Happy Mother’s Day! Becoming a mother is hard work from the second the baby is conceived. Therefore, nutrient requirements for mothers typically increase when compared with females in the same age group. It makes intuitive sense that pregnant and breastfeeding women need to eat more. However, just eating more is not enough. Moreover, some women might not be able to tolerate extra food (e.g. due to morning sickness when pregnant) or not have the opportunity to prepare meals (e.g. when breastfeeding). Thus, it is important to choose nutrient-dense food sources, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, lean meats, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds. Nutrient requirements for mothers To answer the…