Vegan for Life - Jack Norris [56]
Many women continue with a prenatal supplement for the first few months of breast-feeding (but without the extra iron). And the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vitamin D supplements for all breast-fed infants (not just those in vegan families).
NUTRIENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NONPREGNANT, PREGNANT, AND BREAST-FEEDING WOMEN
MODIFIED FOOD GUIDE FOR PREGNANCY AND BREAST-FEEDING
These are minimum servings and should be used as a general guide. Some women will need more than this to support adequate weight gain.
Food group Servings per day during pregnancy Servings per day while breast-feeding
Grains and starchy vegetables 6–7 6–7
Legumes and soyfoods 5-6 6
Nuts 2 2
Vegetables 5 5
(include at least one leafy green vegetable)
Fruits 2 2
Fats 3 3
Calcium-rich foods 8
Supplements for pregnant vegans:
• A chewable or sublingual vitamin B12 supplement. Follow the guidelines in Chapter 3. Don’t rely on a multivitamin supplement for this unless it is chewable.
• Prenatal supplement that provides folic acid, zinc, iron, and copper.
• A calcium supplement if you feel you are falling short of the 1,000 milligrams of calcium recommended during pregnancy.
• 300 milligrams of DHA from algae.
• 150 micrograms of iodine (which may already be included in your prenatal supplement).
• 600 to 1,000 IU vitamin D unless you are certain that you have adequate sun exposure.
Supplements for breastfeeding vegans:
• A chewable or sublingual vitamin B12 supplement
• 300 milligrams of DHA
• 150 micrograms of iodine
SAMPLE MENUS
You may very well feel like cooking up a storm during and after your pregnancy. But just in case you don’t have the time or energy for much food prep, we’ve kept things simple with these sample menus. They are meant to illustrate the ease of planning healthy vegan menus without fuss. These menus utilize six mini-meals, which can be helpful with managing heartburn and nausea.
Sample Menu for Pregnancy
Breakfast
• 1 cup fortified breakfast cereal
• 1 cup fortified soymilk
• Banana
Snack
• ¼ cup almonds
• Raw vegetables
Lunch
• Miso soup with ½ cup tofu and 1 cup cooked kale or collards
• Serving of whole-grain crackers
Snack
• Whole-grain bread with ½ cup hummus
• ½ cup fortified orange juice
Dinner
• 1 cup brown rice
• ½ cup baked beans
• 1 cup steamed vegetables sautéed in 2 teaspoons canola oil
Snack
• ½ whole-grain English muffin with 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 cup fortified soymilk
Sample Menu for Breast-Feeding
Breakfast
• ½ cup scrambled tofu cooked in 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 teaspoon margarine
• 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice
Snack
• ½ cup grapes
• Serving of whole-grain crackers with 2 tablespoons almond butter
Lunch
• Veggie burger
• Whole-wheat hamburger roll
• Slice tomato and lettuce
• Broccoli salad with ½ tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
Snack
• Small bran muffin
• 1 cup fortified soymilk
Dinner
• 1 cup lentil soup
• 1 cup steamed collards
• Green salad with dressing
• Whole-wheat dinner roll
• Snack
Smoothie
• ½ cup fortified soymilk
• ½ cup frozen fruit
• ¼ banana
• 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
CHAPTER 10
RAISING VEGAN CHILDREN AND TEENS
INFANTS
Even the most confident vegan adults might feel a little nervous about a vegan diet for their newborn baby. Infants typically triple their weight in the first year of life and need enough nutritious food to see them through this early growth spurt. Can a vegan diet satisfy their needs?
During the first months of a baby’s life, this isn’t even an issue. All infants start out as vegetarians. Or, to be more correct, they begin their lives as “lactarians.” For the first four months or so, infants don’t need anything other than breast milk. It’s the perfect,