Q: I am pregnant. What foods do I absolutely need for my baby to be healthy?
– Kim in Texas

A: At a minimum, you need the following foods to ensure optimal nutrition for you and your baby: 1) no less than five, and preferably nine, servings of fresh fruits and vegetables (at least one serving of a dark orange vegetable, two servings of dark green leafy vegetables, and one serving of citrus fruit). Focus on colorful produce and skip the losers, such as French fries and iceberg lettuce. Include two servings at every meal and snack. A serving size is 1 cup raw, 1 /2 cup cooked, 6 ounces juice, or 1 piece. 2) six servings or more of minimally-processed grains; focus on whole grains. A serving size is one slice of bread, 1 /2 English muffin or bagel, 1 /2 cup cooked cereal or pasta, or 1 tortilla. 3) eight glasses of water. 4) three servings of nonfat or low-fat milk, milk products, or calcium-fortified soymilk. A serving size is 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of cheese (the size of a pair of dice). 5) two to three servings of extra-lean meats, chicken without the skin, fish, or cooked dried beans and peas. A serving size is 3 ounces (the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand) of meat or 3/4 cup of cooked legumes. 6) limited amounts of nuts, seeds, avocados, oils, sweets, fats, and convenience foods made from these ingredients. 7) a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. If you don’t consume three servings of milk or calcium-rich soy milk daily, then take a calcium-magnesium supplement that supplies 500 milligrams of calcium and 250 milligrams of magnesium. Request a serum ferritin test to monitor your iron status. Your physician might recommend prescription iron supplements if your value is less than 20mcg/L. -Elizabeth Somer

Q: I just found out I’m pregnant. I have been taking iron supplements and prenatal vitamins. Could I be taking too much iron?
– Melissa from Bolivia

A: Possibly, but probably not. Most women approach pregnancy marginally nourished in iron and then pregnancy just adds to the body’s iron needs. Pregnant women can take between 30mg and 60mg of supplemental iron usually with no problem. But, to be safe, you should have your iron status measured, and not just for anemia, which is the final stage of iron deficiency. For weeks and months prior to becoming anemic, a women can be iron deficient with similar symptoms of fatigue, poor concentration, and increased susceptibility to colds. So besides the tests for anemia (hemoglobin and hematocrit tests), ask you physician for a serum ferritin test and a total iron binding capacity (TIBC) test. Then ask for the results. If your serum ferritin is below 20, or your TIBC is above 450, you are iron deficient. If not, or if your serum ferritin is above 200, then you should cut back on supplemental iron. -Elizabeth Somer

Q: I used your Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy book during my pregnancy, but have loaned it to a pregnant friend and need a recipe our of it for hummus that was sooo good.
– Gail in Plantation, Florida

A: Do you mean the spinach hummus? Here it is: 1 16-ounce can of garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed 1/4 cup raw sesame tahini 3 to 4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves 1 /2 tsp. light soy sauce dash of ground cumin 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, washed and patted dry Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Add water, if needed, a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Serve with toasted pita bread wedges, whole-grain crackers, or as a dip for fresh vegetables. Makes 5 servings, 1/3 cup each. Happy eating! -Elizabeth Somer

Q: My wife is currently 13 weeks pregnant. Can you please provide me with information on whether mineral and vitamin supplements are of value during pregnancy?
– Stuart in Melbourne, Australia

A: Yes. From conception to birth (and for the months following birth if your wife breastfeeds), your baby will be totally dependent on your wife to supply all the essential nutritional building blocks needed for growth and development of every cell, tissue, organ, and body system. Your wife’s vitamin and mineral intake from food and/or supplements also affect whether or not she experiences complications during pregnancy and delivery, and how quickly she regains her pre-pregnancy figure. In short, at no other time in life is nutrition as important as before, during, and following pregnancy. On the other hand, your wife needn’t live on Brewer’s yeast and sprouts to have a healthy baby.

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