pregnant vegetarian survey, please complete it, as it is for my food tech coursework

[poppy_wilbur]

Hi, please, please answer this, I need to do a survey for my coursework, but the only problem is...I don't know any pregnant vegetarians, or even any vegetarians who have had children!

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant?

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant?

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet?

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy?

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy?

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy?

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy?

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women?

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat?

Thanks, x

[IrieMama]

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant?
I was already vegan. I did cut out soda, coffee, and tried to eat more raw than processed foods.

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant?
In the beginning I did crave eggs. That was only for a week or so. I wasn't taking prenatal vitamins at the time so It was probably my body letting me now I was missing something.

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet?
More iron, calcium rich foods. I was anemic[and omni] with my first pregnancy. So that was really a big concern for me.

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy?
Any information I needed I researched on the internet. Or read about in vegan books.

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy?
A heck of a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead of a small amount of chips for a snack, I would eat fresh grapes or an apple.

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?
You can bn just as healthy pregnant [if not more so] with a veg*n pregnancy than one that contains meat. You just have to eat a balanced diet.

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
It depends. For lunch I was more into eating leafy green veggies for salads. Where as for dinner it was more whole grain pasta or tofu stirfry with veggies.

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
Fruits and raw nuts.

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women?
Yes!!

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat?
Absolutely not. I feel that I actually got to consume more nutrients with a vegan diet. Because I was eating a more balanced diet. My iron levels are above average thank you very much :]

[cerealkiller]

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant?
No. I've been veg for over 15 years and vegan for a year-and-a-half.

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant?
Not at all.

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet?
Iron and calcium just because they're more important for women in general when pregnant. Easily obtained through eating beans, nuts, nut butters, and leafy greens.

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy?
No one gave me any information, but I've been reading up on veg. nutrition and vegan pregnancy for years, so I already knew what I needed to know.

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy?
Nuts, fruit, beans. Trying to remember to eat more leafy greens (kale, spinach, etc.).

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?
Same as IrieMama. also, if you feel you're missing something, "google is your friend".

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
cereal for breakfast a lot (and sometimes lunch or dinner!)
sandwiches and fruit for lunch
pasta and stews for dinner

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
fruit, nuts (pistachios!), pbj sandwiches

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women?
Certainly.

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat?
Not at all. Like IrieMama said, I eat a much more varied/balanced diet now that I'm vegan than I ever did as a meat-eater.

[veggielove]

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant?

Not really. One of the wonders of a vegetarian diet is that you have so little you NEED to change. Meat eaters need to avoid nitrates in hot dogs and sausages, can’t eat cold-cuts because of lysteria risk, have to make sure all their food is cooked well-done, can’t eat certain types of fish, can only eat some types of fish a couple times a week due to mercury risk, etc. Being vegetarian means eating lower on the food chain and avoiding a lot of the heavy metals that congregate in animal fat.

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant?
Not in the slightest. Honestly, the smell of meat repulsed me even more – to the point we couldn’t go out to eat during my first trimester, lol. Apparently this happens even to a lot of omnivore pregnant women too, and then they freak out about what to eat because suddenly hamburgers and chicken are revolting to them.

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet?
I made sure to get enough calcium and protein. I consume dairy products so this was easy. I also took vegetarian omega-3 supplements.

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy?
I did research on my own. My OB was also vegetarian and she was not concerned at all about my diet.

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy?
More leafy greens, a wide variety of flavors and tastes.

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?
Don’t doubt your diet, your baby is getting what he/she needs from the food you eat just fine!

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
I enjoyed rice and beans, salads and vegetarian stirfrys with seitan.

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
yogurt, dried fruits, nuts.

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women?
Absolutely. My child is very healthy, big and very intelligent.

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat?
The only things I missed out on were environmental toxins, excess cholesterol and heavy metals.

[Veg*nMomToBe]

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant?
Nope.

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant?
Yes! I actually was eating whatever I could stomach at first. I had pretty severe morning sickness and was more concerned with keeping any food down, then what the food was.

