Unfortunately, for most of the women in affluent Western societies who have unlimited access to all kinds of food and no mentor to guide them through pregnancy, the trap of eating what they should not eat and at the same time of not knowing what they should eat is very likely.

The ideal diet is a balanced whole foods one which gives the crucial inputs required during pregnancy.

Growing a baby requires a lot more energy especially in the earlier months when cell division is most intense. Vegetarians can source these from pulses and legumes (peas, lentils, beans, nuts, soy products) eaten in combination with whole grains such as rice, wheat ,oats, barley, rye, corn, buckwheat etc.

Try to eat high protein foods for lunch when you will be able to process them more efficiently than at night.

In the last months, calcium is released from the maternal bones to provide for the baby, so increased dairy, soy, greens and seaweed are useful. Raspberry leaf tea is especially useful in the last months as it softens up the cervix in preparation for birth as well as stimulates milk production.