miso_ramen
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Hi nyny, this is for u.
Vegetarian Diet in Pregnancy
by Elisa Ross, MD
reviewed and revised by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.
Pregnancy is a time when discussions about healthful eating abound. Many mothers-to-be wonder whether they are making the best nutrition choices for themselves and their developing babies. The good news is that most babies can make do with what they're given and grow well in many kinds of nutritional environments.
The fact is, babies are nutrition magnets: They extract and absorb the things they need, even if it means taking it from their mother, who also needs it. To illustrate this, you have only to look at how well most babies develop in the first months of pregnancy, when nausea can keep many mothers-to-be from keeping down all the food you'd think they and the baby need to be healthy.
That said, it's still wise to take in enough nutrition for both of you. Counting calories and grams of protein can be tedious and overwhelming, but for those who like guidelines, there are numerous books (with recipes!) on the subject. The general rule is 2,400 calories a day, including 60 grams of protein.
Benefits of dairy products
Milk and dairy products are great sources of calcium, and so it's not unusual for dairy-free eaters to have inadequate calcium in their diets. If you're pregnant, you need 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day so that you don't lose bone mass as you provide calcium to your growing baby.
Meatless eating
Vegetarians who eat milk products and eggs should have very little trouble getting all the necessary nutrients. One possible exception is iron, which is needed to build blood in both mother and baby. Iron is found in meat to a much greater degree than in other foods; however, some good non-meat sources include spinach, beans, peas, nuts, and molasses. Cooking in iron pots is a painless way to add iron to vegetables. But it's almost impossible to get all the needed iron from vegetable sources. Because of this, most vegetarian mothers-to-be need to take an iron supplement.
The vegan or milk-free diet and pregnancy
Vegetarians who do not eat eggs or milk products (vegans) need to be specifically mindful to get enough protein, usually from tofu or beans. In American society, non-meat, nondairy sources of protein are not found on every street corner or in every cafeteria. Without good planning, the vegan diet can become based largely on carbohydrates without prior planning.
The seasoned vegan is probably aware that traditional Asian cuisines offer a lot of good protein choices, and she's likely to know where she can buy them. Newer vegetarians can glean ideas, and some high-protein vegan food, from their local organic food markets.
Vegans also need to make sure to get enough of vitamins B2 and B12. The protein-building amino acid methionine also may be deficient in an all-vegetable diet. These three things are particularly important for the developing baby, so if you're a vegan, it's a good idea to take vitamins and supplements to insure that your baby gets adequate amounts of them, during both pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Vegetarians who do not consume milk products may find it difficult to keep up with the calcium requirements of pregnancy, which call for 1,500 milligrams a day. Calcium-enriched soy beverages can be helpful, and broccoli is a good source, too, but most people don't have a big enough appetite for either to get all the calcium they need. (For example, to hit the 1,500 mg mark, you'd have to eat five tightly packed cups of broccoli--a tall order for many of us!) In such cases, a supplement is needed.
Are vitamin and mineral supplements natural?
Although a pill looks like the ultimate in processed food, the ingredients in vitamins and supplements typically come from natural sources. If a vitamin is marked kosher, it usually won't contain animal products, often indicated with a "U" in the middle of a circle. If a "D" is near the kosher symbol, the product has dairy products in it.
Keep in mind that the name of some supplements--especially multivitamins--can be vague or misleading, so always read the labels to be sure that the product you're considering contains the necessary levels of recommended nutrients. For example, you may think a product labeled as a "prenatal multivitamin" insures that you'll get adequate amounts of all the vitamins and minerals needed in pregnancy, but you may still require additional iron and calcium supplements.
Should I become a vegetarian during pregnancy?
Many women use the time of pregnancy to reevaluate their lifestyle and make it more healthful. Certainly, there are excellent health arguments for eating vegetarian. Yet no studies have shown that the health of unborn babies is affected one way or the other by the presence or absence of meat in the diet.
Should you decide to eliminate meat from your diet, careful planning is needed until finding nutritious, well-balanced meat substitutes becomes second nature. Being a vegetarian should not be an excuse for eating a restricted diet that lacks in crucial nutrients.
The bottom line
You can have a healthy baby under a variety of circumstances. There's no compelling reason to start eating meat during pregnancy and, conversely, no pregnancy-related reason to become a vegetarian. A decision like this should be made in the context of your personal beliefs and priorities, not just now but for the years to come. Focus on a nutritious diet and you can't go wrong. Bon appetit!
