As some of you may have seen, there will be a new member of the JJ Bison family next year! We’re super excited to introduce our new baby to the world, and we’re dedicated to bringing them into the world with a healthy diet. As an expecting mother, it’s important that we eat healthy so our baby is healthy, and continue to eat healthy when breastfeeding our baby. For this post, we’ll be using the “Women Who Are Pregnant or Lactating” chapter from Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 - 2025. You can read more from pages 109 - 120. Mothers should always listen to their healthcare provider for individual needs and specific information, and this post should not be taken as medical advice.
The Guidelines
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or otherwise should follow the graph below. Ideally, you should have half your plate full of fruits and vegetables, a quarter for grains, and a quarter for meat. When you eat healthy, your baby is healthy!
Nutrient Needs
As an expecting mother, we should always keep up to date with our prenatal vitamins, and after pregnancy, our nutrient needs will differ.
Folic Acid - Folic acid is important prior to pregnancy and during the first trimester in order to avoid tube defects. Ideally, women should be taking 400 - 800mg of folic acid 1 month prior to conception, and continue for the first trimester. You can find folic acid in a majority of prenatal vitamins, as well as dark-green vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, and enriched grains.
Iron - During pregnancy, expecting mothers should increase their iron intake. After pregnancy, iron should return to the normal pre-pregnancy rates. Iron deficiency impacts 1 in 10 people who are pregnant. You can find iron in animal-sourced foods which is quicker absorbed versus plant proteins. Fortunately, prenatals also offer iron supplements.
Iodine - Iodine can be found in salt, eggs, seafood, etc., and helps develop critical neurocognitive development.
Choline - Choline helps the development of the child’s brain and spinal cord. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it can be very difficult for women to meet these levels, though it can be found in eggs, meats, beans, and some seafood. Prenatals usually do not have large amounts of choline.
Seafood - Women should eat at least 8 - 12 oz of low-mercury seafood per week to support cognitive development. That being said, methylmercury exposure should be limited as it can be harmful to the baby.
Alcoholic Beverages - It is not safe to consume alcohol while pregnant, and is not considered safe for those breastfeeding either.
Caffeine - Caffeine should be limited as it passes to the infant, and should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
A Meat-Free Pregnancy
Consuming a vegetarian or vegan diet during pregnancy or lactation can be difficult. Women should pay special attention to ensure they are meeting nutrition standards as it’s more difficult to get certain vitamins on a vegetarian diet. The following vitamins may be difficult to obtain while on this diet:
Iron - Plant source foods contain non-heme iron which is not as easily absorbed.
Vitamin B12 - This is only present in animal proteins, and those planning a family should consult their doctor.
Eating Healthy and Eating Bison
As intimidating as it seems, the diet of the mother can severely impact your baby. When we went to our doctor, we asked them over 15 questions because we were so paranoid and wanted our baby to only have the best care and nutrition. Not only did they note several of the points from Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 - 2025, but also noted several other key factors, such as not stressing about all the questions we were asking them! So how did they say bison fits in with a healthy pregnancy?
Avoid uncooked meat of any kind. This means eating 165°F food to avoid any issues. Bison has a ton of great recipes for roasts that taste absolutely amazing!
Avoid deli meats and hot dogs. You can make your own bison deli meat with a top round bison!
Bison is lean meat. It’s technically considered a “game meat”, but it is a red meat product that is extremely lean compared to beef. When you’re pregnant (or otherwise), you should be considering lean meat as an option.
Bison is high in vitamins, such as iron, and vitamin B12 which is vital for pregnancy.
Bison is higher in protein than beef, which again, is super important for your baby.
Bison is much lower in calories than other leading sources of animal protein.
As an expecting mother, I know cutting out sugar and eating tons of veggies isn’t my idea of fun, but being able to eat healthier with bison and making fun recipes makes it a little bit easier. I really enjoy knowing that I’m doing better for my baby, and promoting a healthy lifestyle going forward for our family. I do miss cookies, but bison is a close second :)
Contact JJ Bison on the web, email us at meat@jjbison.com, or call us at (443) 252 - 2099 to order your bison today!