Nothing you do during the nine months of pregnancy is more important than taking care of your body and nourishing your baby with healthy foods. Sensible eating will give your baby the best chance of a healthy beginning.

This section will help you to:

• Follow Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide Enjoy a varied and balanced diet

• Discover the nutrients critical to baby during your pregnancy, and how to ensure you are taking in adequate amounts of those nutrients

A healthy diet combines many different foods from the 4 main food groups of, Canada’s Food Guide. During your pregnancy, you will need extra food and nutrients. What you eat, and how much you eat, are both important.  Try to have three meals and three snacks every day. Your meals should contain food from 3 or 4 food groups, and snacks should contain foods from 1 to 3 food groups. Eat other foods in moderation. This includes pop, coffee, tea, candy, jams, butter, margarine, sauces, condiment, chips, and chocolate. Other ways you can have a healthier diet include:

• Keep only nutritious foods in the house or at work (such as fresh fruits, salads, yogurt and nuts)

• Choose healthy take-out foods such as sandwiches, bread rolls, wraps, salads, pasta dishes, vegetable stir fries and rice

• Track what you are eating by keeping a diary of your food intake for one week (you may discover some surprises)

Changing poor eating habits will be more successful if you stick with a healthier diet for atleast four weeks. Some simple changes to make are:

• Eat food that is high in fibre to help digestion and prevent constipation

• Have plenty of complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grain breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, couscous) for long lasting body energy

• Have sufficient proteins (e.g. eggs, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, beans, nuts, tofu) for skin, tissue and muscle growth

• Eat a diet that is as mixed and varied as possible, to gain all your essential vitamins and minerals

• Include a small amount of healthy fat (canola, olive or soybean oil, soft non-hydrogenated margarine)

• Drink plenty of fluids (water, milk, juice, soup), which keeps you hydrated and assists your kidneys with filtering out toxins and waste products

Watch a video on nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy.