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Vitamins, nutrients, and protein are essential in any diet, but are particularly important for pregnant mothers. For vegetarian mothers, ensuring the body and the baby receive enough protein and nutrients can be difficult without meat – though not impossible.
Vegetarians often find that their diets lack iron, which is an important vitamin for a healthy baby’s development. Meats and certain types of breads are considered the more iron-rich foods that aren’t consumed by vegetarians. However, by including dried fruits, whole grain breads, fortified cereals, and dark green vegetables like spinach – which are all rich in iron themselves – the body can receive a sufficient source of the important mineral. These foods are also rich in calcium, which helps support strong bone structure.
Omega-3 fatty acids (folate, vitamin D, vitamin b12 and zinc) are very important to your baby’s healthy development. While plenty of vegetarian foods are rich in these nutrients, you will need to eat more of these foods during pregnancy. Fish, for vegetarians who do eat fish, along with walnuts, pinto beans, kidney beans, broccoli and cauliflower are all foods that you should incorporate into your daily diet.
Whole grains, dark green vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds are ‘super foods’ for expecting vegetarian and vegan mothers. Incorporating more of these ingredients into your diet is a small adjustment that will make a huge difference in your body’s level of energy, which can improve the overall health of both you and your baby.