Any vegetarians??

[Kris522]

Hi, I am newly pregnant and a vegetarian. I eat dairy, but I am nervous about getting enough protein. I feel like I spend half my day calculating grams of protein off of food packages (and I'm not too good at math....). Is anyone else a vegetarian out there and what do you eat??

Thanks!

 

[DaisyBee]

My dietition talked about getting protein from other places because she said lots of women are "off" meat with ms. She talked about peanut butter, nuts, and cheese. This is really all she said to me - as I am not a vegetarian or was having ms problems at the time. Good luck - hope you find some good answers!

 

[AnotherMrs]

I eat a lot of whole grains, such as whole wheat toast and with peanut butter. As long as you're eating dairy, you should be fine. I drink milk too. So far, I've been fine. I also eat a lot of spinach, which adds protein and iron! As long as you're eating and not stuffing junk food in your mouth and taking your pre-natal vitamins, you'll be a-okay. (I can't keep much down, so I chew two Flintstone vitamins which my docotor told me to do)

 

[sun]

Hi there! I am vegan and my doc was horrified and sent me to a dietician when she found out!! The dietician went over what I eat on a daily basis and said it sounded good and to keep it up. I eat alot of nuts and seeds,beans, tofu, almond butter, and lots of dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc). Though I eat less raw veggies now than I used to (can't stomach too much raw salad etc) and I find that cooked or steamed is the way to go. I am also craving many more carbs like pasta and bread. I have also been eating bean/pasta soups and drinking lots of soymilk!

All my bloodwork came back great, so I wouldn't worry about the diet. A friend of mine could only eat plain spaghetti and white bread for the entire first tri and her son is healthy! As long as you are eating a balanced diet you should do great! Are you also taking a prenatal or multivitamin?

 

[vineyard]

I am..or was. I did start adding chicken as I'm pregnant with twins and worried I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet. So, I decided to bite the bullet. I hate the taste and I have to choke it down. But, oh well!

 

[Kimmer]

Being vegetarian myself, I've spoken about this with my doctor at length.

What I'm going to say is what my doctor told me, not just my opinion.

Vegetarians generally have healthy diets and very healthy babies.

Many women are put off meat in pregnancy, some say its because the body knows it's not necessary.
Humans aren't actually meant to eat meat, it's a choice, so not eating it does no harm at all.

There's a hell of a lot of food out there that contain all the nutrients you need and more, and they're actually good for you!

I'm vegetarian and I will continue being a vegetarian throughout any pregnancy, my child will be vegetarian after that too.
A healthy diet is a must during pregnancy, meat isn't.

So don't worry!

 

[Kris522]

Thanks, ladies! I think my common sense went out the window in the face of packing in 75 grams of protein a day. I guess even though I've been a vegetarian for years, I've been programmed to think the only real protein is meat! Thanks for the suggestion for the whole grains, I love quinoa! Also, nuts, milk and leafy greens.

I couldn't agree with you, Sun, I can't handle too much raw salad, even though my boyfriend is constantly trying to shove it down my throat! Cooked is easier on me!

 

[ninab]

Quorn and other meat substitutes contain alot of protein hon. I'm vegetarian too and I am also obsessed with getting enough iron and porotein now that I am pregnant. I also take pregnacre supliments x

 

[jen1604]

Oooh me!
I eat a lot of Quorn and other meat substitutes aswell.
In my last pregnancy I ended up taking iron for the last half of it but my midwife said thats very common and not necessarily down to a veggie diet.
I agree with Kimmer 'A healthy diet is a must during pregnancy, meat isn't.' xxx

 

[razorcakes]

I was a vegan before pregnancy, but being unable to buy thew correct foods in this country I am now vegetarian. I was asked if I eat beans and grains and to continue eating these, which I do anyway, also lentils and quorn are a great source. On the upside my doc said as a vegie I won't get toxoplasmis or something (?)... I wouldn't trust meat nowadays anyway, it is ridden with disease and bacterias i'd rather not risk.

 

[Seraphim]

Ah, great to see this thread

I have to quickly hold my hand up to not being a vegetarian though. Please don't hurt me

My hubby is a vegetarian. He does all the cooking in our house, and we don't have anything meaty at home, although there's no rule on this or anything

I'm just weak, essentially. I can't cope with the world outside not cooking like my husband. So if we eat out, I generally don't like any of the veggie options - and I LOVE fish.

Anyway. I have nooooooo worries about my 99.9% veggie diet. Hubby is the greatest cook, we always have loads of good stuff in the house, we eat alot of quorn and pulses. PLUS after 10 years together, you can count the number of times I've been ill on your fingers... I was forever getting some sniffle or wotnot before I met him - so I can see what it's done for me.

My brother was asking the other day whether we'd be bringing little one up veggie. Hubby and I talked about this over the years, my only reservation is that when a little one gets a bit older, I don't want our child to feel controlled. I'd rather they knew what there is to know about meat farming and production, and feel like it's something they want to be part of. Is that too idealistic??

We also have to take into account my not being vegetarian, and the hypocrasy angle

But anyway, there's no reason why a veggie diet should be a problem. Beans on toast got me through my morning sickness!

 

[playgirl666]

hi i am a vegetarian, i just eat what i did b4 i got pregnant, i eat alot of chedder cheese, diary products and drink alot of milk. i also take pregnacare what the doctor advised me to take as i dont get all the goodness that meat eaters do.

 

[Seraphim]

...there is so little goodness is half the meat products out there, I wouldn't worry

 

[sun]

Quorn???? I have never heard of this?? Does it have another name?

 

[jen1604]

Its basically meat replacement.Its kind of like fake chicken
I don't think you can get it outside of the UK though...x

 

[Seraphim]

Quorn???? I have never heard of this?? Does it have another name?

I don't know what you have outside of the UK, but here is the answer to 'What is Quorn'

https://www.quorn.co.uk/CMSPage.aspx?ssbid=6

Oh here...

In Which countries are Quorn products available?

Quorn products are currently available in the UK, USA, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands.

 

[jen1604]

Quorn???? I have never heard of this?? Does it have another name?

I don't know what you have outside of the UK, but here is the answer to 'What is Quorn'

https://www.quorn.co.uk/CMSPage.aspx?ssbid=6

Oh here...

In Which countries are Quorn products available?

Quorn products are currently available in the UK, USA, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Damn you with your better answer than mine xxx

 

[Seraphim]

Hmm, now I'm reading the Quorn website, and this really shocked me...

Is Quorn ok for my baby?

Quorn products are perfectly safe for children and babies but because of the high energy requirements demanded by the rapidly growing child, we do not recommend that Quorn products replace meat totally in the diet of young children and babies (less than 3 years old) because of their low energy densities(number of calories per gram) and satiating (satisfaction of appetite) effects. However as part of a well balanced diet Quorn products are perfectly safe to introduce to young children in small amounts.

Now I never would have said that if someone asked me. Do you think they're just covering themselves???

Anybody with little ones on a veggie diet? What's the advice?

 

[Seraphim]

[Damn you with your better answer than mine xxx

 

[Kris522]

Seraphim, me and my boyfriend were just having this conversation, about raising the baby vegetarian, and I had the exact same concerns. I didn't want to control his/her decision to be a vegetarian. If the child has meat (my bf eats chicken and turkey) it will be of that nature and not red meat - its just not very good for your digestion.