Pregnancy Food Diet: Week 15

When searching the internet for 'pregnancy diet' the findings aren't the most inspiring. Several websites offer advice in terms of what you should be having generally, such as two portions of fish a week, with one portion being an oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel, sardines), and lots of dark green vegetables and lean meats and pulses for the iron levels, there seems to be a distinct lack of recipe or meal ideas specifically for pregnancy.

So I've decided to offer a weekly pregnancy food diary from here on in, with meal ideas that are suitable for the whole family and that hopefully offer a varied, balanced diet with some naughty treats in there too for good measure.

I try to cook from scratch most days, but am not averse to a meal out or a takeaway so this is my honest account of pregnancy food. I hope it helps to inspire a few ideas for other pregnant ladies at a loss for what to cook for their families during this busy time when tiredness can be a key factor in turning to convenience.

Breakfasts - I've still been feeling fairly queasy this week, so breakfast has been a combination of different things. I've had Greek natural yoghurt with honey, blueberries and flaked almonds a couple of days, but most days it's been wholegrain toast topped with Marmite and a Nutriblast with a piece of fresh ginger to try and help keep the nausea at bay. I try to mix up the ingredients for my daily smoothie as it gets boring otherwise, and include a mixture of both vegetables and fruit. These are a great way of starting the day with a good fix of fibre and hitting half of your 'five a day' target. Here are three different variations I've enjoyed this week:

• Half Kale, small piece of ginger, handful each of blueberries, blackberries and strawberries and half a nectarine topped up with water
• Handful of Strawberries, a nectarine, handful of walnuts and coconut milk
• Half an avocado, small piece of ginger, handful kale, handful pumpkin seeds and handful blackberries Tuesday 16th August:

Lunches:

As I've been at work most of the week, this has been a variety of grab-and-go options, such as soups, salads and sandwiches from the likes of Pret, Marks & Spencer and Itsu. 

For a weekend brunch, I had my usual smoothie but with a slice of toast topped with mashed avocado, a handful of dried chilli flakes and a pinch of coarse sea salt - delicious.

Avocado on toast

Evening meals:

Mid-week I generally get home between 6:45-7:15 most evenings so Bridget will have already eaten, but Glen and I always sit down to a meal together, which I'll cook while he reads a bedtime story and does bath-time. I try and keep the meals under 30 minutes for both preparation and cooking time so that we eat by 8pm the latest every evening, where possible and here are some of the quick and easy meals we had during the week.

• Cajun-spiced pan-fried salmon (I use a Schwarz rub) with a selection of green vegetables and a 'jewelled couscous', which I whipped up whilst the salmon was frying. I top with the appropriate amount of boiled water and top with a plate for this and then chop up all my seasonings - in this case, cucumber, orange pepper, spring onions and fresh mint leaves, plus the seeds of an entire pomegranate for that 'jewelled' effect. Delicious.

Cajun spiced salmon with jewelled couscous and vegetables

• Quick chicken curry using Marks & Spencer Jalfrezi Paste, onions, garlic, ginger and fresh chilli with green pepper and mushrooms, plus chicken thighs - frying all off which the curry paste then topping with tinned tomatoes and serving with microwave rice.
• Inspired by my brother's Instagram posts of Mykonos followed by Athens, I was craving Greek food and made this Greek Chicken One Pot.

• Jacket potato with cheese and coleslaw plus a generous salad on the night that Glen had football training as I didn't have much energy.
• A quick bolognese with lean steak mince and topped up with lentils served with spaghetti (onions and garlic fried gently in olive oil, the mince and finely diced carrot added with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once browned a teaspoon of cinnamon was added then a tin of tomatoes and a tablespoon of tomato puree plus a teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Cook for 20 minutes and add a teaspoon of dried oregano for the last five minutes).

Weekend Meals:

On the Saturday I prepared 'fish, mash and liquor' or to those who aren't so familiar with this meal, cod poached in a mixture of whole milk and water served with creamy mashed potato and peas and a parsley sauce made directly from the fish cooking liquor. Topped with lots of chilli vinegar and white pepper - this was fantastic and helped me hit my 'two portions of fish' target for the week.

Fish, mash and liquor

The Sunday was my youngest brother, Dean's birthday so we had a treat - dim sum feast at Dockland's Yi Ban.

Creamy Pork, Peppers and Mushrooms with Butternut Spaghetti

This is a lovely pasta sauce that uses only a little crème fraiche to get that unctuous creamy gloss alongside chicken stock and a tiny bit of corn flour rather than full fat cream. Served here with butternut spaghetti instead of actual pasta this is another great option if you are calorie counting or cutting back on your carbs.

The Butternut Spaghetti or Noodles can be made easily using a sprialiser, but Marks & Spencer do a great version as part of their healthy range - the pack serves two, and half a pack is only 35 calories which is great for a mid-week meal - what's more this meal can be on the table in 25 minutes too. 

This meal comes in at 420 calories per person with a handful or 50g watercress.

Creamy Pork, Peppers and Mushrooms with Buttenut Spaghetti

Here's how:

• 1 pack Butternut Noodles
• 160g lean pork loin steaks
• 50g light crème fraiche
• 1 red pepper
• 100g mushrooms
• 1 white onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 150ml chicken stock (I use Knorr) 
• 1/2 tsp corn flour
• 30g Grana Padano cheese
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Handful fresh parsley

Firstly place the coconut oil into a pan and place on a gentle heat.

Now peel and slice the onion and crush the garlic and add to the pan to soften.

Slice the pepper and mushrooms and set aside. Finely chop the parsley and also set aside.

Chop the pork into thin strips and once the onion has started to soften, add to the pan to sear. Turn each piece over till the meat has started to cook on each side.

Now add the peppers and mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile make up the chicken stock and set aside.

Add the crème fraiche to the pan and stir, season generously with salt and black pepper then pour in two thirds of the chicken stock and turn the heat up a little. Now also grate in the cheese.

Add the corn flour to the remaining stock and stir to make a thick, gluey paste then add this to the pan and stir. Cook for a further five minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Creamy Pork, Peppers and Mushrooms

In the meantime cook the butternut spaghetti in the microwave (for two minutes) or you could steam them if you prefer.

Finally add the spaghetti to the pan and mix to ensure every strand is coated well in the sauce and finally add the parsley and give one final stir before dishing up. 

Butternut Spaghetti

Serve with a handful of watercress or rocket. Enjoy!