You’re pregnant! Everyone’s happy, with the exception of — your tummy.
Pregnancy means you need to monitor your diet more closely. It calls for tossing away all those convenient foods and replacing them with nutrient-dense options.
Naturally, your taste buds may not take to this well. But before you think there’s no option but to compromise on the yummy factor over these nine months, here’s a chance to reclaim your love for food without having to look in the direction of fries and doughnuts!
To make the process simpler, you could follow Firstpost's show Nine Months — a visual how-to survival guide that brings experience, knowledge and perspective to mothers so they can follow a reliable and singular narrative on pregnancy and parenting.
Pumpkin And Lentil Soup
Nutrient Profile:
Pumpkin and lentils are the core ingredients of this recipe. Combining them together gives you a meal fortified with nutrients like vitamin A, folate, and vitamin C. Pumpkin is a low-calorie food. Good news if you’re watching your weight because every 100 grams of the fruit contains only 26 calories! Lentils are rich in proteins, which are essential for your baby’s development.
Instructions:
- Begin by stir frying garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil. Sauté these together
- Marinate the pumpkin separately in garlic, oil, and chilli flakes for 1-2 hours before roasting it in the oven
- Next, add the roasted pumpkin to the sautéed vegetables in the pan
- After sautéing all the vegetables for a while, it’s time to add the cooked lentils
- Stir fry all the ingredients for 2 minutes and add vegetable stock
- After stirring the vegetable stock into the mixture, it is now ready to be blended for a few seconds
- Next, put the mixture back into the pan; add a little milk to it and mix well
- You have a soup ready for tasting!
This pumpkin and lentil soup is just what you need to satisfy those mid-afternoon hunger pangs. It’s quick and easy to prepare, uses select but wholesome ingredients, and doesn’t rope in unnecessary tastemakers to add flavour.
Quinoa Stir fry Vegetables
Nutrient Profile:
Super foods are a great addition to your diet during your pregnancy. Take quinoa for instance. The seeds come packed with nutrients and proteins. The bonus? It cooks faster than most grains and is gluten-free!
Instructions:
- Take olive oil in a frying pan and add garlic, rosemary and thyme
- Add vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli and carrots blanched in salt water to the mixture and sauté
- Next add boiled quinoa to the mixture and stir
- Your bowl of goodness is now only a spoon away!
This satisfying recipe is nutrition in a single bowl. The combination of vitamins, minerals, and proteins makes it a healthy option you can barely resist.
Fig and Banana Smoothie
Nutrient Profile:
Figs and bananas are satisfying yet healthy. Figs are alkaline in nature, and the perfect food to help you curb those pregnancy cravings. Besides they’re rich in a healthy pigment called psoralen, which prevents pigmentation during pregnancy. Bananas too are fortified with nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, and potassium. The delicious smoothie is the perfect alternative to pre-canned juices and health drinks, which are loaded with preservatives.
Instructions:
- Put the figs and bananas in a blender
- Add a few spoons of yoghurt, which is a source of good bacteria and calcium
- Add honey for a tinge of extra sweetness (optional)
- Now blend all the ingredients together
Get your vitamin fix with this simple 4-step smoothie. Prepared in under a few minutes, this natural sweet treat will make you forget the unhealthy pastries and doughnuts.
For a more comprehensive discussion on what to eat when pregnant, watch this episode of 9 Months.
Published Date: Oct 18, 2017 08:50 pm | Updated Date: Oct 18, 2017 08:50 pm
