Protein and Pregnancy
All you want is Carb’s (!), but here’s why we should focus on adding protein during pregnancy.
There is a lot of information about what not to eat and drink when pregnant, and the importance of taking your prenatal vitamins, however, there is little focus on the power of protein in the diet.
Why is protein important?
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are important for maintaining muscles, skin, and bone, plus hormone health. This, of course, means protein really aids in the growth and repair of tissues. It is an area that needs more research, however a diet that meets protein needs during pregnancy has shown to reduce the risk of complications like fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia and preterm labour (1 &2).
So how much protein should you be having during pregnancy and when should you increase it?
This topic is still being debated, but right now the recommended protein intake during pregnancy is 60g/day, which represents an increase from 46g/d in non-pregnant states. In other words, this increase reflects a change to 1.1g of protein/kg/day during pregnancy from 0.8g of protein/kg/day for non-pregnant states.
More recent studies are finding this to be far too low! Recent studies have found that 1.2g and 1.52 g of protein/kg/day during early (∼16 wk) and late (∼36 wk) stages of pregnancy, respectively, is more likely needed (3 & 4). So an average weight woman in her 3rd trimester should be aiming for around 100g/day of protein to support a healthy pregnancy.
I hope this helps!
Some of the best protein-rich foods in pregnancy are:
Chicken breast (31g)
Eggs (12 grams per 2 eggs)
Plain Greek yoghurt (17 grams of protein per 170g)
Lean ground beef (cooked)
Salmon (22 grams, cooked)
Legumes (15 to 30 grams per cup, cooked)
Nuts, even Chia and flax (4 to 9 grams per handful)
So sneak your protein in when you can, your body and baby will thank you for it ☺
Refernces:
1: Bej, Punyatoya et al. “Determination of Risk Factors for Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia in a Tertiary Hospital of India: A Case Control Study.” Journal of family medicine and primary care vol. 2,4 (2013): 371-5.
2: Gómez-Cantarino S, Agulló-Ortuño MT, de Dios-Aguado M, Ugarte-Gurrutxaga MI, Bouzas-Mosquera C. Prevalence of Hypoproteinemia and Hypoalbuminemia in Pregnant Women from Three Different Socioeconomic Populations. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Aug 28;17(17)
3: Elango, Rajavel, and Ronald O Ball. “Protein and Amino Acid Requirements during Pregnancy.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 7,4 839S-44S. 15 Jul. 2016,
Stephens TV, Payne M, Ball RO, Pencharz PB, Elango R. Protein requirements of healthy pregnant women during early and late gestation are higher than current recommendations. J Nutr. 2015 Jan;145(1):73-8