Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet

What’s that on the telly? It’s an angel sent from God

Growing in my belly…!!

Like a sweet pea in a pod

(Malissa  Hatcher)

Even though everyone will advise you to eat for two, the average woman does not need any extra calories during the first six months of pregnancy. Your body actually becomes more efficient at extracting the required energy and nutrients from your diet when you’re expecting a baby. Even in the last few months, you only need about 200 extra calories per day.

Many vegetarian pregnant women worry about the effect their diet may have on their developing baby during pregnancy. However, with careful meal planning, there may be no need for concern

“Vegetarian pregnancy diet can provide the mother and baby with all the proper nutrients they need,” says RacheleDependahl, RD, a dietician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Beverly Hills, Calif.

These nine months may be the most challenging months of your life. With your body undergoing a number of changes, you need to be extra careful about yourself as well as your surroundings. And watching your vegetarian pregnancydiet should be on top of your top list.

Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet: The Pros

There are many positive aspects to maintaining a vegetarian diet during pregnancy. For instance, vegetarian sources of protein are easier on the kidneys. And being a vegetarian can help keep tooth decay — a common problem during pregnancy — at bay. In addition, vegetarian eating, in general, lowers the risk of the following conditions:

*Obesity

*Hypertension

*Constipation

*Heart disease

*Type 2 diabetes

*Cancer

*Gallstones

Another plus to being a vegetarian, says Martha K. Grodrian, RD, a nutrition therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, is that “most vegetarian women eat fewer junk foods and a more nutritious diet.”

Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet: The Cons

A vegetarian diet during pregnancy can be a healthy option, though it requires a little more effort.

“It may take more work and effective meal planning to follow a vegetarian diet that is healthy during pregnancy,” says Grodrian. “In general, the more foods a vegetarian omits from the diet, the more difficult it is to meet nutrient needs.” However, dietary supplements may be able to fill the void.

A lacto-ovo vegetarian (one who also eats dairy and eggs) can get all the nutrients she needs for a healthy pregnancy through diet and a multivitamin/mineral supplement. A vegan, on the other hand, who avoids all animal products, will need to take supplements of vitamin B12 and iron and might want to take calcium, zinc, and vitamin D, too.

Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet: Nutritional Guidelines

Nutritional guidelines for pregnant vegetarians are the same as for non-vegetarian women who are expecting. “All pregnant women need additional iron, calcium, folate, essential fatty acids such as DHA (which can be obtained in a vegetarian form), zinc, protein, and 200 to 300 calories more than pre-pregnancy,” says Grodrian.

 

Specifically, vegetarian pregnancy diet should include  the following:

*Six to eleven  servings per day of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta (choosing whole grain when possible)

*Four to five servings per day of vegetables.Four or more servings of fruits

*Eight servings of milk and milk alternatives (one cup of cooked kidney beans as a milk alternative, for instance).

*Three to four servings of beans and bean alternatives.

*Two servings of omega-3 fats for DHA (found in flaxseed oil, walnuts, tofu, and omega-3 fortified eggs, among other places).

*Fats, sweets, and junk food should be eaten sparingly

 

Pregnant women should be careful to avoid the following foods:

*Unpasteurized soft cheeses (such as brie, Camembert, and feta) and unpasteurized milk, because they carry the risk of listeriosis (a food-borne illness caused by bacteria).

*Raw vegetable sprouts and fresh unpasteurized fruit and vegetable juices, which can contain bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.

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Pregnancy Diet

Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase in a woman’s life. It brings both emotional and physiological changes as well as it also poses extra demands on the body. In this phase the body needs extra nutrition for the developing foetus, for pregnant woman herself and also the lactation period to follow. Pregnancy Diet must be full of nutrition and healthy also.

Importance of Nutrition in The Diet in Pregnancy

These nutritional demands have to be met for a healthy child and mother because as the week progresses the organs and other system of the foetus start developing in mother’s womb and thus the energy used to create these systems (which actually comes from the energy and nutrients in the mother’s circulation, and around the lining of the womb) also starts to increase. The table below highlights the nutrients, its importance and food sources which should be included in a women’s pregnancy diet -

NUTRIENTS	IMPORTANCE	FOOD SOURCES
Protein	cell growth and blood production	lean meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, beans, tofu
Carbohydrates	daily energy production	breads, cereals, rice, fruits, vegetables
Calcium	strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve function	milk, cheese, yogurt, spinach
Iron	red blood cell production (to prevent anemia)	All green leafy vegetables e.g. spinach, methi and whole-grain cereals
Vitamin A	healthy skin, good eyesight, growing bones	carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes
Vitamin C	healthy gums, teeth, and bones; assistance with iron absorption	citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, amla, guavas
Vitamin B6	red blood cell formation; effective use of protein, fat, and carbohydrates	pork, ham, whole-grain cereals, bananas
Vitamin B12	formation of red blood cells, maintaining nervous system health	meat, fish, poultry, milk  (Note: vegetarians who don’t eat dairy products need supplemental B12)
Vitamin D	healthy bones and teeth; aids absorption of calcium	fortified milk, dairy products, cereals, and breads
Folic acid	blood and protein production, effective enzyme function	green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, beans, peas, nuts
Fat	body energy stores	meat, whole-milk dairy products, nuts, peanut butter, margarine, vegetable oils  (Note: limit fat intake to 30% or less of your total daily calorie intake

Recommended Nutrients in The Diet in Pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy

To help you clear the myth of pregnancy and exercise, we have answered the most common questions around exercise during pregnancy. ACOG (American College of Publications Obstetricians and Gynecologists) state that walking, swimming, cycling and aerobics are safe during pregnancy, even for beginners. Strength training will make your muscles stronger and may help prevent some of the aches and pains common in pregnancy. So, read on to find out..

Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy? What exercises can you do?
Pregnant women without Read more

Avoid extra weight gain during pregnancy

When you’re pregnant it is understood that you are eating for two but that does not really mean twice as much as you normally do. Its healthy to gain 10-15 kg during the course of pregnancy, but some people gain over 20-25 kgs. That’s not healthy. All these extra kilos will show the most after pregnancy and will be extremely difficult to get rid of. So, we’re here to tell you how you can avoid gaining extra weight during your pregnancy.

Important thing to keep in mind is that exercise during pregnancy is no to lose weight. It is so that you prepare your body for the physical stress of baby weight, and birth, makes you feel & look better, and helps you regain shape faster again your pregnancy. Here are a few ways to stay fit during pregnancy. The key is doing everything in moderation:

Eat right: Most women need 2500-3000 calories. Get 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Avoid excessive sugary and fatty food- its only empty calories. So, even though pregnancy seems like a great excuse to chow down on two big double chocolate chip brownies after your meal, its only an excuse. You will pay for it in weight gain.

Pre-Natal Yoga: Yoga poses are a great way to ease the discomforts of pregnancy and prepare the body for child birth. It also helps in healthy development of the fetus, reduces stress, helps calm the mind and increases awareness of the bodily changes. Practicing yoga has added benifits of helping you lose weight after delivery.

Walking: As you go into pregnancy its important to reduce high impact exercise. Walking is the simplest and the easiest way to stay fit when you’re pregnant. It also helps increase your endurance level resulting in easier labour pains, and is great way to rejuvenate and reduce stress. Note: Pregnancy or physical ailment is the only time we recommend walking as a great way to exercise and stay fit

Cycling: Indoor cycling is a safe, low impact way to exercise. Check with your doctor and take the necessary precautions. At all times, keep your self hydrated with lots of water.

Ensure that your exercise is not very strenuous, and don’t over exert yourself. And as we mentioned earlier, do not try to lose weight during your pregnancy.

Post Pregnancy Weight Loss Tips

Celebrity moms like Nicole Kidman and Heidi Klum- who lost all their pregnancy weight soon after delivery should not be good examples for post pregnancy weight loss. Post pregnancy, specially for breast feeding mothers, its important to ensure that you get appropriate nutrition, so that you can support yourself and your baby. Read on to understand..

At Fitho, we recommend healthy weight loss to be about 0.5 to 0.75 kg per week. To lose one pound per week, you need to create a deficit of 500 calories per day (either through diet or exercise). To reduce 500 calories from your daily calorie budget is not easy, so we recommend going on a proper post pregnancy weight loss plan, that will help you plan weight loss in a healthy way.

We don’t recommend crash diets at all. Besides being unhealthy for everyone, its worse for new mothers and their babies, since it deprives your body of basic nutritional requirements, affecting your health and that of the baby. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care recently stated that mothers should take up to 1 year to lose their pregnancy weight. So, don’t hurry the weight loss. So, here are weight loss tips for post pregnancy:

Breast feed- Yes, breast feeding is great not just for your baby, but also for you to lose weight! It provides essential nutrients for the baby, and since its providing it from the mother’s body, it increases your calorie expenditure, thus helping weight loss!

Manage your diet- Before the baby was born, many mothers can eat whatever. But once the baby is born, if you want to lose weight, you need to watch your diet. Don’t underfeed yourself, but watch what you eat.

Exercise- As your strength returns, try to get some light exercise. As you build up strength and stamina, increase the duration and intensity of your exercise. Ensure that you get a customized exercise plan, so that you don’t overexert your body. Building some muscle will help you look toned as well, since muscle fiber is dense and helps burn calories and thus lose weight. See how Tanya lost her pregnancy weight.

After your pregnancy, it is important to lose weight the healthy way- get on a proper post pregnancy weight loss plan.