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Beta-carotene is an orange-red pigment commonly found in vegetables and fruits - and is essential for a healthy pregnancy diet. It's an inactive form of Vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxidant and required by your body for healthy eyesight, especially night vision - all those so-called 'old wives tales' about carrots helping you to see in the dark are actually true! For your baby, Vitamin A is also important for general growth, including the development of internal organs, eyes, bones, circulation, respiratory and central nervous systems - pretty much everything in fact! It's also worth bearing in mind that Vitamin A will help with tissue repair after the birth so is essential for mums too. Pregnant women need around 770 mcg of Vitamin A daily - and you need even more if you're breast-feeding. Whilst a good daily dose of Vitamin A is essential, it's not advisable to take specific supplements as too much, ingested in its full form, can be detrimental to your baby. Beta-carotene however converts naturally into Vitamin A in your body and is not linked to any side effects - just half a cup of raw grated carrot will provide more than your recommended daily amounts. As a general rule most yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are rich sources of beta-carotene. Top beta-carotene favourites for your healthy pregnancy are: Carrots (of course!) Pumpkins Sweet potatoes Butternut squash It might not be orange in colour but spinach is a good source of beta-carotene and so is kale Dark colourful lettuces, such as Lollo Rosso Cabbage If you're worried about whether you're getting enough beta carotene from your regular pregnancy diet have a chat with your doctor or midwife. Carrot and tomato soup A super easy recipe that only takes minutes to make, it's better to scrub carrots clean rather than peel them as many of the nutrients are located in the outer covering. Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants and nutrients, especially Vitamin C which helps form healthy bones, teeth and gums. One medium onion, finely chopped One clove of garlic, crushed I tbsp. olive oil 3-4 large carrots roughly chopped into small cubes 2 tins of chopped tomatoes ½ pint of chicken or vegetable stock 2-3 tbsps. crème fraiche Tbsp of fresh oregano (if available) and a sprig of fresh thyme both finely chopped - and used dried oregano & thyme to taste. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Gently fry the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is transparent. Add the carrots, stir and fry for a minute or two before pouring in the stock. Simmer gently until the carrots are tender (this shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes) and add the tomatoes and herbs. Continue to simmer to allow the flavours to meld together and blend. Add the crème fraiche and more water if it's too thick. Re-heat gently. Season to taste and serve with an extra swirl of crème fraiche on top. Vary the herbs to ring the changes - flat leaf parsley works well. Alexandra McCabe is a founder of FittaMamma, the healthy pregnancy experts. FittaMamma is a free resource to help women enjoy an active pregnancy with workout videos, recipes and step by step yoga guides. Read here for tips on what to eat when you're pregnant and how to enjoy a healthy prenatal diet with all your important pregnancy vitamins
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