Pre-motherhood days are special! After all, you are about to start a new phase of life, a phase that will give you a new identity. And the early days of pregnancy are more special. This is the time when you are already on the verge of mixed emotions.
The pregnancy cravings have started knocking at the door. You are struggling to cope with the morning sickness. Mood swings have become your constant companion. Amidst all of these sweet-bitter upheavals in life, first-trimester diet is another major concern.
You are now with another life, that too at a vulnerable stage. So, you need to put a break to your random eating habit. It is important to meet a specialist and decide on a proper first-trimester meal plan.
Our first-trimester foods matter a lot in the growth and development of the baby in the womb. Also, some foods increase the risk factors during pregnancy. Therefore, nutrition experts often focus on what to eat in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Pregnancy Care: What to Eat in First-trimester Diet
The nutritionists are ready to suggest which foods are the best for your babies. They prepare a complete first-trimester diet plan for you. But, do pregnancy cravings and frequent nausea moments allow you to follow them? Probably not.
When morning sickness arrives, you feel like leaving every piece of food on your plate as it is. When pregnancy cravings appear, you can go to an ice cream parlour even at the midnight.
So, in short, we are likely to leave the healthy first-trimester diet chart aside and eat as per our mood. To avoid this unhealthy habit, you need variations in the recipes you include in your diet.
Here are some easy healthy and tasty recipes that you can safely eat in your first-trimester diet. All of the recipes are prepared with the ingredients that nutritionists often suggest to add to the first-month pregnancy diet.
Ranging from legumes, green veggies to animal sources of protein, all are included in these foods. So, let’s proceed.
Spinach and Mixed Sprouts Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiled mixed sprouts (or any kind of beans and legumes that your nutritionist suggests)
- 1 cup spinach (thoroughly washed, chopped)
- 1/2 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste (fresh)
- 1/2 cup tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 green chilli (chopped)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- 1 inch ginger (minced)
- salt (as per taste)
- chopped coriander leaves (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions, garlic paste, and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Once the onions become transparent, add tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder, and turmeric powder.
- Add a little water and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes.
- Next, add chopped spinach to it. Close the lid and cook it until the spinach is soft and well-cooked.
- Finally, add the sprouts with salt and coriander leaves to it. Cook for 2 minutes and serve.
Nutrition
Healthy Kidney Beans Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup kidney beans (soaked overnight)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 chilli (chopped)
- 1/2 cup chopped tomato
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt (as per taste)
Instructions
- Put beans into a pressure cooker and add around 3 cups of water to it. Cook for 5-10 minutes with a closed lid.
- Now, heat the oil in a large pan. Add garlic paste and ginger paste to it.
- Stir well and add onions. Once the onions are tender, add chilli and tomato. Mix well and cook.
- Next, mix the cumin powder and salt in it. Cook it for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the boiled kidney beans and stir for 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken Curry with Butternut Squash
Equipment
- microwave oven
Ingredients
- 200 gm butternut squash (cut into cubes)
- 500 gm chicken (cut into small pieces)
- 200 ml light coconut milk
- 1 tbsp yellow curry paste
- 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 cups spinach leaves (chopped, and boiled)
- salt (as per taste)
- 1 green chilli (chopped)
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 218°C. Place the squash pieces on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Now, pour coconut milk into a pan. Add the curry paste to it. Sauté for 5-7 minutes
- Add onion, red bell pepper, and green chilli to them.
- Mix chicken and let it be cooked on a medium flame.
- When the chicken becomes tender, add salt, baked squash, and boiled spinach to it.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on it.
Nutrition
Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 400 gms red lentils (washed)
- 200 gms sweet potatoes (chopped)
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 inch ginger (minced)
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- salt (as per taste)
Instructions
- Boil the red lentils first in a pressure cooker.
- Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the onions, ginger, and garlic.
- Now, add the sweet potatoes and fry them.
- Mix the red lentils with sweet potatoes and add vegetable stock.
- Add salt and cumin powder as per taste.
- Close the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and drizzle lemon juice on it.
Notes
Nutrition
Special Ginger Tea with Honey
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
- 2 tsp ginger (grated)
- 3 tsp tea leaves (any processed tea leaves available)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 clove (crushed)
Instructions
- Heat water in a saucepan. Add sugar to it.
- Now, bring it to a boil with ginger and crushed clove to it.
- Add tea leaves and let the liquid boil. Keep the flame low.
- Mix lemon juice and turn off the flame.
- Serve hot. If you like, drink it with two of your favorite cookies.
Nutrition
Cheesy Egg-Vegetable Muffins
Equipment
- microwave oven
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 200 ml milk
- 1/2 cup cheese (shredded, if the smell gives you nausea, avoid it.)
- 1/4 cup mushrooms (chopped, take any pregnancy-friendly mushroom)
- 1/4 cup red and green peppers (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup chopped spinach (boiled)
- salt and pepper (as per taste)
Instructions
- Whisk eggs with milk well. Add the spinach, pepper, and mushrooms to it.
- Now, add shredded cheese to it. Sprinkle salt and black pepper.
- Take the muffin cups and grease well.
- Now, pour the batter equally into all of the cups.
- Bake at 176°C for 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Ginger-Banana Ice cream
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ginger (grated)
- choco chips (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and slice them into pieces.
- Cover them with a plastic cover and freeze for 1 hour or more.
- Now, take the frozen banana slices and add almond milk, maple syrup, and ginger to them.
- Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until the mix is creamy.
- Sprinkle some chocolate chips. Keep the mixture in the freezer for 2 hours and serve chilled.
Check out the other recipes and info for a healthy pregnancy here.