Pregnancy Diet: What Foods to Eat & Avoid When Pregnant

Healthy eating during pregnancy is a lot like healthy eating in general. You still need the same balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients—just in higher amounts. If you’re already eating a balanced diet, a few slight adjustments should be all you need. You can also get more healthy eating tips from our Prenatal Nutrition Guide

If you haven’t already started, now’s the time to get a good prenatal vitamin. They can help fill any nutrition gaps for you and your developing baby. See our Prenatal Vitamins Guide to learn more.

Remember to always consult your doctor before making changes to your diet and/or supplement plan.

While you’re pregnant, it’s important to remember that your baby is more vulnerable to foodborne illness caused by listeria, salmonella, and E. coli. These can live in raw, undercooked, or processed foods.

To protect you and your baby’s health, it’s important to limit certain foods when pregnant, such as the following:

High-mercury fish
Limit shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and albacore tuna to 1 serving a week.

Undercooked or raw fish
Avoid raw oysters and sushi that contains raw fish.

Undercooked, raw, and processed meats
Limit processed meat, such as hot dogs, deli meats, and smoked meats. They are high in sodium and can contain listeria.

Soft cheeses
Avoid feta, Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, and Mexican-style cheese, like queso fresco, panela, and asadero, as they may be unpasteurized.

Raw eggs
Avoid foods made with raw eggs, including homemade mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, Caesar salad dressing, cookie dough, frostings, and homemade ice cream.

Unpasteurized milk
Avoid unpasteurized dairy products. Look for “pasteurized” on the label. This means it has been heated to kill germs.

Honey
Avoid honey while you’re pregnant, and don’t give it to children under 1 year old, as it may contain bacteria that can threaten your and your baby’s health.

The dirty dozen
It’s important to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but some have more pesticide residue than others. Watch out for these “dirty dozen” and choose organic whenever possible: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, and sweet bell peppers.

For more information on staying healthy during every stage of your pregnancy, visit our Pregnancy Guides page.

We’ve put together a suggested monthly guide of important foods to help you plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner while you’re pregnant. In general, you’ll need a variety of nutrients, lots of protein, and plenty of water during your pregnancy.

Our guide highlights foods with nutrients that are particularly important during each month of your little one’s development.

The bottom line: make it balanced

The easiest way to make sure you’re getting a balanced diet is to eat foods from each of these five food groups every day:

• Dairy
• Meats, poultry, & fish
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Grains & starches

It can be difficult to get all five food groups in every meal, but try to include at least two to three. Variety is also important. Mix it up so you get different vitamins and minerals and phytochemicals in your daily diet. So if you eat spinach one day, eat red peppers the next. 

During this first month, your baby is still very small—as small as a grain of rice! Even so, you have a greater need for certain nutrients, and a balanced diet is important for meeting those needs. Your body is changing and building organs, like the placenta, that will support your baby’s growth and development.

You may be experiencing some morning sickness. See our Morning Sickness Guide to learn more and get 10 popular remedies for relief.

Leafy vegetables, fortified whole grains
Folate is so important, and there are plenty of places to find it. Getting enough folate during your first month of pregnancy can help reduce the risk for birth defects. You can get folate from foods like fortified whole-grain bread, beans, spinach, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Grains such as pasta and cereals are also fortified with folic acid. So, if you are following a gluten-free diet, keep in mind that you may not be getting as much folate from your diet. A prenatal vitamin can help with this. Most prenatal vitamins contain 100% of the recommended daily amount of folate.

Adequate protein from lean meat
The form of iron in meat is the most bioavailable, meaning it has the easiest path into your body. Then it can quickly build red blood cells that help transport oxygen throughout your body and your baby’s body.

Try to get between 7 and 9 ounces of meat per day. Each ounce has about 7 g of protein, which your body needs to support your baby’s growth.

Avocado, sweet potato, chicken
You can make any salad tastier by topping it with one of these foods. They’re rich in vitamin B₆. And if you’re one of the 90% of women who have morning sickness during the first trimester, this could be just what you need!

Vitamin B₆ has been shown to reduce nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Talk to your doctor to see if you may benefit from vitamin B₆ supplementation.

It’s month 2, and your baby is still very small. They’re about an inch long, with tiny bud-like arms and legs. Their digestive tract, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin are developing. You may still be experiencing some nausea and fatigue in your second month due to hormonal changes.

At this point, you may notice that you’ve gained a few pounds. This is due to increased blood volume and the development of your uterus, the placenta, and breast tissue.

Salmon, cooked eggs
These foods contain DHA, which is produced from one of the two essential fatty acids we cannot make in our bodies. Many women don’t get enough DHA, one of the omega-3 fats, during pregnancy, but it’s an important nutrient that helps support your baby’s visual and neural development. To get the ideal amount of DHA, make sure you have 2 servings of fish a week and supplement with 200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids each day.

