intake. Nutrients needed According to dietitian Sarah Schenker, being a vegetarian during pregnancy is perfectly safe so long as a strict diet is being followed. By this she means that one must know exactly what their body needs and make sure that they are taking in these nutrients. A healthy diet is very important when pregnant as a vegetarian. Seeing a dietitian could be beneficial to one as they could provide guidelines which should be followed for a healthy lifestyle. Pregnant woman should get enough omega-3s, vitamin B12, and calcium. All these elements could be found in vegetarian meals and products. Omega-3s are found in dark leafy green vegetables, flax seed, walnuts, kidney and pinto beans, broccoli and squash. Calcium is found in cottage cheese and fortified plant-based drinks. Moreover, pregnant woman should get enough zinc, protein, and iron. These elements are found in peas and beans. Vegetables and fruits should be eaten every day more than five times in order to get enough vitamins. However, as vegetarians have a greater exposure to phytoestrogens than omnivores, there are studies which support the possibility of negative effect on the developing male reproductive system and can increase the risk of the baby developing birth defects such as hypospadias. References Vegetarianism Human pregnancy