If you become pregnant, there is no reason to change your dietary beliefs if you are a vegetarian. Just as you get your proper nutrition through dairy and vegetable produce before the pregnancy, you can follow a vegetarian pregnancy diet. A vegetarian diet will insure you receive the necessary vitamins and minerals essential for your health and your babys health. Vegetarians are very attuned to healthy eating habits. These same habits can be adapted to your pregnancy, giving a head start on a lifetime of health. Like a cornucopia full of freshly picked vegetables, a vegetarian pregnancy diet is full of natural foods and remedies for common pregnancy needs.
Thanksgiving
When a baby is born healthy, family and friends give thanksgiving for the joyous news. That is the goal of any pregnancy to produce a baby who has fully matured in the womb and enters the world with no serious problems. A vegetarian diet addresses the many health needs of a woman and her fetus.
- Iron is obtained by eating leafy greens, bran and nuts or seeds
- Vitamin B is obtained through dairy products, wheat germ, beans and whole grains, eggs, cheese
- Calcium is obtained through increased soy and dairy products
- Folic acid is obtained by eating nuts, dairy products and yeast.
- Protein requirements are met through eating beans, nuts, seeds and soy
The American Dietetic Association recommends eating fruits and vegetables every day during pregnancy. In fact, it is suggested that you increase the number of servings from five to seven. In any diet, it is suggested that fat content be limited. A vegetarian pregnancy diet does just that limits fat. Instead of eating wasted calories with poor nutritional value, the vegetarian pregnancy diet emphasizes eating nutrient filled foods such as whole grains and vegetables.
Natural Solutions
Being pregnant is a joyous experience, but it can wreak havoc with a womans body. Nutritional supplements are sometimes the best answer to nutrition shortfalls. But it is always better to get vitamins and minerals form food whenever possible, rather than through supplements. The vegetarian diet offers natural solutions to pregnancy problems.
- Increase energy levels by eating more legumes and whole grains
- Certain teas can increase milk production, such as raspberry tea
- Drinking ginger tea in the morning can relieve feelings of sickness
- Increasing fiber by eating whole grains can reduce problems with constipation
Natural remedies for everyday problems associated with pregnancy offer peace of mind to those concerned about taking man made products such as supplements. But a vegetarian diet should only be undertaken under the guidance of a doctor. Each pregnancy is different and it is impossible to determine ahead of time the impact a particular pregnancy will have on the mothers body.
Azzam Sheikh
Facilitator 'Strengthening families, strengthening communities' parent programme.
pregnancy resource center
