in the 'eating well action plan'
• eat plenty of fibre: You may find that you become constipated very early in pregnancy because of the hormonal changes going on in your body. Fibre can help prevent constipation and can be found in wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables, and pulses such as beans and lentils.

Vitamins and minerals

Iron
Iron is essential for red blood cell development. More is needed during pregnancy to cope with the demand for extra oxygen from the rapidly growing foetus.

During pregnancy your iron levels may become low, so try to eat plenty of iron rich foods such as red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. You could also try drinking some juice containing vitamin C with your meal, for example orange juice or tomato juice, as this can help your body to absorb the iron present in different foods.

If your iron level becomes too low, your GP or midwife may advise you to take iron supplements.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important as it helps your body to absorb calcium. It can be found in oily fish, eggs and fat spreads and can also be provided by a little exposure to sunlight. Your GP may advise you to take supplements containing 10 mcg of vitamin D each day during your pregnancy.

Vitamin A
As when trying for a baby, you should avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oil. Fish liver oil contains high levels of vitamin A. You should also avoid liver and liver products, such as pate.

Too much vitamin A can build up in your body and may harm your baby.

Myth: Remember to eat for two
Few women realise that there's no need to 'eat for two' when pregnant. It's the quality not the quantity of food that's important. In fact you only need an extra 200-300 calories a day, this is the equivalent to a light snack such as hummus and salad in a pitta.

A little extra care
When pregnant, try to take a little extra care with the foods you eat to help ensure that your pregnancy goes smoothly and to keep your developing baby healthy. There are a few foods that are best avoided during your pregnancy because they might make you ill or harm your baby:

Pate
This can sometimes contain listeria, a bacteria which can cause food poisoning that can harm an unborn baby. Avoid all types of pate, including vegetarian options.

Raw or partially cooked eggs
Eggs need to be cooked enough for both the white and yolk to be solid - so foods containing raw eggs such as home-made mayonnaise, mousses and tiramisu should be avoided. This is to avoid the risk of food poisoning.

Raw shellfish
Raw shellfish can sometimes contain harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause food poisoning. Make sure that you cook all shellfish thoroughly.

Shark, swordfish and marlin
These fish sometimes contain high levels of mercury, which could harm your baby's developing nervous system so it's advised that you avoid eating these fish.

Certain meats
During your pregnancy you need to take a little extra care when cooking certain meats such as poultry, burgers, sausages, chicken nuggets, rolled joints and kebabs. This is because these types of meat can have bacteria all the way through them - so if they aren't properly cooked then any bacteria in the meat might not be killed. Make sure that these products are cooked right the way through and are piping hot in the middle.

It's fine for you to eat steaks and other whole cuts of meat rare during your pregnancy, as long as you ensure that the meat is sealed properly to kill any bacteria that may be present on the outside. You can also serve joints rare too, as long as the joint is a single piece of meat and not a rolled joint made from different pieces of meat rolled together.

Certain cheeses
It's best to avoid eating cheeses made from unpasteurised milk and certain soft cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or Chevre (a type of goat's cheese). You should also avoid blue cheeses as they are made with mould and occasionally contain listeria - a type of bacteria that could harm your unborn baby.

The following cheeses are ok to eat during pregnancy:

• Hard cheeses: Cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan
• Other cheeses including: feta, ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, mozzarella, processed cheese, cheese spread and cottage cheese

Milk
Drink milk that has been pasteurised, sterilised or ultra heat-treated (UHT). Milk that has not been heat-treated could potentially cause illness.

Some types of fish
During your pregnancy make sure you eat enough fish, as it's really good for both your health and that of your developing baby. Most types of fish can be eaten during pregnancy, but you should avoid eating any shark, swordfish or marlin.

Oily fish
Oily fish such as fresh tuna, mackerel, sardines and trout should be limited to two portions a week. You also shouldn't eat more than two fresh tuna steaks a week (weighing about 140g cooked or 170g raw). Tinned tuna is not classed as an oily fish and it's fine to eat up to four medium size cans of tuna a week (with a drained weight of about 140g per can).

Be careful with caffeine
You don't need to cut out caffeine completely but try not to have more than a daily total of two cups of tea, one mug of instant coffee, a can of cola and a chocolate bar - the equivalent to 300mg of caffeine. High levels of caffeine may affect your baby's birth-weight or increase the risk of miscarriage or still birth. For more information on levels of caffeine found in common food and drinks visit the Food Standards Agency?s practical advice site on diet and nutrition: www.eatwell.gov.uk/pregnancy

Myth: Rely on vitamin supplements to be healthy during pregnancy
Apart from folic acid and vitamin D supplements, which are recommended during pregnancy, vitamin supplements should never be a substitute for a varied and healthy diet.

During your pregnancy a GP or midwife may advise you to take certain supplements. These vitamins are intended to supplement, not replace a healthy diet. Vitamins and minerals can be found in their natural state in everyday foods and these foods should be part of your daily diet, alongside the recommended supplements.

Morning sickness
Not everyone experiences morning sickness during pregnancy but if you do tend to, then you may find the following tips helpful:

Relief from morning sickness

• Nausea is often made worse by an empty stomach so don't avoid eating if you feel nauseous
• The tastes and smells of some foods can set off feelings of sickness. Sticking to bland, non-greasy foods such as baked potatoes, pasta and milk puddings may help
• Eat small, frequent meals, high in carbohydrates and low in fat
• Keep a light snack, such as a cracker by your bed and eat it before getting up in the morning or if you wake in the night. This helps prevent sickness
• Remedies containing ginger may be helpful. Try taking root ginger or ginger capsules, ginger tea, or ginger ale
• Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol to prevent dehydration

Food Cravings
You may experience food cravings during your pregnancy, which may result in you craving the most unusual combination of foods. Whilst it's ok to have a little of what you fancy, you should be careful not to over-indulge in high fat, high sugar and high salt foods that lack essential nutrients - no matter how tempting large servings of these foods may be! Some healthy, nutritious snacks include:

• low-fat yoghurts and fromage frais
• hummus with wholemeal bread or vegetable sticks
• fruit including fresh, tinned in juice or dried fruit such as raisins or apricots
• unsweetened breakfast cereals or porridge

Pregnancy and weight
Different women gain different amounts of weight, but according to experts it's best to try not to put on more than 10-12.5kg (22-28lb) over the whole of your pregnancy. Too much weight gain can affect your health and increase your blood pressure, but equally it's important that you don't diet. It's best to gain weight slowly and steadily during your pregnancy.

A GP or midwife may have special advice for women who weigh more than 100kg or less than 50kg.

Myth: Diet during your pregnancy so that you don't have trouble getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight
It's important that you stick to a healthy, balanced diet throughout your pregnancy and do not attempt to diet or cut out any food groups. This could make you ill or harm your developing baby.