Vegan Pregnancy: Safety, Foods, Supplements, and Meal Plan

That said, a vegan diet that provides adequate amounts of these nutrients appears to be just as healthy as a conventional diet that includes meat, eggs, and dairy.
For instance, research suggests that women who follow a vegan diet are generally at no greater risk of pregnancy complications than women who don’t.
In fact, vegan women may have a lower risk of postpartum depression, cesarean section (C-section) delivery, and maternal or infant mortality (6, 7).
As a result, several nutrition societies across the world, including the U.S. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, have issued official statements backing the safety of vegan diets for all stages of life, including pregnancy (8, 9, 10).
All the same, experts agree that well-planned vegan diets require careful monitoring of nutrient intake, a focus on diverse and nutrient-rich foods, and the use of fortified foods or supplements (6, 11).
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Balanced vegan diets are considered safe for all periods of life, including pregnancy. However, they require careful planning.
Appropriately planned vegan diets may provide health benefits to both you and your baby.
For example, plant-based diets tend to be rich in fiber but low in sugar and fat. These attributes may safeguard against gestational diabetes — or high blood sugar levels during pregnancy — as well as excess weight gain during pregnancy (6, 7).
What’s more, the vegan diet’s high veggie and fiber content may guard against preeclampsia — a complication caused by a rise in blood pressure during pregnancy (12, 13).
Nonetheless, more research is needed. It’s important to remember that these benefits only apply to well-planned vegan diets that provide sufficient amounts of all important nutrients (14).
Thus, women interested in following a vegan diet during pregnancy should consider seeking guidance from a registered dietitian specializing in plant-based diets. Doing so can help ensure you’re getting all the nutrients that you and your baby need.
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Properly planned vegan diets may protect mothers and babies from a variety of pregnancy-related complications, including gestational diabetes and developmental issues. You should consult a dietitian if you wish to follow this diet while pregnant.
Iron. Your body doesn’t absorb non-heme iron from plant foods as well as it does the heme iron in animal products. This may increase your risk of iron deficiency and related complications, such as preterm birth and low birth weight (11, 24).
Iodine. Vegan diets devoid of iodized salt, seaweed, or iodine supplements may contain too little of this nutrient. Insufficient iodine intakes can result in poor infant growth, as well as compromised thyroid and mental function (6, 25).
Omega-3 fats. People on vegan diets tend to have low blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — two omega-3s important for your baby’s eyes, brain, and nervous system (14).
Protein. Insufficient protein intake may slow your baby’s growth and development. Protein may be plentiful on a vegan diet but more difficult to digest, raising your daily protein requirements by around 10% (6, 7).
Zinc. Most women get too little zinc during pregnancy, which may result in low birth weight, prolonged labor, and preterm birth. Plant-based zinc is more difficult to absorb, raising daily requirements by 50% for vegan women (6, 7, 28, 29).
Choline. This nutrient is essential for the development of your baby’s nervous system. Most women get too little during pregnancy — and plant foods contain only small amounts (30, 31).
Getting sufficient amounts of all these nutrients on a vegan diet is possible but requires careful planning. In particular, you may need to take several supplements (8, 9, 10).
If you want to maintain a vegan diet during pregnancy, consider having a dietitian review your diet and nutrient levels, as they can help you identify and compensate for any suboptimal intakes.
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Vegan diets are naturally low in certain nutrients, so you should plan your food intake carefully, take supplements, and consult a dietitian if you plan to follow this diet while pregnant.
Nutrient-rich plant foods
If you follow a vegan diet during pregnancy, be sure to eat sufficient amounts of the following foods:
Tofu, seitan, and tempeh. Soy products are rich in protein and can replace meat in many recipes. Mock meats are another option but shouldn’t be eaten in excess because they’re rich in fat and salt.
Legumes. Beans, peas, and lentils are good sources of fiber and plant-based protein. Sprouting, fermenting, and thorough cooking can make it easier for your body to absorb their nutrients (32).
Nuts and seeds. Most are good sources of iron and zinc. Eat one to two Brazil nuts each day to meet your selenium requirements, and munch on walnuts and hemp, chia, or flax seeds to get alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 (33).
Calcium-fortified yogurts and plant milks. These foods make it easier for you to get enough calcium. Opt for unsweetened versions whenever possible.
Nutritional yeast. This protein-rich topping is often fortified with vitamin B12 and adds a cheesy flavor to your dishes.
Whole grains, cereals, and pseudocereals. In addition to being rich in fiber and B vitamins, these foods provide some iron and zinc. Certain grains, such as teff, amaranth, spelt, and quinoa, are especially rich in protein (34, 35, 36, 37).
Furthermore, fermenting, sprouting, and cooking with cast iron pans may enhance your absorption of certain nutrients, such as iron and zinc (32, 44).
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The vegan foods above can help you meet your nutrient needs during pregnancy. Eating fortified, sprouted, and fermented foods, as well as using cast iron cookware, may further boost your diet’s nutrient content.
Some nutrients are difficult or even impossible to obtain from whole plant foods alone.
As such, many health professionals recommend relying on the following supplements for a vegan diet during pregnancy:
Vitamin B12. While it may be possible to get enough vitamin B12 from fortified foods, a supplement is the most reliable way to ensure adequate intake (49).
Vitamin D. This vitamin may be especially beneficial for women who get less sun exposure. Vegan options include vitamin D2 or lichen-derived vitamin D3 (50, 51).
Omega-3 fats. Algae oil is rich in EPA and DHA, making it a good vegan alternative to eating fish or taking fish oil (43).
Iodine. Iodine-poor soils can make it difficult to get enough of this nutrient through plant foods. As iodized salt and some seaweed may result in excess iodine or sodium intakes, a supplement is likely your best option (52).
Choline. Some plant foods boast small amounts of choline, but a supplement is your best bet to cover your requirements during pregnancy (49).
Folate. Vegan diets are usually rich in this nutrient. Yet, since folate plays a crucial role in preventing birth defects, all women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant are encouraged to take folic acid (49).
You may also want to consider iron, zinc, and calcium supplements.
Although prenatal vitamins are helpful, many of them lack adequate amounts of choline, omega-3s, and vitamin B12 (53).
That said, excess intake of some of these nutrients blocks the absorption of other nutrients. Thus, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your diet (54, 55, 56).
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If you follow a vegan diet while pregnant, you should consider taking choline, algae oil, iodine, and vitamins B12 and D, among other supplements.