Is protein safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about protein during pregnancy?

1. The recommended dietary allowance for protein in pregnancy is 1.1 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, based on an estimated average requirement of 0.88 grams per kilogram. 1
2. Expressed in grams, that works out to about 46 grams a day in the first trimester, matching non-pregnant needs, and about 71 grams a day in the second and third trimesters. 2
3. Newer indicator amino acid oxidation studies point to higher requirements than the standing reference values, with breakpoints of 1.2 grams per kilogram in early pregnancy and 1.52 grams per kilogram in late pregnancy. 1
4. Most pregnant people in the United States already clear the target, averaging 88 grams a day in the first trimester and 82 grams in the second and third, though roughly one in eight falls short in later pregnancy. 2
5. Animal foods supply about 66 percent of protein intake in pregnancy, led by dairy at 23.1 percent, red meat at 15.5 percent, and poultry at 13.2 percent. 2

Is protein safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Needs are unchanged from before pregnancy, about 46 grams a day. That is convenient, because this is the trimester when meat and eggs are most likely to be unappealing. Dairy, beans, and nut butters tend to stay tolerable when nothing else does.
• Second trimester. The target steps up to 71 grams and stays there. Spreading protein across meals is easier than chasing it at dinner, particularly once heartburn makes large evening meals uncomfortable.
• Third trimester. Still 71 grams by the standard reference values, though newer measurements suggest late-pregnancy needs run higher than the official number. Smaller, more frequent meals help when there is less room in your stomach.