Is Eating Vegetarian or Vegan 100% Healthy For You During Pregnancy?

[car4cher]

I stopped eating red meat two years ago and was only eating chicken, turkey, and fish. Then when I became pregnant my doctor told me to eat red meat in order to be healthy during my pregnancy. I was so confused because I thought eating red meat wasn't very healthy for you. So I was wondering if my doctor is correct about meat consumption then is eating vegetarian or vegan healthy for you? Or did my doctor just tell me that because he didn't know any better?

 

[Ella]

Vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy, but some people with certain medical conditions may need specific foods to help them, for example an iron deficiency they would need maybe more fish or certain meats. You can get everything from a vegetarian diet, but it must be well planned and balanced as all diets need to be.

Doctors all have their own opinions, so I can't comment, but there are many vegetarians who are healthier than meat eaters. Some are old fashioned and think meat is best, but today with processed meat, is that really healthy for you? In the old days, meat was healthier with less hormones added, but the meat today is very different unless you have organic.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

There is little wrong with a well balanced vegetarian diet. When I went off to cycle around the world, I was convinced I was going to need to look at eating meat/fish to stay healthy. The more I dug into the diet and benefit and the more I looked at eating meat, talked with dieticians and nutritionists, the more I realised I was already eating the most healthy diet for my body's needs. All I needed to do was increase the volume of what I was eating to cover the extra calories I needed from cycling day in day out, plus including rest days to give the body time to heal. Constant exercise puts major demands on the body as does pregnancy and you need to investigate what extra is needed. There is actually considerably more protein easily available to the body from beans/pulses and other vegetable sources than there is from meat - just look at the ingredients for body building powders - they are laden with whey protein powder, soya bean powder, this bean powder, than bean powder...

Iron is often a case of the body not having enough other vitamins and minerals to absorb what there is in your diet already. Vitamin C is needed to absorb iron, as are Vitamin B6 & B12 which are needed to produce red blood cells.

Eating the wrong combination of foods at the wrong time is more often a problem - consuming coffee or tea (caffeine) during or immediately after an iron-rich meal will prevent your body from absorbing as much iron as it could from the meal.

Citing meat as the best source is simply the 'easy way out'... there are plenty of other sources (https://www.vegsoc.org/iron)

Sources of iron
Pulses including chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and tofu. Sprouted beans and seeds such as aduki beans, alfafa and sunflower seeds. Cereals and products such as breakfast cereals and bread. Green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and cabbage and also broccoli. Nuts, in particular almonds and cashews. Dried fruit especially apricots, dates and raisins. Date syrup and molasses are good sources of iron. Vitamin C which helps with absorption of iron is present in citrus fruit and juices as well as salad items like sweet peppers, lambs lettuce and tomatoes as well as broccoli and leafy greens.

 

[kamarsun1]

I stopped eating red meat two years ago and was only eating chicken, turkey, and fish. Then when I became pregnant my doctor told me to eat red meat in order to be healthy during my pregnancy. I was so confused because I thought eating red meat wasn't very healthy for you. So I was wondering if my doctor is correct about meat consumption then is eating vegetarian or vegan healthy for you? Or did my doctor just tell me that because he didn't know any better?

I don't know why they say that. You can get protein, and Iron from eating plants and that's a fact. A friend of mine went all the way though her pregnancy without meat and the baby was completely fine.

 

[Arch]

I stopped eating red meat two years ago and was only eating chicken, turkey, and fish. Then when I became pregnant my doctor told me to eat red meat in order to be healthy during my pregnancy. I was so confused because I thought eating red meat wasn't very healthy for you. So I was wondering if my doctor is correct about meat consumption then is eating vegetarian or vegan healthy for you? Or did my doctor just tell me that because he didn't know any better?

Maybe your doctor needs to think about how people from vegetarian cultures manage to reproduce...

 

[JoanMcWench]

I agree with consulting your doctor. It's a great idea to go in the direction of healthy eating but you shouldn't leave your doctor in the dark. He/She may be able to cite the reasons as to why certain things may be going on by considering your diet.