Navigating Diet Shakes Safely During Pregnancy

Diet shakes are intended to replace all or some portion of meals, with the goal of reducing calories. In and of themselves, they may make for a good "snack" during pregnancy, but they should not replace a well-balanced diet.

In general, dieting for weight loss is discouraged during pregnancy. The fetus needs a full supply of calories and nutrients for normal development. A balanced diet that allows for a total weight gain of about 30 to 35 pounds is usually sufficient for this.

The supplements added to many diet shakes present another safety issue. For example, the additional vitamin A in some shakes – on top of the amount in prenatal vitamins – may exceed the daily amount considered safe in pregnancy.