Tyler McFarland on July 31, 2023
Updated on November 8, 2023 Reviewed and fact-checked Found a mistake? Let us know!
Despite the rising popularity of veganism, it remains a controversial topic within the realm of nutrition, especially in relation to pregnancy. Advocates state it offers numerous benefits for both mother and baby and additionally helps curb environmental harm.
Critics argue that it lacks essential nutrients crucial for fetal growth and development. Medical professionals and researchers inhabit the middle ground between these opposing views, emphasizing that the success of a plant-based pregnancy heavily hinges on the quality of the vegetarian or vegan diet.
For pregnant vegan individuals, understanding the right kind of foods to consume and the necessary supplements to take can seem overwhelming. This article aims to shed light on the latest knowledge about veganism during pregnancy to support you through this period of your life.
Remember, it’s crucial to seek the advice of a healthcare professional or dietician before altering dietary practices, particularly for pregnant individuals.
Key Takeaways:
- A well-rounded vegetarian and vegan diet is considered appropriate for pregnancy, providing that it is balanced and nutrient-rich.
- Pregnant vegans need to pay close attention to their intake of protein, vitamins (B2, B3, B12, D), iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, selenium, and certain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids crucial for a healthy pregnancy.
- The vegan/vegetarian diet can potentially lead to lower birth weight or small-for-gestational-age newborns, though these still can fall within safe ranges.
- It’s recommended to consult with a healthcare professional or dietician to ensure all nutritional needs are being met.
- Guidelines for vegans during pregnancy stress the importance of a balanced diet and necessary supplements.
- Challenges of a vegan diet during pregnancy often come from societal expectations and misconceptions about veganism, as well as coping with cravings for non-vegan foods.
- Vegan pregnancy can offer benefits, including easing common pregnancy symptoms like constipation, providing antioxidants, and contributing to healthier weight gain.
- A vegan pregnancy contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing harm to animals and lowering carbon footprints.
- Expecting mothers can maintain a successful vegan diet during pregnancy that not only prioritizes their own health and nutrition but also establishes a good nutritional foundation for their unborn child.
Is Veganism During Pregnancy Healthy?
A well-rounded vegan diet can be deemed appropriate for pregnancy, according to an exhaustive survey published in the Nutrients journal. Prestigious nutrition organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have endorsed the safety of vegetarian and vegan diets for future mothers.
Notably, according to Advances in Nutrition journal, a pregnant person may increase the risk of gestational complications like preeclampsia and obesity if they’re not consuming enough plant-based foods. Furthermore, these dietary deficiencies can potentially lead to harmful health outcomes for the infant, such as pediatric asthma, diabetes, neural tube defects, and even certain cancers.
However, it’s crucial to note that dietary needs evolve significantly during pregnancy, making a balanced diet during this period of extreme importance.
A Clinical Nutrition journal review found that vegans often risked inadequate ingestion of protein, vitamins (B2, B3, B12, D), iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, selenium, and certain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are crucial for a healthy pregnancy.
Adherence to plant-based diets during pregnancy may lead to small-for-gestational-age newborns and lower birth weight, according to findings reported in the Journal of Perinatology and the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. However, these studies also emphasized that such measurements still fell within a safe range.
Does nutrition ever seem confusing? It doesn’t have to be. Learn how simple (and delicious) healthy eating can be in the FREE Food for Health Masterclass. This 1-hour presentation makes things clear—finally. Click here to reserve your free spot!
Abbas Kanani, the superintendent pharmacist at Chemist Click, warns, “A baby could be at increased risk of low birth weight or birth defects if a parent’s diet does not include enough protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, DHA and iron.”
Ensuring the Right Nutrition during a Vegan Pregnancy
There are standard guidelines in place to ensure the health of pregnant individuals, which stress the consumption of a balanced diet. The US Department of Health and Human Services, for instance, underlines the heightened requirements for energy and specific nutrients such as protein, iron, folic acid, calcium, and iodine during pregnancy.
In the second trimester, an additional 340 calories are required daily, while the third trimester sees an increase to 450 calories. Certain foods should be avoided throughout this period, including alcohol, caffeine, raw eggs, soft unpasteurized cheeses, raw sprouts, and pre-packaged salads.
Understandably, modifications should be made to these guidelines for pregnant vegans. Here are some tips on how to continue being vegan during pregnancy:
Protein: Pregnant individuals, in particular, need to consume enough protein for the healthy growth and development of their fetus. Mothers-to-be can ensure a good intake of necessary protein by contriving a mix of different plant-based protein sources (beans, lentils, and soy-based products), or by consuming complete vegan sources of protein.
Iron: Iron is vital for the formation of red blood cells, responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency could lead to negative health consequences like maternal illness and premature births. While meat, poultry, and seafood have great iron content, combining plant-based iron-rich foods (beans, peas, lentils, tofu, and cashew nuts) with vitamin C is considered beneficial for absorption.
Iodine: Crucial for cognitive development in infants, iodine is predominantly found in animal-based foods. However, it can also be found in whole grains, green beans, kale, strawberries, and seaweed.
Zinc: Essential for embryonic development, zinc can be sourced from beans, peas, lentils, tofu, walnuts, quinoa, and wholemeal bread.
Calcium: A prenatal diet low on calcium can result in altered gene manifestations in the offspring. Calcium-rich foods like soya, beans, peas, almonds, sesame, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, and fortified foods (e.g., fortified milk alternatives) can serve as excellent plant-based alternatives.
Vitamin B9: Folic acid is key to a healthy pregnancy, critical in helping avoid neural tube birth defects. Pregnant individuals are advised to eat 600 mcg of this nutrient every day, which can be found in leafy greens, oranges, quinoa, mango, asparagus, and chia seeds.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is vital for the cognitive and motor functions of children. Vegan individuals are advised to supplement this nutrient, which can also be found in breakfast cereals, unsweetened soya drinks, yeast extract, and nutritional yeast flakes fortified with vitamin B12.
Vitamin D: Pregnant vegan individuals should take particular note of their vitamin D intake, which can help reduce the risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes in mothers and low birth weight in newborns.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids can be sourced from walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, edamame, and seaweed.
Choline: Despite the uncertainty around the exact dietary requirement of choline, its importance in fetal brain and nervous system development can’t be emphasized enough. Choline can be sourced from tofu, cruciferous veggies, beans, quinoa, and peanuts.
The supplementation of certain nutrients, such as folic acid and iron, is advised in different prenatal dietary guidelines.
Like any diet, a vegan approach has its challenges, and these can be pronounced during pregnancy. Most of these stem from societal expectations and misconceptions about veganism, making pregnant vegans feel pressured and even scrutinized.
A vast number of prenatal vitamins contain animal-derived ingredients. Opting for vegan-friendly supplements or finding plant-based sources of nutrients can help navigate this challenge. Remember that prenatal supplements are not a substitute for a balanced diet. They supplement the nutrition already received from the diet, so strive to get as many nutrients as possible from your foods first.
Hurdles can also come as biased advice from unconvinced relatives or even health care professionals. Stand your ground and remind them that organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the British Dietetic Association have acknowledged the appropriateness of a well-planned vegan diet during pregnancy.
Lastly, dealing with cravings for non-vegan foods can also be challenging. The goal is not to suppress these but to seek plant-based alternatives to keep your diet varied and exciting without jeopardizing your vegan principles.
Embracing the Benefits of Vegan Pregnancy
While challenges exist, a vegan pregnancy also offers a host of benefits. A vegan diet is generally high in fiber, which helps ease common pregnancy symptoms such as constipation.
High in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, vegan and vegetarian diets are rich in antioxidants which are beneficial to both the pregnant individual and the fetus. These plant foods also tend to be lower in unhealthy fats, hence leading to healthier weight gain during pregnancy.
The vegan lifestyle not only provides health benefits but also gives pregnant vegans the peace of mind that they are bringing their child into a world where they are reducing harm to animals and lowering their carbon footprint.
While it is key to ensure a well-balanced diet and appropriate supplementation of all the nutrients, it is very possible to maintain a successful vegan diet during pregnancy. This not only benefits the health and develops the nutrition of the pregnant person but also establishes the nutritional foundation for the child, all whilst contributing to environmental sustainability.
A well-planned vegan diet potentially provides the best of both worlds – offering significant health benefits and peace of mind for expecting mothers seeking a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their unborn children.
Two More Recommendations for Your Plant-Based Journey
1. This is the best free video training I’ve found on plant-based nutrition. You’ll learn how to reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and obesity—all with plant-based food. Watch the free “Food for Health Masterclass” here.
2. This is the best vegan multivitamin I’ve found in my 14 years of being vegan. It has vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3—and nothing else. Translation: It only has the nutrients vegans are actually low in. Read my full review of Future Kind’s multivitamin here (with 10% discount).
I’m Tyler McFarland, the editor and main author here. When I first went vegan 13 years ago, convenience products like veggie burgers and soy milk were a lot harder to find. Now they’re everywhere!