If you're wondering 'how much protein do I need during pregnancy?' you've come to the right place!
Firstly, I want to congratulate you on asking this question as too little protein during pregnancy
can be harmful to your baby, but many women don't realise that too much protein can be equally
harmful. In this episode of Nourish, we'll discuss how much protein you require, what happens if you
eat too much or too little and who is most at risk of consuming the wrong amounts. Stay tuned!
Hi! If this is our first time connecting, welcome! My name is Melanie McGrice and I'm a
pre and postnatal dietitian. I help couples give their baby's the best start possible
with the power of good food. Make sure you subscribe and connect with me on my socials...
you'll find all the details in the description box below this video.
I'm really glad that you're watching this episode as I find that consuming too little,
or too much protein is common mistake that I see in my pregnant client's diets.
Protein is an important nutrient for the growth and development of your baby during pregnancy.
You find it in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and legumes.
Not meeting protein requirements during pregnancy can increase the risk of poor foetal growth,
and even miscarriage. The risk of protein inadequacy during pregnancy is low,
so this is most commonly seen in mummas who deliberately restrict protein and calorie
intake during pregnancy due to dieting or disordered eating, and in vegetarian and
vegan mummas who don't know how to ensure they are meeting pregnancy protein requirements.
Protein is made up of compounds called amino acids, some of which our body can make and
some of which we need to get from food. Animal proteins provide all the essential amino acids
that we need, but plant proteins usually only provide some of the essential amino acids.
Consequently, if you're consuming a plant-based diet, which is a good thing, it's important that you
learn how to consume all of the essential amino acids that you need each day,
and I'd highly recommend a personalised consultation with a prenatal dietitian.
Recommended protein intake during pregnancy is around 60 grams per day,
which represents an increase from 46 grams per day when you're not pregnant, however this will
vary based on your height, weight, medical conditions and physical activity levels.
To put these numbers into context, there's around six grams of protein in an
egg or thirty grams of protein in a small tin of tuna, so you can see that it's not hard to meet.
It makes sense that although your protein requirements increase during pregnancy,
most of the increase comes in your second and third trimesters
when your baby is growing, and not during your first trimester of pregnancy.
In fact, emerging research suggests that too much protein during your first trimester in particular,
may influence insulin sensitivity in your bubba, impacting his or her future risk of weight gain.
On average, protein requirements are around 0.8 - 1.2grams per kilogram
per day during early pregnancy (up to around week sixteen).
Then increase to around 1.5 grams per kilogram per day in late pregnancy.
If you are someone who counts macros, you ideally want to aim for around 14-18% of total energy.
Which might be lower than what you're used to.
High protein intakes during pregnancy have also been found to increase the risk of foetal
growth restriction and miscarriage, so like most nutrients it's important to have not too much, not
too little, but to get the right amount for your personal needs. Additionally, emerging research
suggests that higher protein diets (particularly from animal sources) may increase the risk of
overweight and obesity in your bubba, and the risk of gestational diabetes for mummas, consequently,
it's recommended that you try to include some plant-based proteins in your pregnancy diet.
In general, if you typically eat a nourishing diet, I'd recommend continuing your usual protein
intake during your first trimester of pregnancy, then increasing your intake of protein-rich
foods by around one serve in your second and third trimesters. One of my favourite ways of
achieving this is to add in a small handful of nuts each day as these are a convenient,
a great source of plant-based proteins that won't increase your risk of gestational diabetes,
and they will help to strengthen your baby's immune tolerance to nut proteins.
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments box below, and if you haven't done so already,
feel free to download my free pregnancy meal plan from melaniemcgrice.com/pregnancy
which will help you to gain a good understanding of how much protein that you need to include as part of
your pregnancy diet. And, make sure you check out some of my other videos on
healthy eating during pregnancy,
such as protein powder during pregnancy: is it safe?
I'll look forward to seeing you in my next video!