Vegetarians and Pregnancy

If you are a Vegetarian Hot Mama who is pregnant, planning on getting pregnant, or nursing, your days of living on rice cakes and grilled cheese sandwiches may need to be put on hold. Special considerations for Pregnant Hot Mamas need to be considered.

1. Make sure you are getting enough protein. Dietary needs for protein increase considerably during pregnancy and lactation. Quality protein is necessary for building strong and healthy muscles, organs, and tissue for your developing fetus and baby. Good sources of protein include whey protein powder, vegetarian wheat meat such as seitan, organic cottage cheese, greek yogurt such as Fage and Oikos, tempeh, and legumes such as lenitils and black beans.

2. If you are a vegan and do not include cold water fish in your diet, you may be deficient in Omega-3's which are vital for optimal fetal brain growth and development. Make sure to add omega-3 rich walnuts, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil to your diet. I would also highly recommend adding an omega-3 supplement to your diet as this is such a crucial nutrient for your baby's developing brain.

3. Vegans are almost always deficient in vitamin B-12, which can cause anemia. Vitamin B-12 is only present in animal protein. If you are a vegan, be sure to supplement with vitamin B-12.

4. Other nutrients that are also usually deficient in vegetarians include zinc and iron. Adding lots of green leafy vegetables to your diet with some lemon juice squeezed on them will increase the rate of iron absorption. Pumkin seeds are a tasty snack and are also high in zinc. Supplementing both iron and zinc is advised.