Four FAQs about Vegan Pregnancy
I love, love, love getting these questions because it means people are curious and are thinking. It's never tiring. More so, because I make it a practice not to press vegan issues and to provide info only when asked, I don't actually get to share very often.
Therefore, today I am answering the most frequent questions I have been asked, and sharing the research I've done about a topic I'm so passionate about.
In November 2016, a few weeks ago, I celebrated 8 years since going vegan - that's a whole lot of edamame, and a lot of research to boot.
Here are my top four FAQs about Vegan Pregnancy:
1. Can you really get the nutrients needed to make a human, all from plants?
Yes. Not to diminish the question... but this is fairly old news. In 2009, in conjunction with the National Institute of Health, the American Dietetic Association published an opinion on this topic:
"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes." Read the full opinion here.
Similar organizations within the UK had long since published identical opinions by the time the United States NIH/ ADA released this report in 2009.
Bottom line: Vegan diets are healthy and safe for all phases of life, and may prevent and treat certain diseases.
2. What did I eat every day to ensure proper nutrition?
My very first Instagram post on @babybornvegan was while I was pregnant, and was about the three ingredients below. In addition to a well-balanced, varied diet, these three ingredients make it simple to stay nutritionally on-track.
Hemp seeds
Hemp provides perfectly balanced omegas, as well as the protein, fat and calories needed to make a human. Love the stuff. So easy to sprinkle on salads, in oatmeal, or to use as milk in cereal or anywhere else. Hemp milk lattes are a favorite.
Chia seeds.
The seeds from the Chia plant, (think Chia Pet. Those seeds) are supremely dense in nutrients. They're tasteless and odorless, making them easy to add to anything. Chia is excellent sources of iron, magnesium, calcium, protein and good fats. Eat them every day in cereal, oatmeal or smoothies.
Chia seeds also are a natural cholesterol reducer. That's correct - they have been scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol levels already in your body. I'd known this for some time when my grandmother, Sue Bauer, called me and excitedly told me she was able to go off of her cholesterol medication this year after one month of putting 1Tbs of chia seeds into her cereal every morning. This was at the recommendation of her doctor, and something my grandma thought would never work.
Healthworks brand Chia seeds are the best value (2 lbs for about $10) that I have been able to find.
Oatmeal
If you're concerned about protein or fiber, oatmeal every morning will help eliminate these concerns. Adding hemp, chia, flax, fiber, raisins for extra iron, stevia, agave, brown sugar for yummyness, peanut butter or hazelnut butter, or any other myriad of treats will satisfy both taste-wise and nutritionally.
Being pregnant in the summer, hot oatmeal didn't sound the best so I usually did cold overnight oats, as featured in the Oh She Glows cookbook. Oh She Glows is perhaps my all time favorite vegan blog.
3. But what about protein?
Bottom line: Vegan diets are healthy and safe for all phases of life, and may prevent and treat certain diseases.
2. What did I eat every day to ensure proper nutrition?
My very first Instagram post on @babybornvegan was while I was pregnant, and was about the three ingredients below. In addition to a well-balanced, varied diet, these three ingredients make it simple to stay nutritionally on-track.
Hemp seeds
Hemp provides perfectly balanced omegas, as well as the protein, fat and calories needed to make a human. Love the stuff. So easy to sprinkle on salads, in oatmeal, or to use as milk in cereal or anywhere else. Hemp milk lattes are a favorite.
Chia seeds.
The seeds from the Chia plant, (think Chia Pet. Those seeds) are supremely dense in nutrients. They're tasteless and odorless, making them easy to add to anything. Chia is excellent sources of iron, magnesium, calcium, protein and good fats. Eat them every day in cereal, oatmeal or smoothies.
Chia seeds also are a natural cholesterol reducer. That's correct - they have been scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol levels already in your body. I'd known this for some time when my grandmother, Sue Bauer, called me and excitedly told me she was able to go off of her cholesterol medication this year after one month of putting 1Tbs of chia seeds into her cereal every morning. This was at the recommendation of her doctor, and something my grandma thought would never work.
Healthworks brand Chia seeds are the best value (2 lbs for about $10) that I have been able to find.
Oatmeal
If you're concerned about protein or fiber, oatmeal every morning will help eliminate these concerns. Adding hemp, chia, flax, fiber, raisins for extra iron, stevia, agave, brown sugar for yummyness, peanut butter or hazelnut butter, or any other myriad of treats will satisfy both taste-wise and nutritionally.
Being pregnant in the summer, hot oatmeal didn't sound the best so I usually did cold overnight oats, as featured in the Oh She Glows cookbook. Oh She Glows is perhaps my all time favorite vegan blog.
3. But what about protein?
Ah yes. What about protein. If I had a dollar for every time I get asked this... My go-to response when I am not pregnant is the same response I'll offer here: protein is in every whole plant food. But what about rice, or flour? Is there protein there? Yes! The bran on rice is largely protein. And you've heard of gluten, right? It's in wheat. Gluten is a protein. That's all it is.
As such, if you're eating mostly whole plant foods of a wide variety, you'll get enough protein. For example - 1 cup of cooked spinach contains about 6 grams of protein. Add that spinach to brown rice, chopped bell peppers and teriyaki sauce and you've got a side dish that provides about 13 grams - enough protein for more than a meal's requirements.
Vegans falling short in protein, calcium and iron is actually a common misconception. Most omnivores actually get far too much protein, but are iron and calcium diffident.
