Vegetarians need to be much more careful than meat eaters about their eating habits when pregnant. If you do not pay attention to your vegetarian diet during pregnancy your body may not receive the nutrient requirements it needs to help your baby grow properly.
We will cover vegetarians and vegans in this article and give advice to both about their specific requirements. It is usually assumed that vegetarians don't eat meat but will eat animal products such as dairy products. Vegans take it one step further and don't consume any animal products at all.
During pregnancy, vegetarians should eat plenty of milk-based products. Furthermore in an attempt to mimic the complete proteins found in meat a combination of legumes and whole grains should be used daily. Legumes would be dried beans, lentils, split peas and the like. For the whole grain element use brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Anything which uses the whole grain is good. To get the full benefit from these foods you should eat them together at the same meal. If you cannot do this try to eat them as close to your main meal as you can.
For vegans it can get a little more tricky but there is no reason why you cannot be healthy and grow a healthy baby on a vegan diet. Vegans will get all of their nutrient requirements from plant-based sources such as nuts, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds and fruits. More careful planning is required for vegans in order to absorb all the important nutrients.
This is, of course, true when not pregnant! During pregnancy vegans need to be even more mindful of their diet. Just as vegetarians do, vegans need to combine whole grains with legumes to receive complete proteins. Vitamin B12 is also very important and it is likely you will need a supplement if you are going through a vegan pregnancy.
In addition, because vegans cannot ingest dairy products it is likely that there will be a lack of vitamin D, iron, calcium, riboflavin and zinc. These are all vital elements to a healthy pregnancy. You should inform your healthcare practitioner the instant you know you're pregnant if you're vegan and you should educate yourself as much as possible in order to give your baby the best chance.
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