Eating for two: It's quality not quantity of food that matters during pregnancy

It won’t come as news to mothers-to-be that they are not eating for two, as the old saying goes, but the number of extra calories needed may come as a surprise. And it’s much fewer than you might think.

Pregnant women need about 300 extra calories a day in the second trimester and 500 more in the last trimester and while breastfeeding, according to this month’s updated guidelines on nutrition during pregnancy. The emphasis should be on quality — nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains lean protein and dairy rather than quantity, the guidelines say.