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet?
I'm worried about folic acid and Omegas. Both are super easy to get from a veggie diet.

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy?
No.

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy?
So far just root beer.

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?
In the begining it's more important to eat something, whether it's something you wouldn't normally eat or not. There is plenty of time to go back to a good diet after the first trimester.

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
Mac'N'Cheese has been a big one.

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy?
Anything chocolate.

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women?
Yup.

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat?
Nope.

[wild blackberry]

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant?

I have been vegetarian for about 10 years, so that was nothing new. I have changed my eating patterns a lot to cope with morning sickness, though. I went from eating 2-3 meals a day with no snacks to eating 3-4 smaller meals with 2-3 snacks.

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant?

No, it has been very easy for me, just like always.

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet?

I haven't really tried to eat more of any specific nutrients. I have just been doing my best (not always successfully) to eat a balanced diet, and I take a prenatal multivitamin and calcium and omega-3 supplements. Before pregnancy, I only supplemented with folic acid.

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy?

No, my doctor gave me a packet with information about foods to avoid and nutrients to increase, but it was not specific to vegetarians, and I don't think it really needed to be.

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy?

Unfortunately, I am still having a lot of morning sickness, so I have been eating a lot more convenience foods and eating out more because cooking makes me sick. Hopefully that will go away and I can eat more of the healthy stuff.

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?

I have noticed that some newly pregnant vegetarians start eating meat during pregnancy because their partners, parents, or someone thinks they should. I would advise these women not to do this just to make others feel better. Mainstream health care, including ACOG, supports vegetarianism during pregnancy, so there is no need to start eating meat.

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy?

Bean burritos, big salads, portobello sandwiches, soup, pizza, lots of frozen Amy's meals

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy?

All kinds of fruit (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, however I can take it), smoothies, yogurt, pretzels, tortilla chips and salsa, pudding, applesauce (not all very healthy, I know, but I eat what I can)

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women?

Absolutely. I would recommend a vegetarian diet to anyone.

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat?

Definitely not. There are vegetarian sources for everything a pregnant woman needs.

I hope that helps you! Good luck with your class.

[Beezer]

1.Did you change your diet after finding out you were pregnant? No. I was already vegan so I stayed vegan. (But I'm vegetarian now.)

2.Did you find a vegetarian diet harder to keep to whilst pregnant? No.

3.Which nutrients did you try to eat more of, and did you find them easy to get from a vegetarian diet? I remember drinking lots of orange juice with calcium. So I was looking for Folic Acid and Calcium. Other than that I took my prenatal vitamins and ate the healthy way I already ate.

4.Were you given any information on what foods vegetarians should eat during pregnancy? No. All of the written information I was given by the doctor applied to meat eaters. (This was in 1999.)

I had my own books that I read on veganism/vegetarianism and pregnancy.

5. What food products did you eat more of during your pregnancy? Orange juice with calcium. Fruit. Nuts. The rest of the stuff was just my normal vegan stuff. (I already ate plenty of veggies and grains.)

6.What advice would you give a newly pregnant vegetarian?Read, read, and read. Don't give in to old grannys or even your mother in law when they tell you that you can't remain vegetarian while pregnant "for the baby!" Ugh. Do your research. Eat a healthy, fresh, balanced diet. "For the baby!"

7.What meals did you eat the most during your pregnancy? Vegetable stir fry, red beans and rice, black eyed peas and rice, green beans, broccoli, soy meat replacement products, fruit, natural peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hummus, soy milk.

8.What snacks did you eat the most during your pregnancy? I do remember eating more homemade (not the bagged stuff) popped corn. (cravings, you know.) Peanut butter. I loved peanut butter.

9.Would you recommend a vegetarian diet to pregnant women? Certainly!

10. Did you feel you missed out on any nutrients by not eating meat? Yes. Cholesterol and saturated fat! Okay -- the real answer: No. I had a very healthy pregnancy and I didn't gain too much weight. It was such a refreshing change from my first pregnancy when I was an omnivore and I gained tons of weight and felt terrible.