vegetarian pregnancy diet plan?

Vegan and vegetarian pregnancy diets

A vegan pregnancy or vegetarian pregnancy can be healthy as long as you make sure to get enough of a few key nutrients that are especially important for your developing baby (and are sometimes a bit harder to get from plant-based foods). Here are the pregnancy nutrition basics every vegan and vegetarian needs to know.
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Is it safe to have a vegetarian or vegan pregnancy?
What nutrients will I need when I'm pregnant and vegan or vegetarian?
Vegan and vegetarian pregnancy diet ideas
Will a vegetarian or vegan diet affect my baby?
Can I stay vegetarian or vegan while I'm breastfeeding?

Is it safe to have a vegetarian or vegan pregnancy?

Whether you're vegetarian or vegan, you can have a healthy pregnancy with the right planning. As long as you eat a variety of healthy vegetarian foods and include key nutrients that are essential for your baby's cellular, brain, and organ development, you can get all the nourishment you need without meat, fish, or poultry (and without animal products such as eggs and dairy, if you're vegan).

In fact, a well-designed plant-based diet is loaded with nutrients that support your baby's development and your health, including plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, it's low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which aren't great for you in excess even if you aren't expecting.

Let your healthcare provider know about your diet at your preconception visit or your first prenatal visit. You may want to work with a registered dietitian, especially if you're following a vegan diet.

In some cases, you may need to rely on fortified foods and take certain supplements in addition to your prenatal vitamin to make sure you're getting enough of what you need. Always consult your provider before taking any supplements while pregnant.
What nutrients will I need when I'm pregnant and vegan or vegetarian?

Along with a variety of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned) and whole grain products, you'll want to make sure you eat foods (and sometimes take supplements) that provide the following nutrients for a healthy pregnancy.
Protein

You'll need: About 70 grams per day in the second and third trimesters. (Note: You may need more or less protein depending on your weight, activity level, and health history.)

Protein is the building block of cells, making it essential for your growing baby. It's made up of amino acids, including nine essential amino acids that your body can't make on its own.

Animal foods have about twice as much protein per serving (about 20 grams) compared to plant foods (10 grams or less). And, unlike animal foods, plant foods don't contain all nine essential amino acids. That's why it's important to get protein from a variety of vegetarian sources, ideally incorporating a protein food in every meal.

Good sources of vegetarian protein include:

Eggs
Dairy products
Legumes, such as chickpeas, kidney beans, and lentils
Soy foods, including tempeh, tofu, soy milk, and soy beans
Many nuts, seeds, and nut butters (such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, flaxseed, and walnuts)

Iron

You'll need: 27 mg per day
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Iron supports your baby's physical growth and neurological development. It also improves your blood supply – which is especially important right now, given that blood volume increases between 20 to 100 percent during pregnancy. In fact, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency during pregnancy.

Your prenatal vitamin will likely fill some of your iron needs, but you should also eat several servings of a variety of iron-rich foods every day. Good sources of iron include:

Iron-fortified breakfast cereal
Beans and other legumes
Tofu, tempeh, and other soy-based foods
Whole grain or enriched foods, such as bread and pasta
Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and chard
Dark chocolate

Plant-based foods contain nonheme iron, which is harder for your body to absorb than the heme iron found in animal foods. That means you'll want to pay extra attention to how you get your iron. Avoid having tea or coffee with meals, which may make it harder for your body to absorb iron from vegetables. Instead, to help your body better use this mineral, pair an iron-rich food with something that's rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, tomato sauce, or broccoli.

You'll have a blood test early in your pregnancy to check your iron level. If yours is low, your healthcare provider may recommend that you take an iron supplement.
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Low levels of iron can cause iron-deficiency anemia, which may pose risks for you and your baby (like preterm birth). If you're concerned you might be experiencing anemia symptoms (which include fatigue, weakness, pale or yellow skin, cold hands and feet, and dizziness or lightheadedness, among others), be sure to talk to your doctor.
Zinc

You'll need: 11 mg per day

Zinc supports growth during pregnancy – and you'll need a steady supply because your body has no way to store it. The best sources of zinc are animal foods, since your body isn't as efficient at absorbing zinc from plant foods. This makes it harder for vegans and vegetarians to get enough zinc from food alone. Focus on eating a variety of plant foods that are rich in zinc and check your prenatal vitamin to make sure it contains zinc.

Many foods that also provide iron can help you reach your zinc goals. Good sources of zinc include:

Fortified breakfast cereals
Beans
Soy foods
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Wheat germ
Oatmeal
Milk, yogurt, and cheese

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Calcium

You'll need: 1,000 mg per day

Calcium builds your baby's bones and helps protect yours. In fact, what your baby doesn't get from the foods you eat, they'll take from your bones – especially during the last trimester, which increases your risk for osteoporosis.

One serving of most dairy products and fortified soy milk hits about one-third of your daily calcium needs. Other fortified foods and plant foods on the list below have in the range of 100 mg of calcium (or less) per serving. If you're not sure whether a product is fortified with calcium, check the label.

You may be able to get enough calcium from your diet, especially if you eat dairy. But if your prenatal vitamin doesn't contain calcium (some don't, and many only contain 100 to 200 grams), talk to your provider about taking a calcium supplement.

