Fabulous Fruit

When you are pregnant, it's important to consider what you are eating. Even if you are eating for two, craving chili dogs smothered in nacho cheese and jalapeños or a triple cheeseburger with bacon, pregnancy is the perfect opportunity to maintain or start implementing good eating habits.

Many of the vitamins and minerals needed in a pregnant woman's diet can be found in fruit, so consider it your best friend for the next nine months – or more if you are nursing.

"In general, pregnant women should eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables," says Dr. Philip Landrigan, professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "They should take multivitamins, most especially folic acid to help prevent birth defects."

"Folic acid is important to help the development of the baby's brain and spine and helps prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida," says Mimi Ellis, PA-C, R.D., in Chandler, Ariz. "Folic acid is most critical in the early weeks of pregnancy. Most people don't realize it, but orange juice is a good source for folic acid."

Folic acid is also in strawberries, dates, peaches, apricots and raisins.

In general, vitamin C is important for forming collagen, a protein that gives structure to the connective tissue of the skin, bones, cartilage, muscle and blood vessels. Vitamin C also helps maintain the bones and teeth and aids in the absorption of iron, according to Ohio State University. Some women also believe that increasing vitamin C during pregnancy can help reduce those unsightly stretch marks. "There is no proof that increased vitamin C while pregnant will reduce stretch marks that I know of, but we do need it on a daily basis and it can't hurt," says Ellis.

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