Eating vegetarian diet during pregnancy

During pregnancy , it is important to choose from a variety of foods that provide enough proteins, calories and nutrients for you and your baby. A balanced vegetarian diet can provide you with all the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy.  You need to pay special attention to proteins, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, zinc and iron during pregnancy and nursing.

You can seek the help of a registered dietician to make sure you are eating a balanced diet.

Protein :  This is essential for fetal cell growth and development. Dairy products , eggs, fish , seafood , meat and poultry are all excellent sources. A vegetarian diet may include egg dairy . However in the case of plant only vegan diet, it is important to include plant based vegan foods in your diet.

Iron : Iron from plants are not well absorbed as iron from animals. Add beans, lentils and leafy green vegetables to your diet. Eat foods that contain vitamin C to improve your absorption of iron.

Vitamin B12: This is found only in foods from animal sources such as milk, egg and meat. It is important to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 or take vitamin B12 supplement.

Calcium : If you don’t use milk or milk product, you can get calcium from other sources such as tofu, calcium fortified orange juice, corn tortillas made with lime, almonds, kale, turnip greens,  and broccoli.

Zinc : Zinc from plant foods is poorly absorbed so you need to get more enough zinc in your diet. Good sources of zinc include the following

• leavened whole grains such as whole wheat bread
• legumes such as beans and lentils
• soy foods
• vegetables
• milk
• yogurt

Vitamin D : You can get vitamin D from other sources if you do not use milk or milk products. Soy milk is usually fortified with vitamin D. You can also produce vitamin D when  you get exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. You should get vitamin D supplement if you don’t  consume a source of vitamin D and don’t  get adequate sunlight .