Should Pregnant Women Eat Vegetarian? The Pros and Cons

Vegetarian eating is often part of certain religious practices or chosen by people building a lighter diet for themselves. Such meals contain no meat, fish, eggs, prawns or crab, so will mothers-to-be lack nutrients during pregnancy? Don't worry too soon: according to nutrition experts, eating vegetarian during pregnancy brings many benefits for both mother and baby.

The pros and cons of a vegetarian diet during pregnancy

Pros

- The main ingredients in vegetarian dishes are usually vegetables and fruit. That's great news, because mothers-to-be won't have to worry about constipation. Vegetables and fruit are very high in fibre, which helps the digestive system work better.

Vegetarian dishes are very high in fibre

- Vegetarian foods all come from plants. They contain no cholesterol and little saturated fat, so mothers-to-be can rest easy without worrying about bad cholesterol in the blood or heart-related diseases.

- Weight is something many women worry about obsessively during pregnancy. Thanks to the high fibre content of vegetarian meals, mothers-to-be can easily keep their weight under control and soon regain a slim figure after giving birth.

Cons

Pregnant women in particular, and lifelong vegetarians in general, who haven't yet built a balanced vegetarian diet may become deficient in nutrients essential to the body. This can greatly affect their health and the development of the baby. The nutrients most likely to fall short are vitamin B12 (found almost only in animal foods), iron, calcium, iodine and omega-3, so vegetarian mothers-to-be should ask their doctor about supplements.

Is a vegetarian diet suitable for pregnant women?

Rest assured, eating vegetarian doesn't automatically mean mother and baby won't get enough nutrition. A vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients a growing baby needs, as long as mothers build a diet with a wide variety of foods.

A vegetarian diet helps mothers regain their figure quickly

Mothers also need to add some supplements so the baby gets complete nutrition. For a properly balanced vegetarian diet, mothers-to-be should prepare plenty of fruit, legumes and plant milks, along with certain other essential nutrients.

What kind of vegetarian diet do pregnant women need?

Pregnancy is really hard work, and mother and baby have many special nutritional needs. For both to develop healthily, every vegetarian meal should provide all 5 essential nutrient groups: fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and protein.

Besides main meals, snacks should provide extra folate-rich foods such as orange juice, strawberries, amaranth greens, broccoli and cereals. It's even more important to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement.

You need enough nutrients during pregnancy

To reduce the risk of neural tube defects (such as spina bifida) in the baby, mothers-to-be should get enough folate every day before and especially during pregnancy. You can supplement with folic acid, another form of folate, at a dose of 0.4 mg (400 micrograms) a day.

For mother and baby to develop normally and healthily, see your doctor for advice before taking any supplement.

So yes, you can absolutely eat vegetarian during pregnancy. Just remember to build a balanced diet that gives mother and baby complete nutrition and avoids deficiencies. Wishing all mothers-to-be delicious vegetarian meals!