Background: The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) includes a lacto-ovo vegetarian pattern (the healthy vegetarian dietary pattern [HVDP]) as a recommended dietary pattern during pregnancy.
Objective: To adapt the HVDP for vegan, ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, and pescatarian diets during pregnancy.
Design: Using food pattern modeling, 4 adaptations of the HVDP were developed at energy levels that may be appropriate during pregnancy (1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, and 2600 kcal/day).
Background: Among its recommended dietary patterns for Americans, including lactating mothers, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) includes a Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern (HVDP). However, the DGA does not provide guidance for adapting the HVDP for vegetarians who avoid dairy (ovo-vegetarian) or eggs (lacto-vegetarian), eat fish (pescatarians), or avoid all animal foods (vegan).
Objective: To determine whether models of the HVDP for different vegetarian diets could provide sufficient nutrition during lactation, a life stage with unique nutrient needs.