Vegetarian Diet In Pregnancy

Achieving a balanced diet with sufficient quantities of protein and all the vitamins and minerals doesn’t require any more effort if you are a vegetarian.  There are plant sources of protein that are complimentary, so if you eat foods in combination you will gain all the necessary amino acids. 

For example if you eat grains, rice or corn you can combine them with dried beans, peas or nuts.  If your meal is made up of fresh vegetables, add a few sesame seeds, nuts or mushrooms to supply you with the missing amino acids.  There is relatively little iron in each helping of plant food, so vegetarians need to make sure they eat plenty of foods that contain iron. 

Pregnant vegetarians who are vegan and don’t have dairy products as part of there diet regular diet need to be a little more careful to ensure they eat foods rich in calcium, vitamin D and riboflavin.  The most difficult problem is an adequate intake of vitamin B12, which can only be found in animal sources.  Very little is needed, however a lack of B12 can lead to a form of anaemia.   

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