If you plan a nutritious diet to strengthen the brain of the baby inside, walnut recipes are the best option to go ahead.
Enriched with many health benefits, the walnut recipes help the brain to function properly. On one hand, it improves brain signalling.
On the other hand, it prevents numerous diseases. When you eat a bowl of walnuts or any of the special walnut-enriched recipes, be sure of the healthy brain of the unborn inside you.
And if it is mixed with roasted peanuts, fruits, and other healthy treats, it is perfect. Hence, we are here with some of the best walnut recipes for your pregnancy days. Before we begin, let’s have a look at the benefits of walnuts during pregnancy.
Walnut Recipes: A Nutritious Treat during Pregnancy
- Contains Vitamin E: Walnuts help you to meet your need for Vitamin E which is found in the form of gamma-tocopherol. It helps to prevent the free radicals from affecting the body. Thus, walnuts work as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant.
- Omega 3 Helps: Being a powerful source of omega 3 fatty acids, walnuts are the best diet for the development and growth of a baby’s brain. Hence, nutritionists often recommend having walnut recipes during pregnancy.
- Powerhouse of Nutrients: Not only a single vitamin E or Omega 3 fatty acid but also a wide range of nutrients are available in walnuts. Vitamins, fibre, magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium, zinc, and what’s not! You can ensure holistic growth and development for the baby and yourself with walnut recipes. Also, it is a good source of protein.
- Relaxes Blood Vessels: Blood pressure is a crucial factor during pregnancy. Too low or too high, both can be disturbing for expecting mothers. Hence, it is important to keep it in control. Walnut relaxes blood vessels and controls blood pressure.
- Regulates Melatonin Levels: Melatonin is responsible for improving sleep. As in the last trimester days, many pregnant women find it difficult to sleep, walnuts become useful. Enriched with melatonin, it helps to induce sleep.
So, these are the benefits of walnut. Now, find the healthy, pregnancy-friendly walnut recipes below:
Buttery Walnut Cake
The combined flavour of walnut and butter! Isn't it delicious? Especially when you are in your pregnancy, such freshly-baked walnut cakes are always a great treat to the tastebuds. If you are a cake lover and like baking delicious cakes, what are you waiting for? Try it today.
Servings 2 people
Calories 209kcal
Equipment
- microwave oven
Ingredients
- 100 gms all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 120 gms butter unsalted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 75 gms sugar granulated
- 2 eggs medium-sized
- 2 tbsp milk
- 60 gms walnut ground
- 20 gms whole walnut for garnishing
Instructions
- First, pre-heat the oven at 180°C.
- Brush butter on a loaf pan. Sift some baking powder and flour on it. Keep it aside.
- Mix vanilla extract, butter, sugar, and eggs together well. You can use a hand mixer.
- In another bowl, combine flour, ground walnut, and milk well.
- Add this mix to the fluffy butter mixture. Put the batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes and check if the inserted stick can come out as clean or not.
Notes
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Nutrition
Calories: 209kcal
Chopped Walnut and Chicken Fry
This protein-packed low-calorie dish is ideal for your first trimester days. Well, craving knows no days. If you feel like having it, you can enjoy it at any time. Just make sure you do not use extra oil while frying. Too much oil is not beneficial for you, after all.
Servings 2 people
Calories 486kcal
Equipment
- Nonstick cooking pan
Ingredients
- 400 gms chicken breast boneless, skinless,
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce low-sodium
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil toasted sesame oil
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 100 gms walnuts chopped
- 100 gms mixed vegetables Add any vegetable you like.
- salt and pepper for taste
- 1 tbsp green onion sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- First, sprinkle some oil on the pan and stir-fry the mixed vegetables. Keep it aside.
- Next, in a bowl, combine chicken, sauces, and cornstarch together. Add ginger and sesame oil to it.
- Now, heat oil in the pan on a medium flame. Add the chicken mixture and fry until the chicken is soft.
- Now, add walnuts and vegetables to it and stir. Sprinkle salt and pepper as per taste.
- Remove it from the heat and garnish it with green onion slices.
Notes
You can have it with rice or as a casual snack.
Nutrition
Calories: 486kcal
Special Chicken Salad with Walnut Recipes
Servings 2 people
Calories 432kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds slightly toasted
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 200 gms baby spinach chopped, boiled
- 100 gms cabbage chopped, boiled
- 2 carrots medium-sized, sliced into long pieces, boiled
- 2 green onions sliced
- 100 gms walnut chopped
- 400 gms boiled chicken shredded or cut into cubes
- 1 tomato large, chopped, boiled
- salt and pepper as per taste
Instructions
- Add a little oil to a pan and toast the walnuts.
