A vegetarian diet is suitable for pregnant women, as long as they take the steps necessary to ensure that the diet has all the necessary nutrients. Eating a vegetarian diet often offers the developing fetus a significant amount of vitamins and nutrients because of the high fruit and vegetable content.
Basics
Eating a well-balanced vegetarian diet during pregnancy can be healthy for you and your baby. During your pregnancy, it is important to remember you are eating for two and your calorie needs will increase throughout the pregnancy, but the increase in calories should come in the form of healthy vegetarian foods rather than sweets, notes the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Considerations
To have a healthy pregnancy it is important for you to have a healthy vegetarian diet before becoming pregnant. If you are planning on becoming pregnant, start increasing the nutritional content of your diet. Begin by eating more foods rich in calcium, iron and folate to help your body prepare for a healthy pregnancy.
Significance
Protein requirements increase to 71g a day during the second and third trimesters of your pregnancy, reports the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Try to eat protein with every meal and as a part of your snacks. Foods that contain protein suitable for vegetarians include beans, tofu, soy products, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, vegetarian cheeses, dairy milk and yogurt.
As a pregnant woman, who is a vegetarian, you need to pay closer attention to your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. According to BabyCenter, omega-3 fatty acids are important for your baby's vision and brain development. Vegetarian foods that contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, flaxseed, olive oil and enriched soy milk.
Tips
There are things you can do to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need while you are pregnant and vegetarian. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and eat them in abundance. Make sure you get all the calcium and vitamin D you and the baby need by consuming enriched soy milk, beans, spinach, tofu or dairy milk. Eat dark green leafy vegetables daily, which are a good source of folate. Eat foods that contain vitamin C to help increase your iron absorption.
Warning
As a vegetarian woman you have to pay close attention to your vitamin B-12 intake, and this is more important during pregnancy. Vitamin B-12 is mainly found in animal-based foods and you can get your vitamin B-12 from dairy products and eggs. If you are a vegan, you may need to take a supplement to ensure you and your baby get all the vitamin B12 you need. Discuss this with your doctor.
Iron is extremely important to the health of your fetus and you; plant-based sources of iron are harder to absorb and therefore, you will have to consume them in higher amounts. Quality vegetarian sources of iron include enriched grains, nuts, seeds, dark leafy vegetables and legumes, notes the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
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