The proper foods to eat when pregnant is an essential consideration for most women at some point in their lives. After all, when a woman is planning to have a baby, and sometimes it just happens without planning, it is important to understand the basics for pregnancy nutrition.It is often said that when a woman is pregnant she is "eating for two". That is not strictly true, but it is true that she will have to consider an increase in the calories she consumes each day. It is quite normal for a woman to gain weight when she is pregnant over and above the obvious weight gain of her baby.As a general rule, the average woman needs around two thousand calories each day under normal circumstances. When a woman is pregnant her daily intake of calories can be expected to rise by anything from three to five hundred calories a day. All food contains calories and it is important to make sure that her list of foods to eat when pregnant does not contain more calories than necessary.When planning the correct foods to eat when pregnant, it is important to get the balance of pregnancy nutrition correct. It would be a mistake to think that any old diet, adding up to around two and a half thousand calories a day will do. Junk food and canned drinks are high in calories but not the correct nutritional calories necessary for pregnancy nutrition.A woman needs to choose a variety of different foods to eat when pregnant, and also needs to avoid certain foods that can be harmful for the baby. Food for pregnant women should be healthy and nutritious and be a good balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, details of which follow:Protein: About ten per cent of a woman's daily calorie intake should come from protein. Protein is necessary to build and maintain the body tissue of both mother and baby alike. Good sources of protein are mainly found in meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and beans/pulses. Lean meat should be chosen over fatty cuts, and when it comes to fish, try and avoid predator type fish as they are known to be high in mercury levels which affect the brain development of a baby.Fat: A further third of the calories should come from fats, which are mainly found in butter, oils, margarine, dairy products and nuts. Fats which contain certain essential fatty acids are vital in helping the baby as it grows and in the development and the function of its nervous system.Carbohydrates: The remaining calories should come from carbohydrates (starchy food), which include bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, maize, millet, oats, sweet potatoes, yams and cornmeal. These foods should be the main part of every meal. Eat wholemeal instead of processed (white) varieties where possible. Carbohydrates are important because they are the main source of energy for the baby as well as the mother. Starchy foods are an important and vital source of vitamins and fibre. A diet high in fibre will also help the woman avoid constipation during pregnancy.As a responsible mother, you want to give your baby a healthy head-start in life. Do this by getting to know the proper foods to eat when pregnant.