Sunflower seeds, raw almonds
These nuts are packed with vitamin E. Research suggests that the antioxidant vitamin E, especially when combined with vitamin C, helps protect against miscarriage and preeclampsia—a type of high blood pressure that can occur in some pregnancies. Other good sources of vitamin E are egg yolks and olive oil.

Refer to The Art of Eating guide for additional information about important nutrients during your pregnancy.

Your baby has grown to about 3 inches long and weighs about the same as a pea pod. They also have their very own, unique fingerprints! You’re probably feeling a bit better and any nausea should lessen toward the end of this month.

Fortified milk, orange juice
Sunlight naturally converts a compound in our skin to Vitamin D. So when we don’t get enough sunlight daily (for example, in the wintertime), we need to supplement. Very few foods naturally provide large amounts of vitamin D, so look for fortified foods, like these breakfast beverages, to increase your vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D helps you absorb the calcium that’s necessary to form baby’s bones and teeth. Other good sources of vitamin D include egg yolks, canned sardines, and salmon.

Fruits, veggies, beans, whole-grain breads, and cereals
What do all these foods have in common? Fiber. Fiber is going to be your best friend. It keeps everything moving through your intestines and helps fight the common pregnancy symptom: constipation. Eating a meal that is high in fiber also makes you feel full longer and helps to delay an empty tummy feeling.

You should try to eat 25 to 30 g of fiber a day. And remember to drink plenty of water. 

Welcome to your second trimester! By month 4, your baby is already 5.5 inches long and weighs about as much as a deck of cards. Their soft skeleton is now hardening into bone, and you might be starting to see your baby bump. During the second trimester, you should increase your calorie intake by about 300 calories each day. You should also increase your protein intake by about 10 g (the amount in a glass of milk) per day.

Cooked eggs, free-range meats
Cooked eggs and lean, free-range meats are a great source of iron. It’s important to get enough iron throughout your pregnancy, since it’s needed to support your baby’s developing brain. Adequate iron is linked to positive cognitive development and growth outcomes.

Thirty percent of women don’t get enough iron in their third trimester, which can lead to anemia. If you aren’t taking a prenatal vitamin, talk to your doctor to see if this can help. Learn more about Prenatal Vitamins.

Leafy greens, chickpeas, tofu, beans
For vegetarians (and non-vegetarians), there are plant-based iron options, too. Try to eat iron-rich plant foods, along with some vitamin C (just a squeeze of lemon). This helps encourage your body’s absorption of iron from non-animal sources. Other good plant-based sources of iron are tofu, spinach, and beans.

At month 5, you may begin to feel some kicks as your baby exercises growing muscles. Your energy level should also be picking up this month.

Milk, cheese, yogurt
There are so many ways to get calcium-rich dairy into your diet. Your baby needs calcium to build strong bones and teeth, as well as to grow a healthy heart, nerves, and muscles.

One perk of being pregnant is that you’ll absorb calcium better than women who are not pregnant. But that’s only if you have enough vitamin D, so try to choose vitamin D-fortified dairy products.

Broccoli, oranges, tomatoes
You’ll need vitamin C throughout pregnancy to help make collagen, which provides structure for cartilage, tendons, bones, and skin. It will also help your body fight infections. Other foods that contain vitamin C are citrus juices and peppers. See The Art of Eating guide for more ideas on nutritious foods during pregnancy.

By month 6, your little one’s lungs have been growing like crazy, but they’re still not ready to function in the outside world just yet. Right around this time, your baby will respond to familiar sounds, like your voice.

Your appetite might be picking up right now. For guidance on calorie intake and weight gain, see our Pregnancy Weight Gain article.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains
These fresh foods have lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, plus fiber to keep things moving. Fiber-rich foods are an important part of maintaining digestive health during pregnancy.

The recommended daily amount for women is 28 g of dietary fiber. That’s the equivalent of 5 large apples, 2 cups of legumes, or 1 cup of wheat bran. Bonus: adequate fiber intake helps prevent constipation.

It’s also recommended that you eat 6 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of fruit a day by this point in your pregnancy. This isn’t as hard as it sounds—a banana is 2 servings of fruit.

Avocado
Your body’s fluid levels increase when you’re pregnant, and it is important to maintain your electrolyte balance. Potassium and magnesium are found in a healthy, balanced diet and can help with fluid regulation and blood pressure. Avocados are packed with both! 

You’re in the home stretch—the third trimester! Your baby is now more than 10 inches long, and is starting to look more like the baby you’ll soon meet. They can open their eyes just a little and their lashes are beginning to form. At the same time, your growing uterus may be putting pressure on your stomach, causing some heartburn.

