You can have soft cheese when you're pregnant – and 6 other secrets dietitians want you to know

I went into pregnancy assuming I'd have an A-plus diet. But my body had other plans. I spent the first trimester in a constant state of queasiness, tolerating little more than Doritos, sour candy, and pink grapefruit. I agonized over not being able to feed my body the way the pregnancy pamphlet from my ob-gyn's office told me to. 

If I'd known then what I know now as a registered dietitian, I wouldn't have wasted a minute with guilt because your baby can still be perfectly healthy even if you can't stomach kale. You might not hear that in your typical prenatal appointment, but you'll hear it from my fellow dietitians, who have all of the detailed info on what's okay (and what's not) when it comes to pregnancy nutrition. Here are seven secrets we have to share: 

1. You can still eat soft cheese

Despite what you may have heard, you don't have to give up the feta crumbles on a Greek salad or blue cheese on your burger. "Most soft cheeses in the grocery stores are made with pasteurized milk," explains Nijya Noble, R.D.N., a dietitian in private practice in Augusta, Georgia. Pasteurization is a heating process that kills dangerous microbes that can make you sick. 

Eating raw or undercooked animal foods is dangerous during pregnancy.

– Elizabeth Ward, R.D.N.

Check the ingredient list for the words "pasteurized milk" to be sure. At a restaurant? Ask if the cheese is pasteurized – but when in doubt, skip it and get your fix at home. While you're at it, be cautious about juice, milk, or cheese at farmer's markets, which may be unpasteurized.

2. You can't "trick" the glucose test

Nobody wants to fail the glucose screening and have to drink even more of that sticky-sweet glucola at a follow-up test for gestational diabetes. Other moms might advise eating low-carb or low-sugar the day before your glucose screening to up the odds of passing, but that can actually backfire and cause a false-positive result. 

Here's why: A very low-carb diet deprives your body of glucose, which it needs for energy. So it makes glucose out of other compounds, which can raise your blood sugar. 

"Don't alter your diet before the test," advises Leslee Flannery, R.D.N., a dietitian who specializes in gestational diabetes. Besides, if you do have GD, it's important to catch it. 

Really dreading the glucose screening? Ask your doctor about your options. There's an alternative glucose solution called The Fresh Test you may tolerate better.

3. Yes, you really should avoid sushi

You've probably heard the advice, but you may not realize why it's so important: Your body is actually more vulnerable to foodborne illness when you're pregnant. "Your immunity to germs drops during pregnancy," explains Elizabeth Ward, R.D.N., author of Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy. 

Changes to your immune system make you more susceptible to food poisoning and infections. "Eating raw or undercooked animal foods is dangerous during pregnancy and may cause miscarriage," she says.

Avoid sushi, rare or uncooked beef, and raw milk. Even though deli meat is cooked, it's susceptible to Listeria, a bacteria that causes a dangerous infection called listeriosis. So make that sandwich a melt, and reheat any deli meat before eating until it's steaming hot. (Do the same for raw sprouts, which can carry Salmonella and E.coli.)

4. Your prenatal vitamin may not be cutting it

You need more of certain nutrients like iron and folate during pregnancy, and a prenatal vitamin helps ensure you get them. The problem: Not all prenatals contain nutrients that are increasingly thought to be key for moms-to-be because there is no federal definition or requirements for what they should contain. 

When picking a prenatal, check the label for choline, iodine, and vitamin D, and consider taking a separate omega-3 fatty acid supplement that contains both DHA and EPA. 

You can get a more personalized approach by asking your doctor about adding screenings for vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B12 to your bloodwork at the beginning of (and throughout) pregnancy, recommends Stephanie Middelberg, M.S., R.D., author of The Big Book of Pregnancy Nutrition: Everything Expectant Moms Need to Know for a Happy, Healthy Nine Months and Beyond. That way, you'll know if you need even more of those nutrients.

5. Eating plain carbs isn't the best way to reduce morning sickness

Nibbling on crackers may be the standard advice for morning sickness, but having some protein with them is the smarter way to combat queasiness. 

"Starting the day with a balanced blood sugar can actually help with your fatigue and nausea later on," says Sarah Schlichter, M.P.H., R.D., a dietitian in Frederick, Maryland, who suggests aiming for about 25 grams of protein per meal. 

Here are three breakfasts that contain roughly 20 to 25 grams of protein:

• A cup of Greek yogurt plus peanut butter toast
• Two scrambled eggs (or scrambled tofu) and shredded cheese in a whole-grain tortilla
• A half cup of oatmeal made with a cup of dairy or soy milk, topped with sliced fruit, a healthy drizzle of almond butter, and a sprinkle of chia seeds 

Don't have a big appetite in the morning? Adding a cheese stick, cup of milk, or handful of nuts to your morning meal supplies protein too. 

6. You may need extra iron past pregnancy

Technically, iron recommendations drop after delivery, but consider taking your prenatal with iron even after your baby arrives. 

"In the third trimester, you pass tons of iron to your baby," says Noelle Martin, M.Sc.F.N., R.D., a dietitian who specializes in prenatal and postnatal nutrition. You also typically lose blood for several weeks postpartum, not to mention the birth itself.

Taking iron in the "fourth trimester" can help restock what you've lost and make your postpartum transition a little easier. That's because low iron can worsen fatigue and postpartum depression, says Martin. ResearchOpens a new window also links anemia with low milk supply, so getting enough is also important if you're breastfeeding. 

7. You don't have to give up your morning latte

A high caffeine intake during pregnancy can up the chance of miscarriage or delivering a low-birthweight baby. But having less than 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day is safe, says the American College of Obstetrics and GynecologistsOpens a new window. The exact amount can vary, but a small coffee from your local barista has roughly 150 to 200 mg of caffeine and a shot of espresso has about 60 to 80 mg. Watch out for other sources of caffeine like soda, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, energy bars, chocolate, and coffee ice cream.