Food cravings are normal when you're expecting, and it's generally OK to give in to them. Just don't overdo it. But craving other things that aren't food, such as ice, laundry detergent, paint chips, or clay, may be a sign that you are deficient in iron or zinc. Tell your doctor right away. Eating things that aren't food is risky for you and your baby. And it could leave you lacking important nutrients.

Soft cheeses tend to be made from raw or unpasteurized milk, which can carry disease-causing germs like the bacteria that causes listeriosis. Pregnant women are 13 times more likely to contract listeriosis, which can be harmful, even life-threatening, to a pregnant woman and her baby.

Pasteurization kills bacteria using heat. Unless clearly labeled as "pasteurized," or "made with pasteurized milk," skip soft cheeses like feta, brie, Camembert, blue cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco and queso fresco.

The foods you eat during pregnancy may get your baby familiar with certain flavors even before his first taste of solid food. Small studies have shown that when expecting mothers eat spices such as garlic, cumin, and curry, it changes the flavor of amniotic fluid, which baby regularly swallows. In another study, babies were less likely to make "I don't like it!" faces when they first tried carrots if their mothers drank a lot of carrot juice during pregnancy.

Although many women swear that spicy food helps induce labor, there is no evidence to back up this legend. Some women may crave spicy food. For others, it might cause heartburn -- but not labor.

Studies show that drinking less than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day (that’s about two 8-ounce cups) is not linked to miscarriage or premature birth. But the jury is still out on whether caffeine is linked to low birth weight. If you are a mom-to-be who needs coffee to get going in the morning, your doctor will probably give you the OK to go ahead. Just don't get endless refills!

Herbal teas such as ginger root, red raspberry leaf, and peppermint leaf usually don't have caffeine. But there's not enough research on drinking them during pregnancy to say that they're totally safe. Plus, the FDA does not regulate them tightly, so there is no way to know what’s really in the box.

Other types of tea, such as black, green, or white tea, are usually safe as long as you don’t drink more caffeine than your doctor recommends. Check to see if any herbal ingredients are added to your tea.

Folic acid helps prevent major birth defects of a baby's spine and brain. But it works only if you take it before you get pregnant and in the first few weeks of your pregnancy. Because almost half of all U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, all women should get 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. You can get that through most multivitamins. Pregnant women should get at least 600 micrograms. Taking a prenatal vitamin once you're pregnant should help you get that amount.

The key words there are "cooked and steaming hot." Raw, they raise the risk of food poisoning, which could be harmful to you and your baby. So if you're craving hot dogs, sausages, cold cuts, or other processed deli meats, make sure they are cooked and steaming hot, according to the CDC. When in doubt, eat something else.

Some lucky women don't have any morning sickness. If you do have morning sickness, it usually goes away after the first trimester. Ginger may help settle your stomach. Several small studies have shown that 1 gram of ginger daily helped ease morning sickness. Bland foods, salty crackers, or sour or tart drinks like lemonade can also help. So can snacking throughout the day. Ask your doctor before taking ginger. Let your doctor know if you’re vomiting several times a day or have severe nausea.

Eggs are a great way to get protein. Just make sure they're cooked. Raw eggs can be contaminated with the dangerous bacteria salmonella. So to be safe, pass up eggnog, raw batter, hollandaise sauce, and Caesar salad dressing. Always cook eggs until the yolk and white parts are firm, or choose pasteurized eggs.

Spam lovers are in luck! Meat products and smoked seafood are usually OK if they’re non-refrigerated and canned or sold on the shelf. But some foods from the deli department are off-limits. These include refrigerated meat products such as pâtés or spreads, and refrigerated smoked seafood. Same goes for packaged deli salads such as chicken or seafood salad. These foods run the risk of infection from the listeria bacteria. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to infections, so they are at a much higher risk from these bacteria.

The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA) for iron is 27 milligrams daily for pregnant women. You can help meet this goal by eating lean meats, eggs, poultry, fish, dark leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals. However, more than half of American pregnant women don’t get that amount of iron. So the CDC recommends pregnant women take at least 30 mg of an iron supplement beginning at their first prenatal visit. Not enough iron can lead to anemia, which is linked to premature babies and low birth weight.

If you're pregnant and eat a vegan diet, you should talk to your doctor about taking supplements. Vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iron can be hard to get from a vegan diet alone.

Vitamin B12 is found naturally only in foods that come from animals,although some fortified breakfast cereals contain B12 also.

Vitamin D is most easily found in milk and many fortified foods. Spending 10 to 15 minutes in the sun three times a week may also be enough to make vitamin D.  

Iron can be found in beans, soy foods, spinach, seaweed, and more. As a vegan, you need twice as much iron in your diet as meat eaters. Doctors recommend taking an iron supplement to ensure you get enough during pregnancy.

According to the FDA, all types of raw sprouts are bad for pregnant women. No matter how well they are washed, they can still contain dangerous bacteria. So skip the sprouts on your salad or sandwich unless they are thoroughly cooked.

Fish is good for you and your baby. But some fish have higher levels of mercury, which can be harmful. Swordfish, tilefish, shark, and king mackerel tend to have the most mercury, according to the FDA.

Seafood with low mercury levels is generally safe when cooked. You can eat up to 12 ounces -- about two average meals -- of fish or shellfish each week. Choose varieties that are lower in mercury, like shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and clams. Albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. If you prefer white to light, you can eat up to 6 ounces of albacore a week, as part of your 12-ounce total.