Is a Vegetarian Diet Safe During Pregnancy?
With careful planning, a vegetarian diet, no matter what the type, can be healthy and safe during pregnancy. It is essential to assess your intake of certain nutrients that are especially important during pregnancy. These nutrients include vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and protein.
If you follow a lacto-ovo or a lacto vegetarian diet, meaning you include dairy or dairy and eggs in your eating plan, you have fewer nutritional hurdles to get over. If you are vegan, you have to be much more vigilant about consuming all of the essential nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. That includes making sure that you consume enough calories recommended for pregnancy. Vegetarians, especially vegans, should keep tabs on their weight gain during pregnancy.
The Benefits
Vegetarian diets can be very healthy if designed correctly. A healthy, wellplanned vegetarian diet usually contains more fiber. It is also lower in total fat, especially saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, which can help lower the risk for diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. In addition, LDL blood cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) levels are generally lower in vegetarians, which can decrease the incidence of death from heart disease. Vegetarians tend to have a lower incidence of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancers such as lung and colon, than people who eat meat. Vegetarian diets that are high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also tend to be higher in folic acid, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals. All these benefits give this eating style an extra disease-fighting punch. However, the key to being at a lower risk for these health problems is following a properly balanced vegetarian diet.
Keep in mind that not all vegetarian protein sources are low in fat. Popular protein sources, such as nuts and seeds, can be high in fat. These contain unsaturated (or healthy) fats, but small amounts can pack in lots of calories.
The Pitfalls
It is important to keep in mind that being a vegetarian does not guarantee that you are eating a healthy diet. A poorly planned vegetarian diet can cause some nutritional deficiencies. It can also be high in fat, cholesterol, and calories and low in fiber. Some vegetarians may have a high saturated-fat intake from consuming too many eggs, cream, butter, whole-milk Products, and cheese. Vegetarians may get into the rut of eating too many law-fiber starches without including enough of the other food groups, such as plantbased proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy foods (if included in their eating style).
Despite some of the pitfalls of a vegetarian diet, you can still reap the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle as long as you plan your meals correctly and you eat higher fat, higher sugar foods in moderation.
A Balanced Pregnancy Diet
A healthy vegetarian pregnancy diet must be balanced. In other words, it must contain all of the nutrients essential to good health and a healthy pregnancy. It may take a little work, but keep in mind that knowledge is power. The more you know about the foods you eat, the more nutritious your diet can become. The nutritional adequacy of a vegetarian diet depends more on the overall food choices made over several days than what you consume at each meal.
During breastfeeding, you need more calories than you do while pregnant. Vegetarian women who are breastfeeding also need to make sure they are consuming plenty of vitamin B12 sources because intake can affect levels in breast milk. While you are on prenatal vitamins, you should get all of the nutrients you need. After delivery, your doctor will most likely take you off your prenatal vitamins. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian about starting a multivitamin/mineral supplement that will ensure optimal nutritional intake.
The Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid
The Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid is very similar to the regular Food Guide Pyramid. The vegetarian version provides recommended guidelines for the vegetarian population. The lacto-ova vegetarian diet can be modified to meet the guidelines of the Food Guide Pyramid with only a few modifications. If you consume eggs and/or dairy products, choose lower-fat or nonfat products to limit the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you consume each day.
The following list describes the minimum number of servings you should consume from each food group during pregnancy:
- Use fats, oils, and sweets sparingly. This includes candy, butter, margarine, salad dressing, and cooking oil.
- Eat 3-4 servings from the milk, yogurt, and cheese group. Examples of single servings from this group include one cup of milk or yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese. Vegetarians who choose not to eat milk, yogurt, or cheese should select other food sources rich in calcium, such as calciumfortified juice, cereal, dark-green leafy vegetables, and soy milk.
- Eat 2 servings (6-7 ounces each) from the dry beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat substitutes group. Examples of a single serving from this food group include one cup of soy milk, 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or peas, one egg or two egg whites, 1/3 cup of nuts or seeds, or 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Shoot to eat at least 3-4 servings of cooked dried beans weekly. They are a good choice because they are full of zinc, iron, protein, and fiber.
- Eat 4 servings from the vegetable group. Examples of a single serving from this group include 1/2 cup of cooked or chopped raw vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables. Choose dark-green leafy vegetables often for higher calcium intake.
- Eat 3 servings from the fruit group. Examples of a single serving from this group include 3/4 cup of juice, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, 1/2 cup of chopped raw fruit, 1/2 cup of canned fruit, or a medium-size piece of fruit, such as banana, apple, or orange.
- Eat 9 servings from the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group. Examples of a single serving from this group include one slice of bread, 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, pasta, or other grains, or half a bagel. Choose whole-wheat and wholegrain breads and pastas more often, as well as fortified and enriched products.
Vegetarian Meal Planning Tips
The key to a vegetarian diet is making the right choices and eating a variety of foods. It never hurts to take an overall look at your diet to make sure it is well balanced, nutritious, and in line with your new pregnancy needs. There are all kinds of vegetarian foods out there that you may have never thought of trying. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Explore new foods at your grocery store. Instead of going with the same old foods, try new grains (such as barley, bulgur, couscous, kasha, and quinoa), vegetables, and/or legumes each week.
- Try different meat-free or soy products from the selection located in the freezer section or the health section. Soy can boost the protein, calcium, and iron content of almost any meal.
- Add different types of legumes or dried beans to casseroles, stews, soups, salads, and chili for a protein, iron, zinc, and fiber boost to your meal.
- Prepare some of your favorite dishes with a soy substitute, such as using textured vegetable protein in Sloppy joes or spaghetti sauce or adding cubed tofu to a stir-fry along with your favorite vegetables.
- Next time you grill out, try a marinated portabella mushroom or veggie burger marinated in teriyaki sauce or your favorite marinade.
- Buy a vegetarian cookbook, or search out meatless recipes on the Internet for new ideas.
- When looking for a place to dine out, suggest Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, or Italian. You can always find plenty of vegetarian entrees on these menus.
If you are a vegan, you will have a tougher time making sure you receive all the essential nutrients you need during pregnancy. You will need to make more modifications to the Food Guide Pyramid. Seek the guidance of a dietitian who can make sure you are planning your diet correctly.