Experts recommend that women who are pregnant or nursing require more dietary protein than those who are not- that is around 25 grams of extra protein per day.
Many women already lack adequate amounts of protein in their diet, therefore the increased need for high quality protein rich foods becomes extremely important for both mother and child.
The decision to increase protein consumption can be overwhelming, especially in instances where there are aversions to fish, meat and dairy.
Whey protein powders prove useful in boosting daily protein levels, but the ingredients list should only contain pure and natural ingredients from a trusted source.
Unfortunately, if you were to take a walk down the protein powder isle of your local grocery store, and look at the labels, you would see that most powders are jam packed with artificial additives some of which may serve to extend the products shelf life, stop the ingredients from clumping, change the ‘texture’ or increase the flavour of the product.
Of course none of these additives are necessary for health, but can cleverly alter the perception of the drinking experience.
During pregnancy, more than any other time, ingredients that you don’t recognise and can’t pronounce should not feature anywhere in your diet.
In recent times, natural options for protein powders have become available, such as ours, making their use during pregnancy possible.
On a final note, it is important to understand that protein powder should never be used as the sole source of protein in the diet.
If you are in any way concerned about protein levels in your diet and using supplemental whey protein, we can’t emphasise enough how important it is to talk to your health care provider who has expertise in both pregnancy nutrition and dietary protein.
