The moment a woman gets the pregnancy news her responsibilities get double especially when it comes to food. It can be quite confusing and daunting to figure out what to eat and whatnot. And since all fruits and veggies are healthy, the confusion becomes double. To ease this trouble, we have some healthy foods for pregnancy and recipes you can try.
Read further!
Healthy Recipes For Pregnant Women
One of the most important things to remember is that your diet should be balanced. It should have all the nutrients especially the fats, carbs, and proteins.
But, do not upgrade your intake as you don’t need to eat for two. Just get 100 calories more than a healthy woman needs daily. So, to get every nutrient in balanced proportion you need calcium, fat, iron, protein, and nutrients from the following food groups:
Fruits and Veggies
Eat 5 portions of foods from this category in any form you like whether whole or juice. You can have any fruit of your choice because each of them is good. For a change, try this healthy fruit and lettuce salad:
Ingredients:
- Almonds- 1 tbsp roasted
- 5 Seasonal fruits-half cup each
- Lettuce- 1 cup
- Vinegar- 2 tbsp
- Sugar- 3/4 cup
- Water- 1 cup
- Paprika- 1 tbsp
- Salt- 1 tbsp
Method: Take half a cup of each fruit and mix with shredded lettuce in a bowl. Make the dressing in another bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Spread the dressing to the fruit bowl and serve well.
Also Read: 5 Ways Breastfeeding Moms Can Increase Their Milk Supply Naturally
Carbs
Eat whole grains, beans, legumes, and other healthy complex carbs during pregnancy. These foods will give you and your baby enough energy. Furthermore, it helps in the development of babies. We have a simple taco recipe that will not only give you enough carbs for a day but also reduce pregnancy cravings.
Black Bean & Legumes Tacos:
- Olive oil- 3 tbsps
- Chile powder – 1/8 teaspoon
- Yellow onion- only half chopped
- Cumin- half teaspoon
- Coriander- quarter teaspoon
- Black beans- one can
- Frozen corn- 3/4 cup
- feta cheese- half cup crumbled
- cilantro leaves- half cup
- sweet potato- 1 large
- avocado- 1 small
- corn tortillas- 8 small
- lime wedges- 8
Method-
Set the oven for preheating at 220 degrees C. Grease the baking tray with olive oil and add potato. Spice up the potato slices with the salt, pepper, and chile and bake for 15 minutes.
Heat the pan and add olive oil. Put garlic, cumin, coriander, and onion. Once they are done add the black beans.
Place this mixture on the warm corn tortillas with lime wedges, cilantro, cheese, and baked potato. Serve with half-peeled avocado.
Get Protein
Protein is undoubtedly the most needed nutrients for pregnant women as it helps in the development and repair of tissues and boosts the mother’s immunity. So, get protein from chicken, fish, and eggs which are the best option but you can also add ingredients like quinoa, tofu, beans, and nuts.
Here’s the tofu broccoli stir-fry in case you want to keep it veg:
Ingredients:
- Firm tofu- 1 package
- low sodium soy sauce- 3 tbsps
- rice vinegar- 2 tbsp
- minced garlic- 1 tsp
- fresh ginger- 1 tsp grated
- cornstarch- 1 tbsp
- vegetable oil- 2 tbsps
- sugar snap peas- 2 cups
- whole-grain noodles
- sliced almonds- half cup
- broccoli florets- 2 cups
Method–
Whisk soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and vinegar in a bowl. Heat the wok and add oil and tofu. Let it cook but don’t stir the tofu and take out the tofu once it’s done.
Now add water in the pan, broccoli, and peas. Stir it and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the sauce mix and cook for more minutes. Add the fried tofu and mix the veggies.
Serve the tofu stir fry with rice noodles and garnished with almonds.
Iron
A pregnant woman needs more iron so that her body makes more hemoglobin. Eat salmon, egg yolk, tuna, legumes, green veggies, whole grains, and seeds to get this nutrient.
Don’t just stick to these healthy foods for pregnancy, try to keep variety in your meals. But, do not eat raw eggs, fish that are high in mercury, uncooked meat, blue-veined cheese, and empty calorie foods like candy and cookies.
Alcohol is a complete NO for pregnant women as it does not give any nutrients. Consult a dietician for more personalized diet recommendations.