Are Vegan Protein Powders Safe During Pregnancy?
If you’re newly pregnant or have been pregnant for a little bit and want to increase your protein intake, you may be wondering, are vegan protein powders safe during pregnancy?? Generally speaking, YES! However, not all protein powders are the same and may include other ingredients other than a plant-based source of protein. Typically, vegan protein powders contain a combination of pea protein, brown rice protein, chia, flax, pumpkin seed protein, and quinoa protein. Some vegan protein powders contain digestive enzymes – these can be incredibly helpful during pregnancy if you’re experiencing bloating or constipation. Other vegan proteins may contain added sugar, and some do not contain any added sugars but may have sugar alcohols.
Well, first let’s dive into why you may want to consider a vegan protein. You may want to consider a vegan protein as some experts say you need a minimum of 60g grams of protein per day but ideally more like 75-100grams depending on your stature/weight starting out. While this is do able on a vegan diet, it can also feel like a lot – particularly if you’re nauseous during the first trimester or you get full quickly as you run out of room in the third trimester. One scoop, or one serving of vegan protein powder has generally 20 grams of plant-based protein which can be easily help you on the way to consuming 75-100grams of protein per day to help support the growth of the baby, support your blood supply and help your uterine lining grow to meet the growing demands of the fetus.
As a vegan plant-based Registered Dietitian whose the mama of a sweet babe, these are the vegan protein powders I would recommend as they taste great, have 20 grams of vegan protein per serving, and have high quality ingredients without a bunch of additives. Check out our favorite three protein powders below:
KOS Protein Powder – KOS protein powders taste smooth and creamy with over 20 grams of protein per serving. Plus with added enzymes, it can help ease sluggish digestion associated with pregnancy but without any fake ingredients.
Orgain Vegan Protein Powder – Orgain has been a long time producer of vegan friendly protein powders with clean ingredients. Orgain does use some sugar alcohols but in general their combination of ingredients creates one of the creamiest/grit free protein powders out there that would fit into a plant-based pregnancy lifestyle.
Earth Chimp – Earth Chimp Vegan Protein Powder is a small, family owned operation out of Ireland that has cultivated a sugar free formula (they use monk fruit to help sweeten) and contains digestive enzymes as well.
There you have it, vegan protein powders are generally considered safe during pregnancy and the three listed are our favorites for their ingredients, taste, and price point. If you have any questions about vegan protein powders during pregnancy, feel free to comment below and we’d love to help you out.
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