Pregnancy Diet

A woman's diet during pregnancy is paramount to fetal development. While a healthy diet is obviously important, some nutrients should be given special attention. Some are even important for a woman to have at least a few days prior to her knowledge of the pregnancy. So if you think you may be pregnant or are trying to get pregnant, start supplementing your diet with the following nutrients: folate, calcium, vitamin D, protein and iron.

To prevent birth defects, the Mayo Clinic suggests a woman gets 800 mg of B vitamin folate and folic acid daily. This can be consumed by whole grains, leafy greens and citrus.

To promote the development of strong bones, the Mayo Clinic suggests a woman consumes 1,000 mg of calcium (1,300 for teens) and 600 IU of vitamin D. Calcium can be consumed in dairy products, salmon, spinach and some juices. Vitamin D is present in fatty fishes like salmon and tuna. Other suggested sources are eggs, milk and asparagus.

Women will need to eat 71 grams of protein a day to boost the baby's growth. This is particularly important during the second two trimesters, according to the Mayo Clinic. Beans, dairy products, lean meats, fish and nuts are all great sources of protein.

For healthy blood and to prevent the woman from developing anemia, the Mayo Clinic suggests she includes at least 27 mg of iron into her diet. Meat is the easiest source of iron for the body to absorb. Iron is also found in nuts, dried fruit, beans and spinach.

The pregnancy diet also includes foods that shouldn't be consumed. These include seafood that contain large amounts of mercury and raw seafood, meat, poultry or eggs. Unpasteurized dairy products, caffeine, herbal tea, alcohol, vitamin A and unwashed produce are also off-limits.