Your future children will benefit from the steps you take now to improve your diet. In fact, eating nutritionally is one of the most important things you can do for your baby. Being a healthy body weight is important before pregnancy – if you’re underweight it can be more difficult to conceive, if you’re overweight you run a greater risk of complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy.

Ideally, you should start thinking about a balanced diet three months to one year ahead of conception. Because you want to maximise your nutrient stores before becoming pregnant, you should, on a daily basis, consume:

• Two to three calcium-rich foods, such as reduced fat milk, cheese and yogurt
• At least five servings of fruits and vegetables. Of these, one should be rich in vitamin C – good sources include oranges, cantaloupe, kiwi, and papaya. And two servings should be rich in folate, a B vitamin that helps prevent defects such as spina bifida – lentils, orange juice, spinach, and broccoli are good.
• Eat two servings of a lean, high-protein food, such as fish or white meat.
• Base most of your meals on starchy foods, particularly whole grain foods, including brown rice, oatmeal, and wholewheat bread.
• Drink plenty of fluid.

As for vitamin supplements, make sure that you take a folic acid supplement (400 micrograms a day) before conception and for the first three months of pregnancy to protect against the risk of neural tube defects. Folic acid is the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate (see above). During your first antenatal check up, a sample of your blood will be tested to see if you need additional iron, which can be also be taken as a supplement.

It is critical to point out, however, that some vitamins and minerals can be toxic if taken in too large of an amount. Vitamin A can cause birth defects. For this reason, vitamin A supplements and foods containing large amounts of it such as liver and liver products are not advisable.

Finally, pregnant women are vulnerable to food poisoning bacteria such as listeria and salmonella, so try to avoid prepacked salads, raw egg and soft unripened cheeses such as brie.