Vegetarian Diet in Pregnancy
by Elisa Ross, MD
reviewed and revised by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.
Pregnancy is a time when discussions about healthful eating abound. Many mothers-to-be wonder whether they are making the best nutrition choices for themselves and their developing babies. The good news is that most babies can make do with what they're given and grow well in many kinds of nutritional environments.
The fact is, babies are nutrition magnets: They extract and absorb the things they need, even if it means taking it from their mother, who also needs it. To illustrate this, you have only to look at how well most babies develop in the first months of pregnancy, when nausea can keep many mothers-to-be from keeping down all the food you'd think they and the baby need to be healthy.
That said, it's still wise to take in enough nutrition for both of you. Counting calories and grams of protein can be tedious and overwhelming, but for those who like guidelines, there are numerous books (with recipes!) on the subject. The general rule is 2,400 calories a day, including 60 grams of protein.
Benefits of dairy products
Milk and dairy products are great sources of calcium, and so it's not unusual for dairy-free eaters to have inadequate calcium in their diets. If you're pregnant, you need 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day so that you don't lose bone mass as you provide calcium to your growing baby.
Meatless eating
Vegetarians who eat milk products and eggs should have very little trouble getting all the necessary nutrients. One possible exception is iron, which is needed to build blood in both mother and baby. Iron is found in meat to a much greater degree than in other foods; however, some good non-meat sources include spinach, beans, peas, nuts, and molasses. Cooking in iron pots is a painless way to add iron to vegetables. But it's almost impossible to get all the needed iron from vegetable sources. Because of this, most vegetarian mothers-to-be need to take an iron supplement.
The vegan or milk-free diet and pregnancy
Vegetarians who do not eat eggs or milk products (vegans) need to be specifically mindful to get enough protein, usually from tofu or beans. In American society, non-meat, nondairy sources of protein are not found on every street corner or in every cafeteria. Without good planning, the vegan diet can become based largely on carbohydrates without prior planning.
The seasoned vegan is probably aware that traditional Asian cuisines offer a lot of good protein choices, and she's likely to know where she can buy them. Newer vegetarians can glean ideas, and some high-protein vegan food, from their local organic food markets.
Vegans also need to make sure to get enough of vitamins B2 and B12. The protein-building amino acid methionine also may be deficient in an all-vegetable diet. These three things are particularly important for the developing baby, so if you're a vegan, it's a good idea to take vitamins and supplements to insure that your baby gets adequate amounts of them, during both pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Vegetarians who do not consume milk products may find it difficult to keep up with the calcium requirements of pregnancy, which call for 1,500 milligrams a day. Calcium-enriched soy beverages can be helpful, and broccoli is a good source, too, but most people don't have a big enough appetite for either to get all the calcium they need. (For example, to hit the 1,500 mg mark, you'd have to eat five tightly packed cups of broccoli--a tall order for many of us!) In such cases, a supplement is needed.
Are vitamin and mineral supplements natural?
Although a pill looks like the ultimate in processed food, the ingredients in vitamins and supplements typically come from natural sources. If a vitamin is marked kosher, it usually won't contain animal products, often indicated with a "U" in the middle of a circle. If a "D" is near the kosher symbol, the product has dairy products in it.
Keep in mind that the name of some supplements--especially multivitamins--can be vague or misleading, so always read the labels to be sure that the product you're considering contains the necessary levels of recommended nutrients. For example, you may think a product labeled as a "prenatal multivitamin" insures that you'll get adequate amounts of all the vitamins and minerals needed in pregnancy, but you may still require additional iron and calcium supplements.
Should I become a vegetarian during pregnancy?
Many women use the time of pregnancy to reevaluate their lifestyle and make it more healthful. Certainly, there are excellent health arguments for eating vegetarian. Yet no studies have shown that the health of unborn babies is affected one way or the other by the presence or absence of meat in the diet.
Should you decide to eliminate meat from your diet, careful planning is needed until finding nutritious, well-balanced meat substitutes becomes second nature. Being a vegetarian should not be an excuse for eating a restricted diet that lacks in crucial nutrients.
The bottom line
You can have a healthy baby under a variety of circumstances. There's no compelling reason to start eating meat during pregnancy and, conversely, no pregnancy-related reason to become a vegetarian. A decision like this should be made in the context of your personal beliefs and priorities, not just now but for the years to come. Focus on a nutritious diet and you can't go wrong. Bon appetit!