Aim to have several servings of a variety of the following calcium-rich foods every day:
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Milk, cheese, and yogurt
Calcium-fortified almond or soy milk, orange juice, and breakfast cereals
White beans, chickpeas, and lentils
Sesame seeds, almonds, and tahini
Dried figs
Calcium-set tofu (look for calcium chloride or calcium sulfate on the ingredients list)
Certain green vegetables, including kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, broccoli, and bok choy (others, such as spinach and beet greens, contain calcium, but your body doesn't absorb the calcium from these vegetables as well)

Vitamin D

You'll need: At least 600 IU a day

This vitamin helps your body absorb calcium to support your baby's bone development. Your body actually makes vitamin D every time you're (briefly) exposed to sunlight. Fatty fish is the best food source, but vitamin D is also found in a few select vegetarian foods, including:

egg yolks
fortified cow's milk
fortified orange juice, cereal, and plant milks

Still, you may need to supplement, especially during the winter months.
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Many prenatal vitamins also include vitamin D. If yours doesn't, you may want to talk to your provider about taking a vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin B12

You'll need: 2.6 mcg per day

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in your baby's brain development, and it's only naturally found in animal foods. Eating several servings of dairy foods every day should provide you enough.

If you're a vegan and avoid dairy, you'll need to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 (be sure to check for fortification on the product label).

B12-fortified foods include:
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soy and other plant milks
breakfast cereals
nutritional yeast

If you don't eat dairy or fortified foods every day, and your prenatal supplement doesn't contain B12, your provider will most likely recommend taking a separate vitamin B12 supplement.
Iodine

You'll need: 220 mcg per day

Iodine helps your thyroid to produce certain hormones and is critical for your baby's brain and central nervous system development. Too-low levels of iodine can lead to hypothyroidism or goiter (an enlarged thyroid).

Fortunately, iodine is easy enough to get, making iodine deficiency rare in the U.S. Just opt for iodized table salt over sea salt or Himalayan salt (unless the latter are labeled as "iodized"). Many but not all prenatal vitamins also contain iodine, but be sure to check the label. Otherwise, seaweed, cow's milk, and yogurt are good vegetarian sources.
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DHA

You'll need: 200 mg of DHA per day

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that promotes the development of your baby's eyes and brain during pregnancy. Some research also suggests it may help reduce the risk of preterm birth. It's found in fish, fish oil, and microalgae.

Chia seeds and flax seeds contain ALA, another type of omega-3 fatty acid that your body can convert into DHA, but that process isn't efficient. Some yogurt, soy drinks, and juices are also fortified with DHA. But by far, the easiest way for vegetarians and vegans to get the DHA recommended is to take an omega-3 supplement derived from algae.
Vegan and vegetarian pregnancy diet ideas

Focusing on regularly incorporating a short list of foods into your meals – nuts, seeds, legumes, soy foods, and fortified foods (along with dairy and eggs, if you eat them) – can help you to meet your nutritional needs as a vegetarian or vegan throughout pregnancy.

Here are some quick ideas to work these foods into your diet:
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Vegan or vegetarian pregnancy breakfast ideas

Top yogurt, soy yogurt, or cottage cheese with berries and chia seeds.
Scramble eggs and mix with beans and sautéed tomatoes.
Prepare a tofu scramble with dark leafy veggies.
Eat a fortified breakfast cereal (check for iron, zinc, and B12) with calcium-fortified soy milk.

Vegan or vegetarian pregnancy lunch and dinner ideas

Add beans (such as kidney, black, or white), chickpeas, lentils, or tofu cubes to a green salad.
Fill a wrap with black beans or hummus and shredded raw veggies.
Slice up a hard-boiled egg and add to your sandwich.
Drizzle tahini on a falafel sandwich.
Crumble tempeh and use it as a base for tacos, enchiladas, or pasta sauce.
Marinate tempeh or tofu and stir fry it with bok choy, broccoli, and other veggies. Serve over whole-grain rice.

Vegan or vegetarian pregnancy snack ideas

Snack on a handful of almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, or roasted chickpeas.
Spread peanut or almond butter on whole-grain bread or sliced apples.
Make chia pudding with fortified plant milk.
Blend a smoothie with fruit, fortified plant milk, and nut butter.
Dip raw veggies and whole-grain tortilla chips in hummus.

Will a vegetarian or vegan diet affect my baby?

As long as it's well-planned, a vegetarian or vegan diet can support your baby's healthy development throughout pregnancy. Be sure to focus on getting enough protein, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, iodine, and DHA in your diet.

Because these nutrients are found more easily and/or plentifully in animal foods, you may become deficient if your vegetarian or vegan diet doesn't regularly incorporate foods (or supplements) that fill your needs. Severe deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to developmental and growth problems for your baby as well as preterm birth and other serious pregnancy complications.
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Concerned you might not be getting enough of one or more nutrients? Consider working with a registered dietician to ensure you're eating a balanced vegetarian or vegan diet.
Can I stay vegetarian or vegan while I'm breastfeeding?

It's definitely possible to stay vegetarian or vegan while you're breastfeeding. Many of the same nutritional principles from pregnancy apply when you're nursing to help your body keep up with the demands of milk production.

Again, the nutrients you'll want to target include:

Protein: 70 grams per day
Calcium: 1,000 mg per day
B12: 2.8 mcg per day
Iron: 10 mg per day
Zinc: 13 mg per day
Vitamin D: 600 IU per day
DHA: 200 mg per day
Iodine: 290 mcg per day

You can get many of these nutrients by continuing to take your prenatal vitamin – and by eating the same foods that you focused on during pregnancy.
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