Pregnancy is an amazing time and puts your body through some incredible changes in just a few short months. It is also a critical period for women to be a healthy as possible, since they are busy growing a little human. A wholefood, plant-based diet is an excellent choice for Mum and her developing baby. It can help women avoid some nasty symptoms that other omnivorous mums may experience, like constipation, blood sugar issues (gestational diabetes) excess weight gain and hypertension.
According to the American and Australian Dietetic Association, wellplanned vegan diets are safe through all life stages, including pregnancy. If you start with proper planning and a little nutritional knowledge, it’s easy to achieve all the required intakes throughout pregnancy. The most important nutrients during pregnancy include iron, folate, zinc, protein, B12, calcium vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. You have no extra calorie requirements in the first trimester, however, by the second, you need an extra 340 calories per day, and in the final trimester you require 452 extra calories per day. So, technically the old saying eating for two is correct, but remember, it’s yourself and a tiny developing baby!