Mom Vegan Pregnancy Diet
Well greenies, the pregnancy talk continues and this time I’m sharing about mom vegan pregnancy. To me it seems like no big deal since I was vegan for Avery’s pregnancy two years ago, and still am this time for Baby Mila. But to someone that’s not vegan or for first time pregnant vegan mamas, the road to a vegan pregnancy seems unsafe, unhealthy, and full of “rabbit food” as most people like to call it. I beg to differ though.
Four years ago, I went Vegan for three Reasons:
- For my health (decreases my fat intake and replaces it with fiber… See how I believe it helped me lose the “baby weight” from Avery’s pregnancy)
- For ethical reasons (I don’t believe it’s right that an animal has to die just for me to eat)
- For the environment (cutting out meat and dairy decreases my carbon footprint among other things)
Now that’s all fine and nice, but when you look at a vegan diet compared to a traditional diet most people see gaps, such as: “Without milk where do you get your calcium? Without meat where do you get your protein? And how in the world to do you ever feel full?” I can understand your concern, but with the right food choices and a good supplement routine (stay tuned for my next post about my Vegan Prenatal Vitamins & Supplements), I feel it’s completely possible that you can have a healthy and enjoyable vegan pregnancy.
Now I could bore you with the data and numbers as to how you’ll want to make sure and get enough grams of this nutrient and enough of that one, but for me, I let my body lead the way. I follow my cravings and try to find a balance between cooked and raw food, protein and carbs, and fruits and veggies. One way I can explain this best is just to show you what I eat on a given day instead of just talking about it, so let’s get going…
Disclaimer:
- I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, so be sure to check with your OB or midwife to see if a vegan pregnancy is right for you.
- I eat a lot of food throughout the day, as you’ll soon see. This is what works for my metabolism, both during pregnancy, and even when I’m not pregnant. Adjust your diet to your hunger level and eat accordingly.
- I do not think I am the mecca of health! I try my best to eat as clean and green as I can, but I’m not perfect. You may see my diet and think, “Oh she’s not getting enough of this…” or “She’s getting way too much of that…” But to me, this is the diet that works at this point in my life and that helps me feel healthy and full of energy, so I’m sticking with it for the time being.
