The answer

Lucy is sensible to be thinking about her diet because what she eats could affect not just her wellbeing, but also the health of her baby. There are some definite dos and don’ts when it comes to nutrition during pregnancy. These include:

• Don’t eat for two. No extra calories are needed for the first six months, and even in the final trimester, only 200 calories extra a day are required
• Don’t drink more than 200mg caffeine a day (the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee)
• Don’t eat liver or liver products. These are high in vitamin A and can cause developmental problems
• Don’t eat more than two fresh tuna steaks, four cans of tuna or two portions of oily fish a week. They could contain harmful levels of mercury
• Don’t have unpasteurised milk or dairy products, and avoid blue and ripened soft cheeses such as Brie to reduce the risk of listeriosis
• Don’t eat raw or partially cooked eggs or food containing them (they could contain salmonella), and avoid raw and partially cooked meat
• Don’t eat high fat, high sugar foods, as these have little nutritional value.

On a more positive note:

• Do eat breakfast as this helps cut down on snacking during the day
• Do base meals on carbohydrates such as rice and pasta (wholegrain where possible) 
• Do eat five portions of fruit and veg a day 
• Do have some protein every day, such as lean meat, fish, lentils, beans or tofu
• Do keep fibre intake high by eating foods such as oats, grains and seeds
• Do choose low fat dairy products as these are good sources of calcium.