"I have a dear friend who is a staunch vegan but who opted to include other foods while pregnant and breastfeeding."

Winnie,
I would argue that your friend is not a staunch vegan in light of her decision. I want to point out that, as an ethical vegan, I would have been quite insulted if someone had suggested I add meat to my diet for a period of time as some sort of health benefit. This is no different from suggesting that a person eat foods in violation of their religious beliefs. As the moderator of the breastfeeding board on the largest veg site on the internet, I can tell you that mothers complain very often about this and are very angry and turned off by HCPs who make such suggestions to them, They are smart enough that if they thought this was a good idea, no one would have to suggest it to them. 

"Eating a vegan diet when we don't live close to the land can be a real challenge!"

Eating a healthy diet in our culture is a challenge period. Eating a vegan diet is no more of a challenge than that.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

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