Nutrition through pregnancy: must read.

How can I plan healthy meals during pregnancy?
Planning healthy meals during pregnancy is not hard. The United States Department of Agriculture has made it easier by creating
www.choosemyplate.gov . This web site helps everyone from dieters and children to pregnant women learn how to make healthy food choices at each mealtime.
How does MyPlate work?
With MyPlate, you can get a personalized nutrition and physical activity plan by using the “SuperTracker” program. This program is based on five food groups and shows you the amounts that you need to eat each day from each group during each trimester of pregnancy. The amounts are calculated according to your height, prepregnancy weight, due date, and how much you exercise during the week. The amounts of food are given in standard sizes that most people are familiar with, such as cups and ounces.
What are the five food groups?

1. Grains—Bread, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, and tortillas are all grains.
2. Fruits—Fruits can be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried. Juice that is 100% fruit juice also counts.
3. Vegetables—Vegetables can be raw or cooked, frozen, canned, dried, or 100% vegetable juice.
4. Protein foods—Protein foods include meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds.
5. Dairy—Milk and products made from milk, such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, make up the dairy group.
   Are oils and fats part of healthy eating?
   Although they are not a food group, oils and fats do give you important nutrients . During pregnancy, the fats that you eat provide energy and help build many fetal organs and the placenta. Most of the fats and oils in your diet should come from plant sources. Limit solid fats, such as those from animal sources. Solid fats also can be found in processed foods.
   Why are vitamins and minerals important in my diet?
   Vitamins and minerals play important roles in all of your body functions. During pregnancy, you need more folic acid and iron than a woman who is not pregnant.
   How can I get the extra amounts of vitamins and minerals I need during pregnancy?
   Taking a prenatal vitamin supplement can ensure that you are getting these extra amounts. A well-rounded diet should supply all of the other vitamins and minerals you need during pregnancy.
   What is folic acid and how much do I need daily?
   Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B vitamin that is important for pregnant women. Before pregnancy and during pregnancy, you need 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine called neural tube defects . Current dietary guidelines recommend that pregnant women get at least 600 micrograms of folic acid daily from all sources. It may be hard to get the recommended amount of folic acid from food alone. For this reason, all pregnant women and all women who may become pregnant should take a daily vitamin supplement that contains folic acid.
   Why is iron important during pregnancy and how much do I need daily?
   Iron is used by your body to make a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your organs and tissues. During pregnancy, you need extra iron—about double the amount that a nonpregnant woman needs. This extra iron helps your body make more blood to supply oxygen to your baby. The daily recommended dose of iron during pregnancy is 27 mg, which is found in most prenatal vitamin supplements. You also can eat iron-rich foods, including lean red meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified cereals, and prune juice. Iron also can be absorbed more easily if iron-rich foods are eaten with vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes