At each stage of pregnancy, eating nutritious foods and making sure to get the right amount of calories is good for your baby's health — and yours.

During the 1^st trimester, experts recommend that you eat pretty much like you did pre-pregnancy. During this early period, your baby's nutrient needs are high but he is not growing very fast, so focus on quality, not quantity, and make every bite count!

In the 2^nd trimester, your baby is starting to grow quickly, so you really are eating for 2. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that you need to eat twice as much. In fact, it is recommended that you increase your intake by just 350 calories per day, which is approximately equal to 250 mL (1 cup) of 2% M.F. milk, 1 slice of whole grain bread, and 1 large egg.

Continue choosing foods of high nutritional quality to support your growing baby. In the 3^rd trimester, you can include an extra 450 calories per day (yay!). That is approximately equal to 1 fruit, 175 g (¾ cup) of 2% M.F. fruit yogurt, 35 g (¼ cup) of nuts, and an extra serving (70 g or ½ cup) of vegetables.

In general, if you include 2 to 3 additional Canada’s Food Guide servings per day from any of the 4 food groups in the 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters, you should be able to reach these extra calorie goals.

Here are some examples of 2 extra Food Guide servings:

• 1 fruit and 175 g (¾ cup) of yogurt
• 1 slice of toast at breakfast and 250 mL (1 cup) of milk at supper
• ½ bagel (45 g) with 50 g (1 ¾ oz) of cheese
• 30 g (1 oz) of cereal with 250 mL (1 cup) of milk
• spinach salad made with 250 mL (1 cup) of spinach, 1 hard-boiled egg, and 30 mL (2 tablespoons) of walnuts
• 1 bowl of cooked oatmeal (175 mL or ¾ cup) made with 30 mL (2 tablespoons) of ground almonds, 60 mL (¼ cup) of applesauce, and cinnamon to taste
• 1 bowl of plain popcorn (500 mL or 2 cups) sprinkled with your favourite flavouring (such as cinnamon, garlic powder, curry powder, hot sauce, or finely grated parmesan cheese), paired with a tall glass of soda water mixed with 125 mL (½ cup) of orange juice and a squeeze of lemon juice
• ½ English muffin topped with 1 slice of Swiss cheese and ½ sliced pear