
Calcium needs increase during pregnancy for the development of your baby’s bones and teeth. There are lots of great ways to get calcium from your diet apart from dairy including: kale , broccoli , cabbage and tofu.
Vitamin D is best absorbed through your skin while basking in the sunlight. Vegan foods sources include: fortified foods, like cereals, soy and rice milk.
Protein needs increase by 25 grams when you become pregnant and you’ll be able to get adequate amounts by increasing your consumptions of beans, lentils, protein rich grains like quinoa, tofu and tempeh.
Iron is important to keep you from becoming anemic and also to provide the nutrition necessary to build baby’s blood cells. Consider the following food sources of iron: spinach, tumeric, swiss chard, rosemary, romaine lettuce, tofu, molasses, kelp, coriander, mustard greens, shitake mushrooms, kale, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, celery, quinoa. It is also a good idea to take a supplement between meals to maximize absorption.
B vitamins: B12, B6 and folic acid are all necessary components of your baby’s development. Indulge in the following foods:
B12 sources: Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae
B6 sources: avocado, bananas, yeast extract, dried brewer’s yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, oat flakes, brown rice, cabbage and molasses
Folate sources: breakfast cereals, legumes, lentils, chickpeas, collard greens, papaya, peas, asparagus, broccoli, strawberries and oranges.
DHA is the supplement derived from fatty fish like wild salmon that helps with a baby’s neural and eye development. While most “fish oil” supplements are not vegan compliant, DHA can also be produced from certain micro-algae and also absorbed by consuming a fat called linolenic acid found in flaxseed, flax oil and walnuts.