It’s easy to get caught up in the hype about pregnancy. You may have heard that you need to eat for two people and gain twice as much weight, or that caffeine is bad for your baby. While some of these myths are just plain wrong, others are based on outdated information or misinterpreted studies from years ago. It’s important to know what is true and what isn’t when it comes to nutrition during pregnancy so you can make informed decisions about your health during this exciting time!

Pregnancy is a time to take care of yourself.

Pregnancy is a time to take care of yourself. You may not feel as hungry, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to eat. Eating well will help you feel better, keep your energy up, and make sure your baby gets all the nutrients it needs before birth.

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Eat foods rich in calcium and iron
• Choose low-fat dairy products like milk and cheese

The important thing is to follow a sensible and varied diet. This will help ensure you get all the nutrients you and your baby need for good health. Choose foods from each of the main food groups to make up a balanced diet:

* starchy foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes, barley and oats

* wholemeal or wholegrain versions of these foods where possible

* vegetables and fruit (at least five portions per day)

* milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt

Popular myth debunked: chocolate isn’t bad for your baby.

Myth: Chocolate is bad for your baby.

Fact: It’s not as if you’re eating an entire Hershey bar every day—and even if you were, it wouldn’t be harmful. A moderate amount of chocolate (about 2 ounces) is fine during pregnancy and has many benefits:

• It contains antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of certain diseases (such as cancer) in both you and your child.
• Chocolate provides magnesium, iron and calcium that can boost energy levels and protect against muscle cramps or restless leg syndrome that can occur during pregnancy. Chocolate also contains potassium — another important nutrient for pregnant women — so it may help prevent high blood pressure in moms-to-be by lowering sodium levels in their bodies.

Popular myth debunked: caffeine is bad for your baby.

One popular myth that’s been busted is that caffeine is bad for your baby.

While it’s true that caffeine is not an essential nutrient, and while it can cause some unpleasant side effects like jitteriness or insomnia in some women, the evidence suggests that moderate amounts of caffeine are safe when pregnant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting intake to less than 200 mg per day (about two cups of coffee).

If you’re pregnant and you’re trying to kick a coffee habit, we suggest making the switch gradually by using one fewer creamer in each cup you drink over a few weeks until you’ve cut out all dairy from your morning brew.

Popular myth debunked: You need to eat for two people and gain twice as much weight.

Let’s dispel this myth once and for all. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to eat for two people or gain twice as much weight during pregnancy. You only need to eat a balanced diet that includes all food groups.

A healthy pregnancy diet should contain foods from every group of the food pyramid and emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products (including milk).

Popular myth debunked: It’s okay to skip meals or not eat when you’re pregnant.

In a word: no.

Many pregnant women have the idea that they should skip meals because they’re eating for two and their body has other things to worry about. This is a myth, though. Eating regularly is important for your health, especially during pregnancy. It’s also good for your baby’s development and can help prevent some conditions like constipation and heartburn. While it might be tempting to skip breakfast or dinner once in awhile, this won’t help with nausea or constipation, so it’s best just to eat at regular times every day instead of skipping meals altogether.

Healthy eating during pregnancy isn’t just about the mother-to-be. It’s also about maintaining healthy habits and giving the child the chance of having a healthy life, too.

Healthy eating during pregnancy isn’t just about the mother-to-be. It’s also about maintaining healthy habits and giving the child the chance of having a healthy life, too. Your diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, low-fat dairy products and plenty of water. This will give your growing baby all the vitamins he or she needs to develop properly inside your uterus. If you eat well throughout pregnancy, chances are your child will grow up to be healthier than his or her peers.

When you’re pregnant with your first child—or even if you’ve had several children already—healthy habits can help set up lifelong good eating patterns for both parents and their offspring. A great example is breastfeeding: By nursing your newborn from birth until at least six months old (and ideally longer), you’ll be giving him or her all he needs for proper growth in those early years before solid foods are introduced into his diet.

Eating well during pregnancy can lead to better health in later life for your child and even his or her kids!

If you’re pregnant, eating well can help your baby in more ways than one. Not only will a healthy diet provide essential nutrients for your growing baby, it may also help to reduce the risk of certain diseases later in life. In fact, studies show that good nutrition during pregnancy could lead to better health for future generations as well!

When you eat well and get enough nutrients, it helps keep your body healthy—and that includes protecting your developing baby’s cells from damage and disease. This is especially true if you’re eating foods rich in antioxidants or vitamins C and E (or both). These are important antioxidants which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects on the body; they help protect against heart disease by lowering blood pressure while also fighting cancer cells through their scavenging action on free radicals in the body. Vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight babies while pregnant women who take folate supplements during their first trimester have been shown to decrease their risk of having children with neural tube defects (malformations involving brain development).

It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet during pregnancy. This will help you to give your baby the best start in life and make sure that you get all the nutrients you need for yourself.