Many vegetarians are used to fielding concerns about their diet. They answer queries with anything from a short, humorous response to a detailed lecture. However, many vegetarian women find that when they become pregnant, the questions become more persistent. Well-meaning friends and family may openly express doubts about the safety of a meat-free diet. "How do you get enough protein?" "Don't you need meat for your baby to be healthy?" In the case of vegans, those who eat no animal products including eggs or dairy, the opposition increases.

Here are some facts about the vital nutrients in your diet to ease their minds – and yours – about the safety of vegetarian diets during pregnancy.

How many vegetarians do you know who started eating fish during pregnancy just to meet their protein needs? It is true that the need for protein increases during pregnancy, but only by about 20 percent. The fact is, most American women – including vegetarians – eat enough protein on an average day to meet the needs of a pregnant woman. Excess protein is simply stored in the body as fat.

A woman's body needs about 300 extra calories per day to grow a healthy baby. If you meet your caloric needs by eating a wide variety of foods – including whole grains, soy foods (soymilk, tofu, tempeh), legumes, nuts, nut butters, seeds, fruits and vegetables – you will meet your protein needs during pregnancy. And contrary to the old teachings, vegetarians need not combine foods during each meal to get complete proteins. A balanced and varied diet will take care of that.

You also may have heard that you should at least eat fish for omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats play an important role in the development of the retina and brain and maintenance of the central nervous system. While it is true that fish oil is a rich source, it is certainly not the only one! Omega-3 fatty acids are also available from ground flax seeds (added to baked goods or smoothies), flax seed oil, walnuts, walnut oil, canola oil, soy products, soybean oil, hempseed oil and wheat germ.

Further evidence shows that pesticide and mercury consumption from eating certain types of fish may be unsafe during pregnancy. "Several studies have found markedly higher levels of pesticides in breast milk of women who eat meat and fish, especially fatty fish," says Dr. Reed Mangels of the Vegetarian Resource Group. "We don't really know what effect these pesticides have on pregnancy. The FDA has issued an advisory calling for pregnant women to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish."

You will probably be cautioned to make sure you get four full glasses of milk per day to meet your calcium needs. Most people don't even realize that there are other good sources of calcium besides milk.

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