Expecting? Having a baby on board means you’ve got nine busy months of providing womb and board ahead of you. The womb, well, you’ve already got that going on. The board, well…that may take a little doing. Lucky for you, it’s easy to do and do well — with the help of the Pregnancy Diet.

As your little one’s only source of nourishment (fetuses can’t order in), you’ll want to offer up the best food service you can, packed with all the nutrients babies need to grow. The Pregnancy Diet is a sensible, well-balanced, healthy eating plan with a baby-centric twist. Instead of focusing only on your nutritional needs, the Pregnancy Diet brings baby’s growing needs to the table, too, along with your pregnancy’s best interests (from minimizing pesky symptoms to preventing complications). It’s also practical (breaking down everything you’ll need to eat into a Daily Dozen of food groups) and realistic. (Too green for those green leafies? Munch on some melon instead. Can’t face a glass of milk? Nibble on a chunk or cheese instead) Flexible, too. Think of it as a general framework for healthy eating rather than a strict diet doctrine. Best of all, the Pregnancy Diet contains many of the foods you already like to eat — and all the nutrients your baby needs delivered fresh daily, via the Placenta Café.

What Foods to Eat During Pregnancy

The Pregnancy Diet divides all the baby-friendliest foods into 12 easy groups. Just eat the recommended number of portions from each group, or thereabouts, and you’re done for the day. Actually, if you choose foods that fill two or more groups in the same serving (for example, yogurt fills protein and calcium), you’ll be done even faster. Can’t gag it all down, or even come close on some days? Don’t stress. Just do your best (and during those queasy months, your best may be…not much), and your baby will benefit.

• Calories: 300 extra each day. So you were planning to take everything you normally eat and double it, now that you’re eating for two? Not the best plan. Because your baby is only a fraction of your size (just pea-sized, in fact, early on), you’ll need to add an average of only 300 calories a day to your prepregnancy calorie intake. Have no idea how many calories you eat and not keen on counting them? No need to. Just keep your eye on the scale — if it’s moving up at the recommended rate, your calories are right on target. Exceptions to the 300-calorie formula? If you’re carrying twins, are very active, or were significantly underweight prepregnancy, you’ll probably need more calories. If you were seriously overweight before becoming pregnant, you might be able to get along on fewer calories. Check with your practitioner for recommendations.
  
• Protein: 3 servings daily. Protein’s amino acids (the building blocks of human cells) are essential to growing a healthy baby. Aim for three servings of protein daily (which adds up to about 75 g). Need some help figuring out which protein-rich foods to eat during pregnancy? Choose from these:

  — Fish

  — Poultry

  — Beef

  — Eggs

  — Milk, cheese, and yogurt (which do double duty as calcium foods)

  — Whole-grain breads and cereal

  — Protein-rich grains like quinoa

  — Soy, beans, and nuts

• Calcium: 4 servings daily. Got milk? You should, or include four servings of other calcium-rich foods into your diet each day. That’s because calcium is good for your baby (it’s essential for, among other things, those developing bones) and good for you (it’ll help your bones stay strong, warding off osteoporosis later on). Here are some calcium-rich foods to eat during pregnancy:

  — Milk

  — Some soy products (check the labels)

  — Cheese

  — Yogurt and, yes, even ice cream (just keep in mind your calorie count)

  — Calcium-fortified OJ and other juices

  — Edamame

  — Canned salmon with bones

  — Cooked greens

  — Broccoli
  

• Vitamin C: 3 servings daily. Because the body doesn’t store vitamin C, you’ll need a fresh supply each day to help boost your baby’s growth and development (and keep your immune system functioning at its best). Happily, most vitamin C foods are crowd pleasers (even for the queasy crowd). Fit a variety into your pregnancy diet:

  — Fruits such as orange, kiwi, mango, berries, melon, grapefruit, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and grapes

  — Vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and spinach
  

• Green Leafy Vegetables, Yellow Vegetables, and Yellow Fruits: 3 to 4 servings daily. They’re rich in vitamin E, B6, riboflavin, folic acid, magnesium, beta-carotene (the phenom phytochemical that’s vital to your baby’s skin, bones, eyes, and cell growth), and a host of other essential minerals. Color is a clue to nutritional superstar status, so look for bright, deep hues (which in fruit you’ll often find under a rind):

  — Vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, red bell pepper, and yams

  — Fruits such as mango, apricots, peaches, and cantaloupe