Your appetite will grow, but you will need to control what you eat!

After the typical discomforts of the first quarter (congratulations if you have not had any), during the second quarter there is a tendency of growth of appetite. You should eat according to your needs but keeping things under control. However, there is no need to follow any strict diet. Choose healthy food within a balanced diet and you will see that it is really quite simple.

It is time for you to enjoy your pregnancy, and this enjoyment includes food. You will probably be hungrier than usual. Just relax and don't worry too much about quantities. Use your common sense and try to eat more fruit and vegetables than usual, which will fill you up without giving you too many calories. What is best is a balanced and varied diet that meets your needs for proteins, calcium, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins.

What food is especially recommended during this period? Milk and its derivatives, such as cheese and yoghurt. Also, poultry, eggs, and pulses, as well as fruit, vegetables, and plenty of salads, as their fibre content will help you regulate your bowel transit and avoid constipation.

They are an important source of proteins, calcium, and vitamin D. Ideally you should drink a glass of milk a day, which you can combine with other dairy products, such as cheese and yoghurt. If you don't like the taste of milk on its own, you can add it to your favourite desserts and breakfast cereals.

Eat a minimum of two portions a day of these food types. This way you will obtain an adequate intake of iron and proteins. It is best to eat eggs boiled or poached, and meat and fish grilled, poached, or steamed, although once in a while you can make an exception. Avoid offal and excess fat if possible.

Blue fish, such as sardines, mackerel, and herring are an excellent source of iodine, polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3 that help brain development, and vitamin D that helps absorb calcium and maintain your bones healthy.

Fruit and vegetable are an amazing source of vitamins, mineral salts, and fibre, so it is good to have your five a day. You can eat it in any of its various forms, be it fresh, frozen, or tinned. Don't overcook vegetables, as they will lose most of their vitamin C, which is essential for the skin and for iron absorption.

Eat bread and cereals daily. If they are wholegrain, they will provide an excellent intake of energy and fibre, which will also help in hindering constipation. Drink plenty of liquids when consuming them. Specific recommendations: Bread and derived products, both white and wholegrain, pasta, rice, and breakfast cereal.

If possible, cook using olive oil, since as well as being rich in oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid, it also contains essential fatty acids (linolenic and linoleic acids), vitamin E, and polyphenols, which are antioxidants. As an alternative, you can use vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, which as well as lipids contain lipid-soluble vitamins. Use only sporadically butter and margarine for cooking. The simple rule is not to eat excess fat so that it does not affect your weight.