Eating a healthy diet will help you cope with the physical challenges of pregnancy and you 'll also be catering for a baby who 's going to make big demands of you.

In addition to the main food groups, you 'll need to boost your intake of:

Folic acid - Take a daily 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement, ideally before conception and then until the 12th week of your pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. You should also eat foods containing folate such as chick peas, canned beans, green vegetables, brown rice, and fortified breakfast cereals.

Iron - Needed to support the increase in blood volume. Good sources are red meat (but avoid liver), canned beans, chick peas and lentils, wholemeal bread, spinach and other green leafy vegetables. Have a source of vitamin C (fruit or vegetables or fruit juice) with your meal to help your body absorb iron.

Protein - Your body needs a little extra protein each day (6g). Two servings of poultry, lean meat, fish, eggs, beans or lentils should cover it.

Don 't eat for two - From 6 months onwards a modest 200 calories extra every day is all you need.

Avoid:

Supplements containing vitamin A; fish liver oil, liver and liver pate (high levels can cause abnormalities in babies).

Avoid unpasteurised soft mould ripened cheese such as Camembert, Brie or chÃƒÂ¨vre (a type of goats ' cheese), blue cheeses and all types of pÃƒÂ¢tÃ© because of the risk of listeria.

Tuna, swordfish and marlin - they contain high levels of mercury which may damage the unborn baby 's nervous system.

Raw eggs and anything made with them because of the risk of salmonella poisoning.

Alcohol - although one or two units once or twice a week is usually safe.

TV Celebrity Phillipa Forrester says :
"Congratulations - you 're expecting a baby! Like most mums-to-be, I wanted to make sure that I had a healthy diet when I was pregnant, but it can be difficult to know the best foods to focus on to prepare your body for the challenges and changes ahead. There 's no need to eat for two - simple additions to your diet will help to ensure that you and your baby get all the nutrients you need. Folic acid supplements will often be recommended during pregnancy because they help to prevent neural tube defects in developing babies and everyday foods such as chick peas and canned beans can provide a good source of folate to help boost your intake. Consider folate rich meal such as brown rice served with canned or steamed vegetables and some grilled chicken is ideal, as well as being low in fat and energy-boosting. Becoming a mum is such an adventure, so look after yourself and enjoy it!"

Moroccan chicken with minted cous cous and chick peas

4 skinless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Â½ -1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped (use according to taste)
A pinch of paprika
A pinch ground cumin
1 lemon
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
225 g (8 oz) cous cous
200 g canned chick peas, drained
200 g canned apricots in juice, drained and chopped
25 g (1 oz) pistachios, lightly toasted

Slash the chicken breast 3 or 4 times.

Place the garlic, chilli, paprika, cumin, the juice of half the lemon and 1 tablespoon of the mint leaves in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and turn a few times. Leave to marinate for, ideally, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cover the cous cous with boiling water and leave to soak for approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and mix with the chick peas, apricots, the rest of the mint leaves and nuts.

Pre-heat the grill. Place the chicken breasts on a baking tray and grill for 6 or 7 minutes each side until cooked through.

Spoon the cous cous on to a plate and place the chicken on top. Serve with a green vegetable.

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 464
Protein: 46g
Fat: 14g
Of which saturates: 1.8g
Carbohydrate: 42g
Fibre: 2.9g
Makes 4 servings.

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Post-Pregnancy Nutrition

Eating a balanced diet and keeping active during and after pregnancy will help you regain your pre-pregnancy figure quicker. Here are some top tips on getting your body back after giving birth.

Once breast feeding is established (usually after six weeks), be as active as possible without wearing yourself out.

The idea that women who are breast feeding need an extra 500 calories a day is outdated. Your body will have prepared for this naturally by laying down extra fat stores.

Eat sensibly and concentrate on getting the right nutrients: plenty of protein (lean meat, fish including salmon, mackerel and sardines, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts), calcium (from milk, yoghurt, cheese, canned sardines, crab and salmon) and iron (from lean meat, beans, lentils, fortified breakfast cereals and green leafy vegetables).

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids - 6-10 glasses a day. Breastfeeding takes an extra 500 - 600 ml (1 pint) a day.

If you 're not breastfeeding try to be more active than usual to shift the fat stores.

Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

Never skip meals and never starve yourself.

Consider taking a well-balanced multivitamin and mineral supplement too.

Creole Rice with crab

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 peppers (one of each colour - red, yellow, green), deseeded and diced
200 g canned vegetable chilli
200g canned tomatoes
225 g (8 oz) long-grain rice
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh chives, chopped
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
A little low-sodium salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 x 212 g can crab in brine, drained

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the chopped onion and peppers and cook over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are just softened.

Stir in the chilli, tomatoes and rice. Stir for a minute or two until the rice is shiny and coated in oil. Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Stir in the chives and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roughly flake the crab into the rice mixture and heat through for a few minutes. Serve.

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 391
Protein: 19g
Fat: 12g
Of which saturates: 2.1g
Carbohydrate: 55g
Fibre: 0.7g
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Eating for energy

It 's not only lack of sleep that can leave you feeling sluggish, bad eating habits also stop you getting the most out of life. Follow these tips to boost your energy levels.

Focus on low GI foods - A low GI diet based on beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, lean proteins, and nuts keeps blood sugar levels steady, which means that you will be full of energy rather than suffering tiredness.

Include iron-rich foods - Eating too little iron can result in fatigue. Try to eat at least one iron-rich food a day - lean red meat, dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach), canned lentils and beans, chilli con carne, corned beef, canned sardines, canned crab and fortified breakfast cereals.

Eat a good breakfast - Eating first thing in the morning kick-starts your metabolism and stabilises blood sugar levels, which regulates your energy levels. It also allows you the whole day to burn up those calories. Keep your senses sharp with porridge or wholegrain cereal with fresh or canned fruit.

Have a mixed protein/ carbohydrate lunch - Eat a meal with a slightly larger serving of protein - a jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, a salmon and salad bap or pasta salad with beans will help you avoid the natural mid-afternoon energy dip.

Don 't go too long between meals - Eating frequent but small meals keeps your blood sugar levels steady, your metabolism revved and energy levels high. Avoid gaps longer than 5 hours between meals.

Have a glass of milk - It may sound old fashioned but a drink of warm milk at bedtime can help you sleep better. It contains not only calcium, crucial for promoting a good night 's sleep, but also calming Tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts the body 's production of serotonin - the chemical that controls the sleep cycle.

Salmon and spinach wrap

Makes one wrap:

60 g canned pink salmon
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) reduced calorie mayonnaise
40 g baby spinach leaves
40 g cucumber, sliced
1 large or 2 small wraps

Flake the salmon and mix with the lemon juice, black pepper and mayonnaise. Place the salmon mixture, baby spinach and cucumber along the center of the wrap. Fold and roll the wrap to secure the filling. Cut into two or four pieces, depending on the size of the wrap.

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 332
Protein: 21g
Fat: 9.2g
Of which saturates: 1.5g
Carbohydrate: 44g
Fibre: 2.8g

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All recipes are part of the 'Everyday Nutrition' campaign in association with Canned Foods UK

Read more from Phillipa Forrester

September 2006

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