Many vegetarians are used to fielding concerns about their diet. They answer queries with anything from a short, humorous response to a detailed lecture. However, many vegetarian women find that when they become pregnant, the questions become more persistent. Well-meaning friends and family may openly express doubts about the safety of a meat-free diet. “How do you get enough protein? Don’t you need meat for your baby to be healthy?” In the case of vegans, those who eat no animal products including eggs or dairy, the opposition increases. Here are some facts about the vital nutrients in your diet to ease their minds and yours regarding the safety of vegetarian diets during pregnancy.
Protein
How many vegetarians do you know who started eating fish during pregnancy just to meet their protein needs? It is true that the need for protein increases during pregnancy, but only by about 20 percent. The fact is most American women, including vegetarians, eat enough protein on an average day to meet the needs of a pregnant woman. Excess protein is simply stored in the body as fat.
A woman’s body needs about 300 extra calories per day to grow a healthy baby. If you meet your caloric needs by eating a wide variety of foods, including whole grains, soy foods (soymilk, tofu, tempeh), legumes, nuts, nut butters, seeds, fruits and vegetables, you will meet your protein needs during pregnancy. And contrary to the old teachings, vegetarians need not combine foods during each meal to get complete proteins. A balanced and varied diet will take care of that.
Omega-3 fatty acids
You may also have heard that you should at least eat fish for omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats play an important role in the development of the retina and brain and maintenance of the central nervous system. While it is true that fish oil is a rich source, it is certainly not the only one! Omega-3 fatty acids are also available from ground flax seeds (added to baked goods or smoothies), flax seed oil, walnuts, walnut oil, canola oil, soy products, soybean oil, hempseed oil, and wheat germ. There is some new research to suggest that perhaps an omega-3 supplement is in order for all vegetarians, regardless of whether you eat the foods listed above, so you may consider buying one from a vegan retailer.
Further evidence shows that pesticide and mercury consumption from eating certain types of fish may be unsafe during pregnancy. Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D. of the Vegetarian Resource Group warns of the dangers:
“Several studies have found markedly higher levels of pesticides in breast milk of women who eat meat and fish, especially fatty fish. We don’t really know what effect these pesticides have on pregnancy. The FDA has issued an advisory calling for pregnant women to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.”
Calcium
You will probably be cautioned to make sure you get four full glasses of milk per day to meet your calcium needs. Most people don’t even realize that there are other good sources of calcium besides milk.
“When a pregnant American woman thinks about adding calcium to her body, she automatically thinks she needs to drink more milk. Yet, after they are weaned from their mothers, billions of women worldwide consume no milk and produce perfectly healthy and strong children,” says Dr. John McDougall, author of The McDougall Program for Women.
Good sources of non-dairy calcium include broccoli, almonds, tahini (sesame seed paste used in sauces and dips), sesame seeds, kale, sea vegetables, fortified orange juice, calcium-processed tofu, fortified soy and rice milk. A woman’s body actually absorbs and retains calcium more efficiently during pregnancy.
Vitamin D
Related to calcium—and just as important—is Vitamin D. It is essential for absorption of calcium and for the formation of your baby’s bones in utero. Your body will make all the Vitamin D that you need with adequate sun exposure (one hour, three to four times per week), but since your needs during pregnancy double, it’s safer to make sure that you have a dietary source of this nutrient. Vegetarian sources include egg yolks, fortified dairy products, and many soy and rice milks.
Vitamin B-12
B-12 is abundant in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Ovo-lacto vegetarians generally need not worry about their intake of this vitamin. Vegans can make sure to get it by consuming fortified foods such as nutritional yeast (delicious sprinkled on popcorn), soymilk, meat analogs (vegetarian meat substitutes), or breakfast cereals. There is some evidence that suggests that a mother’s store of B-12 may not be available to the fetus. Therefore, it is critical that your diet contain an adequate amount of this nutrient.
“Sea vegetables, tempeh, and other foods are not reliable sources of vitamin B-12,” warns Mangels. “To be sure the baby gets vitamin B-12, it is important to use a reliable source daily rather than relying on stored vitamin B-12.”
Iron
A woman’s need for iron during pregnancy increases. The baby’s blood is formed, and the mother’s blood volume rises to guarantee an adequate oxygen supply to her growing child. Many women, regardless of diet, experience anemia during pregnancy.
“Whether or not iron supplements are used, it is important to stress the inclusion of iron-rich foods in the diets of all pregnant women,” says Mangels.
These include green leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, dried fruits, blackstrap molasses, bran flakes, sea vegetables, nuts and seeds. Dr. McDougall also recommends avoiding excess consumption of milk products, tea, and coffee, all of which inhibit iron absorption. Cooking food in cast iron skillets—especially high-acid foods like tomatoes—can increase the iron content of foods. Some doctors recommend that their pregnant patients take a daily iron supplement in the second and third trimesters. Each woman should discuss her diet in detail with her own healthcare provider to determine if an iron supplement is necessary.
Folate
According to The McDougall Program for Women, folate, or folic acid, deficiency is the most frequently encountered vitamin deficiency in the U.S. Adequate consumption of folate is essential, particularly in the first few weeks of pregnancy when women don’t usually know they are pregnant. It helps to prevent many birth defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly. For this reason, folate is now added to many commercial baked goods and flours. Vegetarian diets are often high in folate, but experts recommend 600 ug per day during pregnancy from the following dietary sources and/or folate supplements: dark leafy greens, whole grains, orange juice, baked goods made with enriched flour, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and fortified cereals.
Prenatal Vitamins
Mangels recommends that the use of prenatal vitamins be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. More important is eating a widely varied, plant-based diet in order to confidently meet dietary needs during pregnancy.
“Certainly there is little or no risk associated with use of a standard prenatal vitamin, and it may provide extra “insurance” for days when a woman is too queasy or too busy to eat properly. However, a vitamin will not provide calories and protein, also very important in pregnancy, and so should not be relied on to take the place of a healthy diet.”
--Melanie Wilson is the senior editor of VegNews, the editor of vegetarianbaby.com and co-editor of www.vegetarianteen.com.
Sources:
Rose Elliot, The Vegetarian Mother and Baby Book, revised (Pantheon Books, 1996).
Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D. and Katie Kavanagh-Prochaska, Dietetic Intern, “Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood” adapted
from Simply Vegan (Vegetarian Resource Group, 1999.)
John McDougall, The McDougall Program for Women (Plume, 2000).
Vesanto Melina, RD, Brenda Davis, RD, and Victoria Harrison, RD, Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet (Book Publishing Company, 1995).
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