Whenever my blood work has been done while vegan, it's been off the charts perfect. Not bragging. Sorry, not sorry, just stating facts! In fact, I had a problem with anemia once in my life and this was during a brief time when I ate meat.
Bottom line: I eat a variety of whole foods and never worry about protein. I also never worried about calcium or iron, which are other questions I get frequently.
3. What about cravings? Did I ever crave meat or dairy?
As such, if you're eating mostly whole plant foods of a wide variety, you'll get enough protein. For example - 1 cup of cooked spinach contains about 6 grams of protein. Add that spinach to brown rice, chopped bell peppers and teriyaki sauce and you've got a side dish that provides about 13 grams - enough protein for more than a meal's requirements.
Bottom line: I eat a variety of whole foods and never worry about protein. I also never worried about calcium or iron, which are other questions I get frequently.
3. What about cravings? Did I ever crave meat or dairy?
No. I never craved meat or dairy. I did when I was initially becoming a vegan in 2008, but not while pregnant. During pregnancy, dairy disgusted me more than it does now, but I know vegans who felt like they needed dairy cheese.
The good news: Quantitative research has found there is zero correlation between pregnancy cravings and nutritional deficits, as old wive's tales once reported. Cravings are usually related to how a food makes us feel emotionally, not what it is going to do for our body.
Bottom line: There is no justified reason to indulge your pregnancy cravings. Whether they're for donuts every day, or for a big hunk of meat, your brain and hormones are messing with you. Find a substitute and let it go.
The good news: Quantitative research has found there is zero correlation between pregnancy cravings and nutritional deficits, as old wive's tales once reported. Cravings are usually related to how a food makes us feel emotionally, not what it is going to do for our body.
Bottom line: There is no justified reason to indulge your pregnancy cravings. Whether they're for donuts every day, or for a big hunk of meat, your brain and hormones are messing with you. Find a substitute and let it go.
4. Is vitamin supplementing necessary?
No. You can get all you need from plants. But is it a good idea to take a supplement? Yes. For vegans or omnivore, prenatal supplements are the best choice to ensure you're getting what you need each day, in addition to diet.
If I had the time to measure every nutrient that entered my body to ensure each of my baby's daily requirements were being perfectly met each day, I might consider skipping the prenatal vitamin. But even then, a solid prenatal would still be a good idea. It's like an insurance policy. It provides the peace of mind that no matter what happens in your diet that day, your baby will get the vitamins needed.
I took prenatal vitamins and a DHA/EPA supplement that were food-based. I cannot emphasize how much I loved all the prenatal vitamins I took (I still take them as I'm exclusively breastfeeding my infant). Other women I knew had nausea and stomach issues caused by their prenatal. Never the case for me - although I can relate because I have been sick from icky vitamins quite a few times before.
While on a trip during my last trimester, I ran out of my usual prenatal vitamins and had to buy drugstore brand prenatal vitamins. Then I discovered what other women were complaining about. After taking them I promptly threw up. I went the last two days of my trip with no vitamins until I could restock my usual brands - Garden of Life is my brand of choice.
DHA/EPA
DHA and EPA are essential for baby's healthy brain development. Most DHA/ EPA supplements come from fish or krill oil. These, from Deva, come straight from the source - sea algae instead of fish who eat sea algae. Fish have high amounts of DHA and EPA because they ingest large amounts of the algae which contains it. Algae-based supplements take out the middle-man (um, middle-fish) and get the nutrients straight into your body, with no fish harmed and no fishy aftertaste.
Bottom line: Take a prenatal and a DHA/EPA, but take a food-based brand that your body will easily absorb.
No. You can get all you need from plants. But is it a good idea to take a supplement? Yes. For vegans or omnivore, prenatal supplements are the best choice to ensure you're getting what you need each day, in addition to diet.
If I had the time to measure every nutrient that entered my body to ensure each of my baby's daily requirements were being perfectly met each day, I might consider skipping the prenatal vitamin. But even then, a solid prenatal would still be a good idea. It's like an insurance policy. It provides the peace of mind that no matter what happens in your diet that day, your baby will get the vitamins needed.
I took prenatal vitamins and a DHA/EPA supplement that were food-based. I cannot emphasize how much I loved all the prenatal vitamins I took (I still take them as I'm exclusively breastfeeding my infant). Other women I knew had nausea and stomach issues caused by their prenatal. Never the case for me - although I can relate because I have been sick from icky vitamins quite a few times before.
While on a trip during my last trimester, I ran out of my usual prenatal vitamins and had to buy drugstore brand prenatal vitamins. Then I discovered what other women were complaining about. After taking them I promptly threw up. I went the last two days of my trip with no vitamins until I could restock my usual brands - Garden of Life is my brand of choice.
DHA/EPA
DHA and EPA are essential for baby's healthy brain development. Most DHA/ EPA supplements come from fish or krill oil. These, from Deva, come straight from the source - sea algae instead of fish who eat sea algae. Fish have high amounts of DHA and EPA because they ingest large amounts of the algae which contains it. Algae-based supplements take out the middle-man (um, middle-fish) and get the nutrients straight into your body, with no fish harmed and no fishy aftertaste.
Bottom line: Take a prenatal and a DHA/EPA, but take a food-based brand that your body will easily absorb.
Thank you so much for this post, Laura! You make a non-vegan girl think about going vegan...
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