7 Healthy Pregnancy Recipes For All Trimesters

7 Healthy Pregnancy Recipes For All Trimesters

Pregnancy is the time to be your healthiest self. When pregnant, you should stay happy, surround yourself with positive people, think happy thoughts, get some fresh air and exercise, eat your vitamins, get plenty of rest and most importantly, eat healthily. Your diet is not important as you are not eating just for yourself, but for your fast growing baby too. The baby not just gets the nourishment from what you eat, research has proven that babies taste food in-vitro and that influences their taste preferences after they are born.

We suggest some recipes which are not just healthy, but tasty too. Best of all, you can enjoy all through your pregnancy, no matter which trimester you are in.

7 Healthy Pregnancy Recipes For All Trimesters

#1. Peanut and fresh vegetable salad

Pregnancy can make you very tired and hungry, so you want a recipe which is not only tasty, nutritious, but super easy to whip together. Eating vegetables has a host of benefits. They provide vitamins, minerals, and the much-needed fibre to prevent pregnancy-related constipation. Peanuts are also a smart pregnancy food choice because of their high protein and folate content.

Ingredients

  • Raw peanuts – 2 cups, shelled and pressure-cooked
  • Carrots – 1/4 cup, chopped
  • Broccoli – 1/4 cup, chopped
  • French beans – 1/4 cup, chopped
  • Green, yellow and red bell peppers mixed – 1/4 cup, chopped
  • Green chillies – 1, chopped finely
  • Fresh Coriander leaves – 2 tablespoons, chopped
  • Chaat Masala – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Cumin (jeera) powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Black pepper powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Lightly steam all the chopped vegetables
  • In a large mixing bowl mix all the ingredients. Season with all the spices and add pepper and lime juice.
  • Serve warm or chilled.

#2. Sprouts Tikki:

Not everything fried is bad for health, especially these sprouts tikkis. Sprouts are packed with a multitude of vitamins, protein, and fibre and this recipe is not just good for your health, it’ll satisfy your pregnancy cravings too.

Ingredients:

  • Potatoes – 2 medium-sized, peeled and boiled
  • Sprouts – 100 grams
  • Fresh Coriander – ½ cup, chopped
  • Cashews – 8-10 coarsely chopped
  • Corn Flour – 1 tablespoon
  • Bread Crumbs – 100 grams
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for frying

Method

  • Mash the boiled potatoes in a bowl. Now add coriander, salt, cashew, corn flour, and sprouts into the bowl. Mix well.
  • Make small flat tikkis with the mix. Drop the tikkis in the bread crumbs and coat them gently and evenly.
  • Brush some oil on the cutlets and shallow fry until it turns golden brown.

#3. Panchmel Dal:

This wholesome combination of 5 dals combines the health benefits of all of them. Lentils or Dals are an excellent source of protein for vegetarians. They also have a host of vitamins and minerals and are a wholesome meal for pregnant women.

Ingredients:

  • Arhar Dal (Split red gram) – 5 tablespoons
  • Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram) – 5 tablespoons
  • Green Moong Dal (Split green gram) – 5 tablespoons
  • Urad Dal (Split Black lentils) – 1 tablespoon
  • Yellow Moong Dal – 1 tablespoon
  • Bay leaves – 2
  • Cloves – 3
  • Jeera (Cumin seeds) – I teaspoon
  • Asafoetida – a pinch
  • Green chillies – 2, split
  • Dry mango powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Dry Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Ghee – 1 tablespoon
  • Tamarind pulp – 1 tablespoon

Method:

  • Combine all the 5 dals, wash them thoroughly.
  • Pressure cook the dals with salt, turmeric powder, and sufficient water for about 4-5 whistles till the dals are cooked. Keep the cooked dals aside.
  • Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan, add the bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds, asafoetida, dry coriander powder, and green chillies.
  • Once the cumin seeds begin to crackle, add the cooked dal, dried mango powder, tamarind pulp, and a little salt. Mix thoroughly and let it simmer on low flame for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Garnish with coriander and serve with rice or rotis.

