Vegan Pregnancy

/ Registered Dietitian

Tips For a Healthy Vegan Pregnancy

A balanced, well-planned vegan diet is healthful and provides all the dietary requirements during pregnancy and the development of your baby. Whether you are transitioning to a vegan diet or you’ve already been vegan for a while, follow these simple guidelines to get the best out of your vegan pregnancy:

  • Eat a balanced diet based on legumes, grains (especially whole grains), soy and soy products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds (including nut and seed butters and spreads).
  • Ensure you include protein-rich foods in your diet – such as beans, lentils and other legumes, tofu, soy milk, TVP, and seitan. Varied plant-based meals can provide enough protein during pregnancy, just as any other stage of life. Include protein-rich plant foods in at least 2 meals per day, or more.
  • Have healthy snacks on-hand – snack on fruit and nuts instead of packaged salty snacks and sweets.
  • Get enough iodine – A high amount of iodine is important during both pregnancy and breastfeeding, for proper fetal and infant development, and to protect your own thyroid. Dietary sources for iodine include sea vegetables, such as Wakame, Kombu, Kelp, or iodized salt (if there is no mandatory iodine fortification of salt in your country, try to find a special iodine-fortified salt). Also, the iodine content in your prenatal supplement is important (see the next paragraph). Please note that iodine overdose is also dangerous – consult your healthcare professional to ensure you’re getting the right amount. 
  • Supplements – follow the recommendations for during pregnancy in your country and consult your physician or dietitian for a more personalized supplement plan. In most countries, the recommendation is folic acid (which should also be taken before getting pregnant), iron (supplement taken from the second trimester until 6 weeks after birth), and omega-3 DHA (this is usually derived from fish, but you can find a vegan DHA supplement made from algae oil). Another possibility is to take a prenatal–multivitamin for during pregnancy.
  • Special instructions for vegans? Yes: in addition to the supplement mentioned above, be sure to take your vitamin B12 supplement daily throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. 
  • Fortify your diet – eat plenty of foods rich in iron, calcium, and zinc such as legumes, whole grains, soy and soy products, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Also, add some vegan omega-3 to your diet: chia and flax seeds are great sources.
  • If you are just starting a vegan lifestyle, make the transition gradually, especially if your diet was primarily based on animal products until now. This is not due to the vegan diet itself, but any immediate change to your diet could harm the fetus’ development. You could try reducing animal product consumption during your first Challenge, then sign up for another round to give full veganism a try.

Enjoy your pregnancy! A properly planned diet can help you and your baby thrive, and a vegan diet comes with added benefits, such as a reduced risk of gestational diabetes or excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

Consider consulting a vegan-friendly dietitian in order to make sure you get all the nutrients you need for you and your baby. If you’re having any trouble or you’re not sure how to implement the above recommendations, a clinical dietitian can help you out.

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