For tips on easing heartburn, check out our Managing Digestion page.

Meat, fish, poultry
Getting enough protein during pregnancy is crucial for the growth and development of your baby. Most pregnant women need between 80 and 100 g every day, and some may need even more.

Meat, poultry, and fish are the best sources of protein—1 oz is equal to about 7 g of protein. Iron deficiency is also prominent in women in the third trimester. Meat, fish, and poultry will help you get enough iron, too.

Canned light tuna, brazil nuts, whole-grain breads
These foods are energy and nutrient dense, making them a great snack.
Just one brazil nut contains 175% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for selenium. A few of the mineral RDIs increase during pregnancy, and selenium is one of them. This is because it’s an antioxidant mineral important for a strong immune system. Other sources of selenium include whole-grain breads, turkey, and chicken. 

In month 8, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re eating a healthy diet. You’re providing essential nutrients to your baby and boosting strength and energy for the upcoming birth.

Salmon, shrimp, pollock
The third trimester is a time for rapid growth and development of your baby’s brain. This is why your diet should include plenty of the essential fatty acids. Salmon, shrimp, and pollock are high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Other good sources include nuts (especially walnuts), ground flaxseeds, and vegetable oils.

Sour cherries
Getting enough rest is important throughout your pregnancy. Sour cherries can help increase your body’s level of melatonin, an important sleep-regulating hormone. To improve your sleep, try drinking one cup of unsweetened cherry juice before bed.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains
All of these are good sources of fiber. Eating the recommended amount of dietary fiber helps prevent constipation, which is common during pregnancy. For more information, take a look at our content on Managing Digestion. Experts say that the type of fiber you eat is not that important—just make sure you get enough overall. 

Your baby is almost ready to make an appearance! Their lungs will still be developing right up until the moment of birth, preparing them to take that first breath of air. This is a good time to relax, take a deep breath, and focus on you for a moment before the baby comes.

Water
This is the most important nutrient, and we often take it for granted. It is essential for transporting nutrients around your body, eliminating waste, and regulating your body temperature. In hotter climates and seasons, you can lose between 2 and 3 quarts per day in perspiration. So drink up and get 6 to 8 glasses a day!

Cranberries
Having a healthy microbiome in the lower parts of your digestive tract before your baby is born is important. You can help this along by drinking enough water each day to flush out toxins in your body and to help prevent a urinary tract infection (UTI). Cranberries are a healthy snack choice right now. They have lots of antioxidants, and studies show that eating these berries is linked to a lower risk of UTIs.

Month-by-Month Pregnancy Diet Plan

Start with a healthy, balanced diet and try adding some of these foods to the mix each month.

Sources

Crozier SR, et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2017;13(4). doi:10.1111/mcn.12389

2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated February 21, 2020. Accessed March 3, 2020.
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Default.aspx

Kubala J. The dirty dozen: 12 foods that are high in pesticides. Healthline. Updated September 5, 2018. Accessed March 3, 2020.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dirty-dozen-foods

People at risk: pregnant women. Foodsafety.gov. Updated April 1, 2019. Accessed March 3, 2020.
https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/pregnant-women

Pregnancy diet guide month by month (0-9) for a healthy baby. Updated August 25, 2019. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://nourishednaturalhealth.com/nutrition-guides/pregnancy-diet-guide

Pregnancy meal planners: trimester by trimester. BabyCentre. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1046500/pregnancy-meal-planners-trimester-by-trimester

Bjarnadottir A. 13 foods to eat when you’re pregnant. Healthline. Updated July 17, 2018. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-foods-to-eat-when-pregnant

Gordon S. Gluten in pregnancy tied to baby’s type 1 diabetes. WebMD. Updated September 19, 2018. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20180919/gluten-in-pregnancy-tied-to-babys-type-1-diabetes#1

Santerre C. Is it safe to eat seared, smoked, or raw fish during pregnancy? BabyCenter. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-safe-to-eat-seared-smoked-or-raw-fish-during-pregnancy_2284.bc

Food poisoning during pregnancy. March of Dimes. Updated May 2016. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/food-poisoning-during-pregnancy.aspx

Pregnancy nutrients week-by-week. What to Expect. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/diet/nutrients-week-by-week-of-pregnancy/

Vitamin B6. National Institutes of Health. Updated February 24, 2020. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb6-healthprofessional/

Meng X, et al. Nutrients. 2017;9(4):E367. 
Yurcheshen M, et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:105256. Jepson RG, et al. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007;51(6):738-745.
Stay a step ahead of urinary tract infections. Harvard Health Publishing. Updated February 2015. Accessed March 2, 2020.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/stay-a-step-ahead-of-urinary-tract-infections