A Healthy Vegetarian Pregnancy

Elizabeth Somer, Dietician and Author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy: The Complete Guide to Eating Before, During, and After Your Pregnancy (Owl Books, 2002) says that omega 3 fatty-acids (a nutrient that plays an important role in brain function and development), zinc, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate and calcium. With the exception of the omega-3s that are mainly found in fatty fish, especially in salmon, most of these essentials are easy enough to find in foods that even vegans* consume. If you don't eat at least two servings of fish each week, you'll have to get your omega-3s through foods like flax seed and walnuts.

Somer Have some diet recommendations beyond the two weekly servings of omega-3, this is what she recommends pregnant vegetarians eat everyday:

* 4 servings of cooked dried beans and peas, they're full of zinc, iron and protein. A few nuts and seeds can also be added.

* 4 servings of calcium-rich foods, including nonfat or low-fat milk or calcium- and vitamin D- fortified soy milk. Cheese and cottage cheese are good for calcium but won't supply the vitamin D your body needs to absorb it and move it into the bones. "Look for foods that have 300 mg of calcium per serving, which equates to about 30 percent of the daily value as listed on the label," says Somer.

* 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables because they're full of antioxidants. "I recommend five to seven servings of vegetables and three to five of fruit," says Somer.

* 6 to 11 servings of whole grains, including foods such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat bread.

* 1 or more servings of a food that has vitamin B12, such as milk, fortified soy milk, egg yolk, or fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh.

I found all this information in the following web site:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_no-meat-no-worries-diet-for-a-healthy-vegetarian-pregnancy_1313874.bc?showAll=true

There you can find some yummy vegetarian recipes also.



*Vegans: People who eat no animal products at all