For good reasons, including personal health, care of animals and environment, the popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets is increasing. Meatless diets do not include foods from some food groups, including meat, in case of vegetarian diets, and meat along with dairy and eggs, in case of vegan diets. Although these diets are associated with many health benefits, risk of nutrient deficiencies is high. If nutrient deficiencies do develop, they may cause mild to several pregnancy complications, including spontaneous abortion, neural tube defects, intrauterine growth restriction, and many others. For this reason, many physicians and other health professionals get scared every time they have a patient who is pregnant and on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Yet, vegans and vegetarians are not destined to develop nutrient deficiencies.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in its position paper on vegetarian diets stated that well-planned vegan and vegetarian diets are appropriate in all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy and lactation. However, it is unclear how many vegans and vegetarians are able to define what a "well-planned" diet looks like. In fact it is unclear whether all health professionals, including dietitians, realize what this phrase means.

This course is composed of a dozen or so of lectures that address the most important nutrients in vegan and vegetarian nutrition. The lectures summarize current scientific literature regarding nutrient recommendations, prevalence of deficiency among vegans and vegetarians, and how these nutrient deficiencies can be avoided. In addition to the lectures, several articles that include more details regarding each specific nutrient are available to read. The information is specific to pregnant and lactating women.