Especially during pregnancy, it is important to eat a balanced diet in order to meet the increased nutritional requirements and not jeopardize your baby’s development.
A vegan diet excludes all foods of animal origin, i.e. not only meat and fish, but also milk, dairy products, eggs, gelatine, honey, etc.
Eating a vegan diet while pregnant can be pretty challenging and takes extra care and nutrition know-how to make sure you’re getting the right amount of key vitamins and minerals (micronutrients).
Vegan while pregnant
If you’re a vegan while pregnant, you need to make sure you get enough iron and vitamin B12, which are mainly found in meat and fish, as well as 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 in appropriate quantities.
Vegan pregnancy diet: Why supplements are a must
We recommend taking nutritional supplements (including folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, zinc, and calcium) to prevent possible nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy.
If you don’t eat fish, supplements with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA, are also advisable. Additionally, taking extra iron makes sense, as plant-based iron is absorbed less efficiently than iron from animal sources.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian while 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.
The Planetary Health Diet is perfect for flexitarians who eat meat only occasionally.
