What does a Vegan Eat While Pregnant?

I have gotten a few questions about my vegan diet while I've been pregnant. 

I try to live with the idea that my body knows what it needs. If I can trust my body's intuition and provide what it's asking for... then I'll be alright. It's a double edged sword though because I have to get my body to trust me. My body has to trust that I will give what it is asking for, and fairly quickly after it asks. Otherwise your body can turn into a crazy untrusting hoarder who stocks up on leftover calories and energy for another day. This is what most people don't want, since your body is the storage space for that hoarding.

Homemade Spinach Lasagna

During this pregnancy I ate when I was hungry, and I ate until I was full.
That did mean an increase in calories from my pre-pregnancy diet but I don't have exact numbers on how many more. Some days it might have been 1,000 more because I had moments when I could not stop eating! Other days it felt like my body didn't want to eat anything, and I didn't force it. In the end I'm pretty happy with how my body has adjusted to this little human being inside of me.

Cuban Take-Out!

They tell you things change with your body but woah, things change! My digestive system is so different than it used to be. I take back every not nice thing I thought or said about my poor husband's battle with his tummy. There are some days I couldn't stop farting even if I was with the queen of England.

I did stick to the vegan diet throughout the pregnancy and I haven't had any problems so far (2 weeks to go!) Eating a lot of variety is key when I'm not pregnant and it is even more important now. Eating various colors and textures helps you get all the nutrients you need.

Sweet Potato and Chickun Spinach Salad

I did start taking some alfalfa pills about half way though. Alfalfa is high in the vitamins A, E, U, B6, K and D. It is also high in the minerals Calcium, Iron, and Potassium. My midwife recommended them so if you are pregnant always check with your care providers before taking something.

Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burrito! Yummmm!

I don't think I had any "cravings" that are very fun to write about. Sorry! I didn't crave non-vegan things any more than the usual. There are times when you crave the emotional response or memory of non vegan food and I get that even when I'm not pregnant. It can be important to recognize those desires as much as physical desires. You can utilize vegan substitutes or plant based alternatives for emotional food cravings. I've been kind of wanting a hot dog for a few days and I know I don't actually want a hot dog! haha. There are a lot of memories of my childhood and happy times associated with hot dogs. I could have a vegan hot dog or other picnic foods like potato salad to fill up my memory food bank.

Happy Eating!