#4. Broccoli, Carrot and Paneer sabzi.

This is an unusual combination of vegetables and a lip-smacking one too. Broccoli is an excellent source of folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, and fibre while Paneer will satisfy your pregnancy calcium requirements.

Ingredients

  • Broccoli – 1 cup cut into florets, blanched
  • Carrot – 1/2 cup, cut diagonally, blanched
  • Paneer – 1/2 cup cut in cubes
  • Tomatoes – 1 1/2 cup chopped
  • Onions – 1/2 cup, chopped
  • Kashmiri red chillis – 2 broken in half
  • Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon, broken
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Milk – 1/4 cup
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Combine the tomatoes, onions, dry red chillies and cashew nuts in a mixer and blend into a smooth paste. Keep this aside.
  • Heat oil in a deep non-stick pan, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the tomato-onion mixture, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  • Add the milk, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, while stirring occasionally.
  • Add the broccoli, carrot, and paneer, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the salt and mix well
  • Serve hot with rotis.

#5. Palak and Chhola Pulao:

When you are pregnant, you sometimes crave variety. This pulao recipe is not only unique but packed with all the vitamins and minerals a pregnant mother-to-be needs. Palak or spinach is rich in iron and can prevent anaemia which is very common in pregnant women. Chhola or chickpea is a rich source of vegetarian protein, host of vitamins and minerals and fibre too. This is one recipe which will be enjoyed by the entire family.

Ingredients

  • Chickpeas (chhola) – Half cup chickpeas (chhola), soaked overnight and boiled
  • Spinach leaves (palak) – 1 cup, finely chopped
  • Rice – 2 cups (normal or brown)
  • Onion – 1/4 cup, finely chopped
  • Tomato – 1 small, finely chopped
  • Green chilli – 1, finely chopped
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
  • Cumin (jeera) – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Garam masala – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Water – twice the amount as rice (in this case 4 cups)
  • Oil – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the onions and sauté till they turn translucent.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears. Add the green chillies, boiled chickpeas and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and let them cook until mushy. Add the garam masala.
  • Add in the rice, salt, and spinach leaves. Pour the water and keep on a low flame until the rice and chickpeas are well-cooked.
  • Serve hot with your favourite raita.

#6. Ragi Idlis:

This recipe is perfect for the days when you want to eat something light and easy to make but nutritious too. Ragi is rich in calcium, Vitamin C, fibre and is helpful to women dealing with gestational diabetes.

Ingredients

  • Ragi Flour – 1 cup
  • Rava (semolina) – 1 cup, dry roasted and cooled
  • Curd – 1 cup, sour
  • Baking soda – a pinch
  • Oil – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Water as required to thin the batter
  • Salt to taste

Method

  • In a mixing bowl, mix the ragi, rava, salt and curd. Add water as required to get a smooth idli batter consistency. Cover and set aside for half an hour.
  • After half an hour the batter will seem thicker and fluffier.
  • Bring out your idli steamer, add water and heat.
  • Grease the idli moulds with minimal oil and keep them ready. Add in the baking soda to the batter, mix well and immediately pour it into the idli moulds.
  • Place the idli moulds in the steamer and steam the idles for 10-15 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Your idlis are ready. Serve with coconut or tomato chutney and sambar.

#7. Dates and Banana Milk Smoothie:

If you are hungry and craving something sweet, try this recipe which is tasty and nutritious. Dates are filled with fibre and a natural sweetener. Bananas are rich in potassium, magnesium and aid digestion. It’s super easy to make with just a few ingredients and will be the perfect snack any time of the day.

Ingredients:

  • Dates: 1/4th cup
  • Ripe Banana – 1/2 a banana
  • Milk – 1 cup
  • Ice cubes – 4 to 5

Method:

  • Soak the dates in warm milk for about 30 minutes till the dates soften.
  • Combine the softened dates and all the other ingredients into a blender and churn to make a smooth shake.
  • In case you want to make it sweeter, just add a dash of honey.

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