Vegetarian Diet in Pregnancy

If you ate a vegetarian diet before pregnancy and would like to continue, this article is for you. Eating a vegetarian diet can be a healthy way to give you and your baby lots of fiber and important nutrition.

You'll need to make sure you are getting all the nutrition you need for pregnancy, including vitamins and plenty of protein, from your diet. A visit with a registered dietitian can help you with healthy food choices.

There are specific parts of foods known as “nutrients” that are important to focus on during your pregnancy:

Nutriente	How Does It Help?	What Food Have It?
Calcio (1,000-1,300 mg/day)	Helps build strong bones and teeth	Milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines, soy milk with calcium, green vegetables, orange juice with calcium
Hierro	Helps create red blood cells that deliver oxygen to your baby and prevents you from feeling too tired	All beans and peas, soy products, iron-fortified cereals, prune juice
Vitamina A	Forms healthy skin and helps eyesight and with bone growth	Zanahorias, verduras de hojas verdes oscuras, batatas
Vitaminas B	Helps form red blood cells, helps body use protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Maintains nervous system.	Fish, whole-grain cereals, bananas, nutritional yeast, veggie burgers
Vitamina C	Promotes healthy gums, teeth, and bones. Helps your body absorb iron	Frutas cítricas, brócoli, tomates, fresas
Vitamina D	Works with calcium to build bones and teeth. Also important for your immune system	Fatty fish like salmon, milk, eggs with yolk, orange juice with added vitamin D
Folato/Ácido fólico	Needed to produce blood and protein. Prevents defects in your baby's brain and spine.	Verduras de hojas verdes, jugo de naranja, frijoles y nueces
Fibra	Prevents constipation, helps regulate blood sugar levels	Fruits and vegetables especially with skins on whole grains, beans, lentils

Vitaminas prenatales

Prenatal vitamins can help you make sure that you're getting all the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy. You may start to take them months before you are trying to get pregnant or when you become pregnant.

Even if you eat a balanced diet, it is still recommended that you take a prenatal vitamin for your and baby's health. Your nutrition needs increase during pregnancy, so the supplement, along with your food choices, can help you meet those needs.

Protein

A registered dietitian can help you calculate how much protein you need. The general recommendation is to eat at least 71 grams every day. You can look up protein amounts on apps/ websites like Calorie King or look at nutrition labels.

The list below has lots of sources of protein. If you do not eat fish or dairy, choose other options. If you eat non-dairy yogurt for a source of protein, read the nutrition label to see how much it has.

Source of Protein	Grams of Protein
One whole egg	6
Fish, three ounces or palm sized (Check that the fish you are eating is low in mercury)	20-25
Tofu, palm size	14
Quinoa, half (½) cup cooked	4
Spinach, half (½) cup cooked	3
Soy nuts, one-fourth (¼) cup	12
Nuts, one-fourth (¼) cup	4-7
Flax and chia seeds, two to three tablespoons	6
Hemp hearts, one tablespoon	3
Greek or Icelandic yogurt, 6oz container	15-18
Cottage cheese, half (½) cup	14
Regular yogurt, one cup	11
Dairy or soy milk, one cup	8
String or slice of cheese	6
Whole grain bread, one slice	4-6
Cooked oatmeal, one cup	8
Beans, half (½) cup	7-11

When making a meal, choose more than one source of protein, along with a vegetable and whole grain. This will boost the nutrition of the meal and make the protein, iron, and other nutrients easier for your body to use.

Vegetarian Meal and Snack Ideas

You can find more ideas on vegetarian and healthy meals during pregnancy in the BMC Teaching Kitchen Recipe Library.

Breakfast with more than 20 grams of protein:

Two eggs or tofu scramble, two slices of whole-grain bread, ¼ avocado, slice of tomato
One Greek style yogurt, one cup berries, one tablespoon of chia and flax seeds, handful of chopped nuts
One cup cooked oatmeal, splash of soy or dairy milk, one tablespoon hemp hearts, handful chopped nuts, ½ cup fresh or ¼ cup dried fruit
Two slices of whole grain bread, one to two tablespoons nut butter, ½ banana or berries

Lunch or dinner with more than 20 grams of protein:

½ cup brown rice, one cup beans, ¼ avocado, salsa or chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers
Cheese and bean quesadilla or burrito with chopped vegetables
Grilled salmon, zucchini, peppers, and ½ cup quinoa, brown rice or whole grain noodle
Canned chunk light tuna sandwich, two slices of whole grain bread, greens, tomato
One to two cups of soup made with mixed beans, lentils, dark greens, and onions

Snacks with at least 7 grams of protein: