When you first find out you're pregnant, chances are you are concerned about how you should change your diet. After all, you want to consume only the best foods to eat while pregnant, and making the switch to a healthy eating plan can seem a little daunting at first. Even foods that would normally be OK in moderation in a normal eating plan should be eliminated during pregnancy, such as foods that contain caffeine.

It's important to remember that you don't have to change your entire lifestyle overnight. In fact, making small changes in the right direction can actually be a more positive change because you can easily get overwhelmed and stressed out by changing your entire way of eating too quickly.

The next time you go to the grocery store, try incorporating these healthy changes as part of your eating plan, as you feel comfortable. These will get you started on the road to a healthy pregnancy and diet.

1. Make the Switch to Organic

Organic foods contain none of the troubling chemicals and pesticides that ordinary foods contain. Since the long-term effects of these substances are unknown, particularly as they pertain to the human fetus, you should commit to purchasing organic foods as much as possible. At least start with the "dirty dozen" of produce products and then move on from there: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes, and grapes.

2. Buy Whole, Unprocessed Foods

Whole, unprocessed foods will make you feel fuller during pregnancy and will help combat fatigue, water retention, and other common pregnancy complaints. This is because processed foods contain fillers, sodium, and preservatives, all of which can aggravate conditions like water retention and weight gain. Need an example of a whole food vs. processed food? Instead of drinking apple juice, which contains sugar and preservatives, eat a whole, organic apple. An apple contains fiber and nutrients that are essential building blocks of a healthy pregnancy eating plan, without the additional sugar or preservatives found in juice.

3. Filtered Water: Your #1 Beverage

Without a doubt, your go-to beverage during pregnancy should be water, and lots of it. Water can help your body flush out toxins and prevent fluid retention. Drinking enough water can also help combat common aches and pains associated with pregnancy, as well as constipation--another all-too-common side effect of being pregnant. How much water should you drink? Well, you should be drinking at least half your weight in water per day, minimum. In other words, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink 80 ounces of water.

4. All-Natural Meats and Dairy

Much like organic produce, all natural meats and dairy products are free of the troubling chemicals and hormones that their regular counterparts contain. These hormones and antibiotics have been shown to have harmful effects on humans and should be avoided if at all possible. Many grocers now carry these all-natural products, or you might check with your local farmer's market for a local source of natural beef, chicken, and dairy. If a local source is unavailable, there are online retail solutions for your all natural meat and dairy needs.

5. Healthy Fats for Healthy Pregnancy

You should also incorporate healthy fats into your pregnancy eating plan. Not only do these fats contain the amino acids so necessary for proper cognitive and neural development, they also help you feel satiated between meals. This helps you keep your weight gain in check. What fats are considered healthy? You should eat coconut oil, organic butter, olive oil, avocadoes, and raw nuts and nut butters for the best results.