According to the American Dietetic Association, a well-planned vegetarian diet can be appropriate for pregnant women. Protein is a key nutrient for pregnant vegetarians since eliminating meat from the diet eliminates one of the main sources for high-quality protein. Protein requirements are higher in pregnancy; therefore it's important for pregnant women to consume adequate amounts of high-quality protein from non-meat food sources.
Background
If you're a vegetarian, you probably follow one of four types of vegetarian diets. These include pescatarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, lacto vegetarian and vegan, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Pescatarian diets are the most liberal vegetarian diet and include fish, eggs and dairy products in addition to plant-based foods. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not eat meat, fish or poultry but do consume dairy products and eggs. Lacto vegetarians consume dairy products and plant-based foods only, and vegans eliminate all animal-based foods from their diet.
Basics
It's important for pregnant women to consume high-quality proteins, or complete proteins, containing all nine essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins. Essential amino acids cannot be made by your body, therefore they must be obtained through dietary sources. Most complete proteins come from animal-based foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products. However, soy is a plant-based food that is considered a complete protein, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Concerns
Fish is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids for pregnant women following a pescatarian diet. However some types of fish are also high in mercury, which can cause brain and nervous system damage in the developing fetus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're pregnant and following a pescatarian diet, limit your fish intake to 12 oz. of low-mercury fish such as salmon or canned light tuna each week.
Protein Sources
High-protein foods consumed in a vegetarian diet include both complete and incomplete protein food sources. Complete proteins are found in milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, other milk-based dairy products and soy products such as tofu, soy milk, tempeh and soybeans. Incomplete proteins are found in plant-based foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. To receive complete proteins from plant-based foods, consume soy products or combinations of foods that complement each other such as beans and rice, milk and cereal or bread with peanut butter.
Protein Requirements
Protein requirements for pregnant women vary; however, proteins consumed by vegetarian pregnant women should be mainly from high-quality complete protein food sources. Zero to Three recommends pregnant women increase their daily protein consumption by 10 g to 12 g per day. The American College of Nurse-Midwives recommends vegetarian pregnant women consume 71 g of complete protein each day.
References
- American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets
- Cleveland Clinic: Nutrition during Pregnancy for Vegetarians
- National Institutes of Health: Vegetarianism
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury and Thimerosal
- Zero to Three: Frequently Asked Questions
- American College of Nurse-Midwives: Staying Healthy on a Vegetarian Diet during Pregnancy
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