Dietary guidelines for pregnant women.

The nutrition of pregnant women is decisive in the course of gestation and the health of both mother and child. However, in the Spanish population, clinical monitoring of nutrition is rare, the control of bodyweight receiving most attention. Many studies show that pregnant women take too much fat and too little carbohydrate, and that intakes of fibre and several trace elements are lower than recommended. Although many people think they know what a correct (varied and balanced) diet is, the concept is often misleading. Generally, they do not match the ideal theoretical framework for achieving an adequate energy profile of the diet. Neither do they facilitate intakes of vitamins and minerals close to recommended levels. Nutrition education programmes are therefore required to explain adequate dietary guidelines to pregnant women, and indeed to all women of childbearing age. Considering the criteria suggested by a number of researchers concerning the number of food portions from each food group that pregnant women should include in their diets, the following guidelines for daily consumption are proposed: 3-4 portions of milk products, 2-3 portions of meat, fish or eggs, and 3 portions of fruit, 4-5 portions of vegetables or greens and 7-8 portions of cereals and legumes (a portion is defined as the amount of food that would be found on an average plateful or the normal units of consumption of a food).