Most pregnant women need an additional 300 calories per day. This can be accomplished by adding one or two additional servings from each of the food groups in the food guide pyramid. Here's what 300 healthy calories looks like:

• whole-grain cereal with a banana and milk
• turkey on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomatoes and other veggies
• a cup of yogurt with a couple of graham crackers.

Some foods, which normally may be considered okay, are too risky to eat now. Eliminate all raw fish from your diet to reduce the risk of viral and bacterial illness, as well as other raw, or very rare cooked meat and poultry. Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, which can contain high levels of mercury. Also steer clear of unpasteurized milk, as it may contain listeria bacteria, which can be fatal.

Eileen Behan, RD, author of The Pregnancy Diet (Pocket Books, 1999) and Fit Kids (Pocket Books, 2001), warns pregnant women to limit their caffeine consumption. "Coffee in moderation is probably okay - two, 6 to 8 ounce cups. But in today's super-sized world, it's easy to overdo it, and over 300 milligrams of caffeine is a problem." Studies have also linked caffeine consumption to miscarriages, and, according to the latest research, the risk appears to be higher in women who experience nausea during the first trimester. And what about the increasingly popular artificial sweeteners? "Aspartame is supposed to be okay," says Behan, "but personally, I'd rather see women eat real food."

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