Vegetarian Pregnancy Diet

Although everyone will advise you to eat for two, the average woman does not need extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy. Your body actually becomes more efficient in extracting energy and nutrients in your diet when you are pregnant. Even in recent months, has only about 200 extra calories per day.

Many pregnant women are concerned vegetarian effect your diet can affect your developing baby during pregnancy. However, with careful planning meals, there may be no reason to worry
"Pregnancy vegetarian diet can give the mother and the baby all the proper nutrients they need," says RacheleDependahl, RD, a registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Beverly Hills, California
These nine months may be the most difficult months of his life.

 With his body has undergone a series of changes, it is necessary to take care of yourself and your environment. And when his vegetarian pregnancydiet should be top of your list of the best.

Vegetarian Pregnancy Power: The Pros

There are many positive aspects in maintaining a vegetarian diet during pregnancy. For example, vegetable protein sources are easier on the kidneys. And being a vegetarian can help keep tooth decay - a common problem during pregnancy - at bay. In addition, vegetarian food, in general, reduces the risk of the following conditions:

* Obesity
* Hypertension
* Constipation
* Diseases of the heart
* The type 2 diabetes
* Cancer
* Gallstones

Another advantage of being a vegetarian, said Martha K. Grodrian, RD a nutrition therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, is that "most vegetarian women eat less junk food and more nutritious food."

Vegetarian Pregnancy Power: The Cons

vegetarian diet during pregnancy can be a healthy choice, but requires a little more effort.
"It may take more work and planning effective meals for a vegetarian diet is healthy during pregnancy," says Grodrian. "In general, vegetarian food omitted from the diet, the harder it is to meet the nutrient requirements nutritious. " However, dietary supplements may be able to fill the void.

A lacto-ovo vegetarian (which also eats eggs and dairy products) can get all the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy through diet and a multivitamin / mineral. A vegan, on the other hand, it avoids all animal products, you need to take supplements of vitamin B12 and iron, and may want to take calcium, zinc and vitamin D, too.

Vegetarian pregnancy diet: Dietary Guidelines

Nutritional recommendations for pregnant vegetarians are the same as for non-vegetarian women waiting. "All pregnant women need more iron, calcium, folic acid, essential fatty acids such as DHA (which is available in a vegetarian), zinc, protein and 200 to 300 calories more than before pregnancy" says Grodrian.

Specifically, vegetarian pregnancy diet should include the following elements:

* Six to eleven servings of breads, cereals, rice and pasta (choose whole grain if possible)
* Four to five servings per day of vegetables.Four or more servings of fruits
* Eight servings of milk and alternatives (one cup cooked as an alternative to milk, for example beans).
* Three to four servings of grains and beans alternatives.
* Two servings of omega-3 DHA (found in flaxseed oil, nuts, tofu, and omega-3 enriched eggs, among others).
* Fats, sweets and junk food should be eaten in moderation

Pregnant women should be careful to avoid the following foods:

* Unpasteurized soft cheeses (such as brie, camembert and feta) and unpasteurized milk, because they carry the risk of listeriosis (a foodborne illness caused by bacteria).
* Raw vegetables and fruit juices and vegetables, which may contain bacteria such as E. unpasteurized coli and salmonella.

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