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Is it safe to eat a vegan diet while pregnant?
My pregnancy diet

Is it safe to eat a vegan diet while pregnant?

Vegan and pregnant

Rather not! Vegan diets have been considered a real challenge during pregnancy, and they require strong attention and nutritional knowledge to achieve the recommended intake of certain micronutrients.

If you’re a vegan and pregnant, you need to make sure you get enough iron and vitamin B12, which are mainly found in meat and fish, and vitamin D (in egg dishes), calcium (in dairy products) and iodine (in seafood).

A vegan pregnancy – without meat, fish, dairy products and eggs – is therefore not suitable for pregnant women.

In addition, vegan diets during pregnancy are associated with small infant birth weight. The smaller birth size may be attributable to less weight gain during pregnancy.

If you want to eat a vegan diet despite the indication of possible health risks for your baby, you may need personalized nutrition counseling, frequent medical check-ups (regular control of your blood values) and additional nutritional supplements (iodine, folic acid, iron, DHA, vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, calcium) in appropriate quantities.

It’s important to eat a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy to provide specific nutrients in sufficient amounts so as not to endanger the development and growth of your baby.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian and pregnant

On the other hand, a well planned lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (excluding meat, poultry, and fish but including eggs and dairy products) can be considered safe during pregnancy and lactation. However, we always recommend supplementation to be on the safe side when nutrition matters most.


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