Veganism/Vegetarianism During Pregnancy
Christopher Wen

Subscribe to greenFood newsletter & get a special 4-part E-course now! Name: Email: We will not sell your name period. We respect your privacy

Defined Tag: Vegetarianism.

    The newfound popularity of veganism and vegetarianism has made it easier than ever to eat a healthy diet while you’re pregnant without compromising your scruples. Most foods have a vegan or vegetarian substitute. Since you can still have fruits calcium fortified juices (many of which have as much calcium as regular milk), rice milk and soy milk make great staples to your diet instead of milk, and beans and nuts are excellent sources of protein and iron.
   
    When you first go in for a pre-natal checkup you should tell your doctor you’re a vegan. They will probably want to go over your current diet with you to make sure that you are taking in enough nutrients and prescribe a supplement if they feel it’s necessary. In most instances you will only need to add some foods to your diet to compensate for the added nutritional requirements of pregnancy. There are a few vital nutrients that aren’t usually found in the vegan diet, however, that you are going to want to pay special attention to know that you‘re pregnant.

    You may run into some trouble with your Vitamin B12 if you are a vegan and do not eat or drink dairy products, so it is vitally important that your doctor be made aware of your diet at your first pre-natal checkup. They may prescribe a supplement for you or recommend that you attempt to purchase tofu, soy milk, yeasts and other foods that are specially made for vegans and are fortified with B12. Most fortified cereals also contain some B12, so the next time you’re at the store pick up your favorite brand of Lucky Charms and check the B12 content. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised!

    Vitamin D is another vitamin that usually isn’t found in the vegan diet but can be compensated for by getting 20 to 30 minutes of direct sunlight a day. If your schedule keeps you inside during the day your doctor may prescribe a supplement; however, these should only be taken if prescribed. Too many vitamins can be just as harmful as too few.

    There are a number of great books out right now on the topic of the vegan diet and pregnancy, and most of these contain some awesome recipes. Take the time to browse through the diet and/or pregnancy section of your local library and bookstore the next time you have an hour or two to spare and pick one up to help you put together a diet that’s going to work for both you and your baby.

Christopher Wen is the webmaster for green Health Eating where he provides articles, news, and healthy info on health food, low carb meals, vegetarian diet, raw food, organic food, low fat cooking, recipes, and more.

Other greenHealth Eating Topics To Check Out:

• Diet Vegetable
• Healthy Food and Snacks
• Low Carb Food List
• Low Fat Cooking
• Natural and Organic Food
• Quick Healthy Meals
• Raw Food Diet Detox
• Vegetarian Diet Plan
• Food With Trans Fat