- Once, the fragrance starts coming out, remove it from the flame.
- Now, in a large bowl, boiled veggies, shredded chicken, and toasted walnut together.
- Top with green onion slices and tomato pieces.
- Add salt and black pepper as per taste. Toss well.
Nutrition
Calories: 432kcal
Carrot-Walnut Cake with Pineapple Salad
Servings 4 people
Calories 420kcal
Equipment
- microwave oven
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 eggs large
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 and 1/2 cup flour all-purpose
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cup carrots grated
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
For pineapple salad
- 400 gms pineapple cut into slices, unsweetened
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- black salt and black pepper as per taste
- 1 tsp orange zest grated
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven at 35°C. In a bowl, mix baking soda, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon powder.
- In another bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla essence, and vegetable oil, Blend well with a hand mixer.
- Once it is blended perfectly, add the dry mixture, carrots, and walnut to it.
- Now, grease a baking pan with oil. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Once it is baked properly, remove it from the oven.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar and serve.
- For pineapple salad; Gather the pineapple pieces into a bowl. Drizzle honey over it.
- Sprinkle black pepper, orange zest, and black salt on it.
- Add a little sugar if you want.
- Serve with the cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal
Honey-Walnut Butter with Crunchy Sandwich
Servings 2 people
Calories 340kcal
Ingredients
- 200 gms walnuts
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
For sandwich
- 1 cup mixed vegetables (grated or chopped) preferably, cabbage, carrot, green onion, green chilli
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1/2 tbsp grated cheese made of pasteurized milk only
- black salt and pepper powder as per taste
Instructions
- Soak walnuts for a few hours before using them to remove the bitter taste.
- Preheat the oven to a temperature of 350°C.
- Coat the walnuts with 2 tbsp honey. Toast them into the oven for around 10-15 minutes.
- Now, grind the honey-coated toasted walnuts in a food processor.
- Once it becomes sticky, smooth, mix salt and cinnamon powder.
- Serve it with sandwiches immediately. Keep the rest of the butter in an airtight jar for future use.
- For crunchy sandwiches; Heat butter in a pan. Stir fry the vegetables on a medium flame.
- Now, take a piece of sandwich bread and spread a spoon of walnut butter on it. Put mixed veggies on it.
- Add grated cheese and top it with another piece of bread. Repeat with other pieces of bread.
- Place the sandwich with butter in a pan and let one side turn golden brown. Do the same with the other side.
- Repeat it with other pairs.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal
Walnut Fruit Salad with Feta Cheese
Servings 2 people
Calories 238kcal
Ingredients
- 200 gms dark green lettuce blanched, chopped
- 1 orange seedless, sliced
- 5 strawberries cut into halves
- 3 tbsp cranberries chopped
- 100 gms walnuts chopped, toasted
- 5 tbsp green peas fresh
- 3 tbsp feta cheese crumbled
- 1 tsp lemon zest grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and black pepper as per taste
- 1 tsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Place the blanched lettuce leaves. Sprinkle a little olive oil into it.
- Now, place all of the fruits into it. Add toasted walnut pieces to it.
- Next, add cheese on top of the fruits and nuts.
- Sprinkle salt and black pepper as per taste and drizzle some drops of oil on it.
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal
Cinnamon-flavoured Walnut Porridge
Servings 2 people
Calories 217kcal
Equipment
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats gluten-free
- 200 ml almond milk
- 200 ml water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2-3 drops vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Pour oats and almond milk into a saucepan and heat the mixture over medium flame.
- Now, add water, honey, and vanilla extract to it.
- Once the mixture starts being thick, add the walnuts to it.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Sprinkle cinnamon powder on it and turn off the flame.
- Garnish with some chopped walnuts and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 217kcal
The Takeaway
Great! We have shared our today’s recipe lists. However, along with the benefits, there are some risks as well if you eat excessive walnuts.
It may upset your stomach and cause diarrhoea. So, consider having it at a moderate level. As per the nutritionists, around 250 gms of walnut per day is enough for an expecting mother.
Keep it in mind while preparing the walnut recipes. Enjoy the recipes and make your motherhood more amazing!
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