5 Food Groups to figure Into Your Diet: Healthy Pregnancy Vegan Nutrition
By: Jubayer Islam
Tags: Is A Vegan Diet During, What Do I Feed My Vegan, Vegan Pregnancy Diet Plan, Vegan, Vegan Pregnancy

Dietitian and author of Your Complete Pregnancy Vegan, shares easy tips to possess a healthy Vegan pregnancy.

Whether you’ve been vegan for several years, are a relative newcomer to veganism, or are simply contemplating being vegan, adding pregnancy to the equation may raise some questions for you. Rest assured, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) has said that well-planned vegan diets are “appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy…[and] lactation.”

Pregnancy (or prepregnancy) may be a great time to find out more about vegan nutrition in order that you’ll make certain you’re making the simplest possible food choices!

You’ve heard it before — whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and nuts are the idea for a healthy vegan diet. But maybe that’s not enough. what percentage servings of vegetables do you have to be eating now that you simply ’re pregnant? Are there foods that you should avoid? an easy vegan food guide for pregnancy can help. And if you’d like even more support, a session with a knowledgeable RD may be a very worthwhile undertaking.

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Vegan Food Guide for Pregnancy

Many food guides don’t work for vegans. Food guides often include a meat group and a dairy group. albeit you replace meat with vegetable protein sources, you’re still left with a food group that recommends eating cheese and drinking cow’s milk.

This Vegan Food Guide for Pregnancy is predicated on five food groups. All servings listed are the minimum number of servings from each food group. If you’re not gaining weight at the recommended rate, you’ll got to eat a bigger number of servings from the food groups. make certain to settle on a spread of foods from each food group.

Food Group and Daily Servings

Grains

Daily servings: 6

Dried Beans, Nuts, Milks, and Other Protein-Rich Foods

Daily servings: 7

Vegetables

Daily servings: 4

Fruits

Daily servings: 2

Fats

Daily servings: 2

In addition to creating food choices supported this food guide, you ought to even be taking a prenatal supplement that supplies vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin B12 , and vitamin D . Supplemental DHA is additionally recommended in pregnancy.

In addition to creating food choices supported this food guide, you ought to even be taking a prenatal supplement that supplies vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin B12, and vitamin D . Supplemental DHA is additionally recommended in pregnancy.

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Grains Group

This group includes breads, tortillas, crackers, bagels, rolls, pastas, rices, cereals, quinoa, and other foods made up of grains. Choose whole grains as often as possible. A serving from this group may be a slice of bread; a tortilla or roll; 1⁄2 cup of cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; or 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal. This food group provides carbohydrates, calories, fiber, B vitamins, iron, and a few protein. Fortified cereals can supply other vitamins and minerals.

Dried Beans, Nuts, Milks, and Other Protein-Rich Foods Group

This food group includes a spread of foods that are good sources of protein for vegans. Many foods during this group also supply iron and zinc, and a few foods are fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 . A serving from this group is 1⁄2 cup of cooked dried beans or peas; 1⁄2 cup of tofu, TVP, or tempeh; 1 ounce of veggie “meat”; 2 tablespoons of nut or seed butters; 1⁄4 cup of nuts or soy nuts; or 1 cup of fortified soy milk.

The Vegan Food Guide for Pregnancy also can be used once you are breastfeeding. for many food groups, eat an equivalent amounts as you probably did once you were pregnant. Choose another serving of protein-rich foods, still use prenatal vitamins, and add foods as required to stop excess weight loss.

Vegetables Group

This food group includes all vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini. Vegetables are often eaten raw or cooked. A serving from this group is 1⁄2 cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of raw vegetables. make certain to incorporate some nutrient-rich dark-green vegetables and deep-orange vegetables often. This food group is an especially good source of fiber and vitamins A and C; it supplies some iron and zinc.

Fruits Group

Fruits are especially good sources of vitamins C and A; they also provide fiber and B vitamins. This group includes fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and fruit juices. A serving from this group may be a piece of medium fruit; 1⁄2 cup of cut-up or canned fruit; 1⁄4 cup of dried fruit; or 1⁄2 cup of fruit crush .

Fats Group

This group provides calories, vitamin E, and essential fatty acids. Foods during this group include oils, vegan salad dressings and mayonnaise, vegan margarine, and vegan cheese . A serving of any of those foods is 1 teaspoon.

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Meeting Calcium Needs with the Vegan Food Guide for Pregnancy

Vegans get calcium from different food groups. Green leafy vegetables, fortified soy milk, and almonds are samples of some vegan calcium sources. the subsequent table lists amounts of vegan foods that provide approximately 150 milligrams of calcium. By choosing a minimum of six servings (6 × 150 = 900 milligrams) from this list and getting the remainder of the calcium you would like from other foods, you’ll meet the RDA of 1,000 milligrams of calcium. If you’re taking a supplement that contains calcium, you’ll need fewer servings of calcium-rich foods.

Foods Supplying Approximately 150 Milligrams of Calcium

Cooked collards or greens

Serving size: 3⁄4 cup

Cooked kale or broccoli rabe

Serving size: 1 cup

Cooked bok choy, okra, or mustard

Serving size: 1 cup

Cooked broccoli

Serving size: 21⁄2 cups

Calcium-fortified juice (orange or vegetable) or milk (soy, almond, etc.)

Serving size: 4 ounces

Calcium-fortified vegan yogurt

Serving size: 3 ounces

Calcium-fortified vegan cheese

Serving size: 3⁄4 ounce

Tofu

Serving size: 2 ounces

Tempeh

Serving size: 3⁄4 cup

Almonds

Serving size: 6 tablespoons

Almond butter or tahini

Serving size: 21⁄2 tablespoons

Cooked dried beans

Serving size: 11⁄2 cups (1 cup soybeans)

Dried figs

Serving size: 10

English muffin made with calcium propionate

Serving size: 11/2

Blackstrap molasses

Serving size: 2 teaspoons

Calcium-fortified energy bar

Serving size: 1⁄2