It's Veg Week!

So it seems appropriate to talk about why veganism is the best decision a mother can make.

There are tons of resources out there about the health benefits of veganism, but I'd like to share the health aspect from my perspective.

I was a fat kid. I was not only inactive, but I established unhealthy eating habits early on. Even though my dad is a vegetarian, like many families, veg or not, we had a lot of meals based around carbs and dairy.

13 years old and approx. 180 lbs

I know that when I went vegetarian I lost weight. When I went vegan, I lost weight again. You don't have to worry about the temptation of the chocolate bars in the checkout lane. McDonald's isn't an option on the way home from work. Those are good things! Without the ethical objection to these things, it's too easy to cave in when your will power is low, and no one needs them! When my step-children come to visit, the two things they can identify as we drive around are McDonald's and Burger King, and I don't want that for them or my little vegtababies.

I think veganism is a great way to set my children up for success. They'll eat tons of veggies. They'll grow up eating ethnic food (my son's poop currently smells super garlicky). Don't get me wrong, you can totally eat junky as a vegan, but it's not quite as convenient as it is as an omnivore. If my children inherit any of my tendencies to overeat, I think veganism will be helpful to curb that.

So that's my take on the health benefits of veganism. A diet backed by ethics, which we'll get into later in the week.

Don't forget to go to my Deals and Contests page to sign the pledge to go veg for one week and be entered to win prizes! Be sure to check out their Events tab to see if there are any veg-friendly events near you.

Amen!

My husband has a thing for Natalie Portman. Yes, former vegan, Natalie Portman. It's one thing to crush on someone who never had a soul, but to fantasize about someone who sold hers just seems wrong to me.

In case you weren't aware, NP was a vegan until her devastating pregnancy cravings drew her back to eggs (mostly because she wanted cookies it seems) and eventually even to flesh. Here is an awesome blogger's response:

An Open Letter to Natalie Portman

B-12

When you're pregnant, you have to be twice as diligent about getting all your vitamins and nutrients. A good friend of ours had some serious medical issues arise due to a B-12 deficiency, and he posted this article on Facebook today:

What Every Vegan Should Know About B-12

My pre-natals have B12 in them, but I also take an occasional B-12 supplement by Country Life. They're good to have around if you ever need a little boost.

Thanks for the reminder, Jim!

Vegan Pregnancy

I started blogging because I had a lot of trouble finding any blogs on vegan pregnancy.  So, let's talk about it!

First of all, it's not as though my pregnancy is that much different than any other.  But I did notice that nutrients I don't typically worry about for myself are a little harder to come by at the levels I need now.

Let's take protein.  In pregnancy, you need 60-70g of it every day.  There are a lot of options, but they do usually have less protein than a typical serving of "meat."  Beans, nuts, and tofu are all good, but you need more than you may want to eat.  Most vegan meats come just short of what you would reasonably want as well.  We discovered, however, that the Field Roast products are actually full of protein.  Sausages, frankfurters, roasts, etc. all have more than 20g per serving which is great for a vegan source.

How about calcium?  Well, first of all, I hated milk long before I was vegan, so I never would have been drinking that stuff.  Luckily, almost all dairy substitutes are fortified (just like cow's milk).  I used to drink a lot of Silk, but I found out a couple years ago that they are owned by a dairy company.  So what would be the point of that?  Plus, there is some concern over the effects of soy on baby girls.

I switched to Almond Breeze (follow the link, they usually have coupons), and I love it.  I used to love the Vanilla, but the baby doesn't.  I drink Chocolate now, and it only has 3g of fat and 45% of your daily calcium needs.  So Delicious Coconut Yogurt is also fantastic.  It tastes great, and it has 25% of your daily calcium needs!

Luna Bars are another great snack.  They come in a variety of flavors, and they're power-packed.  For example, the Lemon Zest has 9g of protein, 35% of your calcium, 30% of your iron, Vitamin D, B Vitamins, and Folate (plus a lot more).  Steer clear of the protein bars, though, because they are unfortunately not vegan.

My husband has also been increasing our fruit intake by about a billion with delicious smoothies in the morning.  We use bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries in different rotations.  The secret to adding nutrients and flavor?  Vanilla Hemp Milk.  It has great for you things like calcium and B12, but it also has Omegas!  Not to mention, it adds that tang a good smoothie needs (trust me, he tried it with almond milk one day, and I took one sip).

Then, of course, there are the vitamins.  If you're trying to get pregnant you should start taking pre-natals long before there's a baby.  We special-ordered mine from Whole Foods, but you can probably get a vegan version at many natural food stores.

So, that's what I've discovered in my first trimester of vegan pregnancy.  I'm sure I'll learn more over the next six months.  Most importantly, educate yourself because your OB probably does not know much about the topic.  If you know what you're talking about, they'll likely be more confident that veganism is ok for your baby.