Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook: Over 125 Delicious Recipes to Satisfy You, Nourish Baby, and Combat Common Pregnancy Discomforts

Contents

Introduction

Basics

Nutrition Dos and Don’ts During Pregnancy

Setting Up the Ultimate Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Kitchen

Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cooking School: The Essentials

Packaged Food Basics: What To Look For

Healthy, Happy Pregnancy-Style Dining Out

A Note About Special Diet Icons

ONE I’m Gonna Hurl . . . But I’m Still Hungry: Recipes to Ease Nausea

Pineapple-Kiwi Green Machine Smoothie

Avocado Toast

Apple Pie Teff Hot Cereal

Peach-Ginger Smoothie

Dried Plum (aka Prune) Muffins

The Ultimate Chopped Salad

Quinoa-Veggie Cheeseburgers

Veggie Stir-Fried Quinoa

Savory Spinach and Cheese Scuffins (Scone-Muffins!)

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Orange and Pumpkin Seed Spinach Salad

Cod en Papillote with Lemon-Balsamic Fennel

Cashew–Pinto Bean Burgers

Lemon-Ginger Zing Cubes

Hemp-Coconut Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites

TWO I Have Cankles: Recipes to Ease Water Retention

Smart Sips: Herb Waters

Carrot Cake Chia Pudding

Potato Benedict

Banana Bread–Yogurt Parfait

Fiesta Bowl Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Crunchy Salmon Salad Wrap

Chili-Stuffed Delicata Squash

(Better Than) Fried Mushrooms

Homemade Green Juice

Raspberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt Pops

THREE My Chest is On Fire: Recipes to Prevent Heartburn

Cauliflower and Cheddar Omelet

Pistachio-Cardamom Baked Apple with Vanilla Cream

Cinnamon Breakfast Polenta with Sautéed Pears

Confetti Sweet Potato Hash (#PutAnEggOnIt)

Peanut Butter and Grape Muffins

Mushroom, Sage, and Parmesan Baked Brown Rice

Fennel and White Bean Salad

Tabouli-ish (aka Tomato-less Tabouli)

Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

Zucchini, Mushroom, and Chicken Farfalle

Zucchini Stuffed with Thanksgiving

Ginger-Soy Chia and Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Soy-Sesame Scallop Stir-Fry

Fiesta Corny Muffins

Fro-Ba (Frozen Banana Ice Cream) with Peanut Butter Sauce

FOUR Get a Move On: Recipes to Relieve/Prevent Constipation

Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Berry Baked Oatmeal

Pear and Almond Butter–Stuffed French Toast

Asparagus and White Bean Strata

Chocolate Breakfast Milk Shake

Fajita-Style Breakfast Burrito

Barley Crab Cakes

Chicken and Barley with Kale-Walnut Pesto

Green Lentil and Kabocha Squash Stew

Loaded Fries (#PutAnEggOnIt)

Citrus-Thyme Cod over Millet

Sun-Dried Tomato and Tuna Linguine

Buddha Bowl with Crispy Tofu

Sweet Potato Drop Biscuit–Topped Chicken Potpie

Vanilla-Pumpkin Hummus

Sweet and Salty Popcorn Trail Mix

FIVE My Calves are in a Knot: Recipes to Help Ease and Prevent Leg Cramps

Blueberry-Banana Oat Smoothie

Orange-Carrot Cream Smoothie

Eggs Florentine

Cramp Destroying Kale Salad with Avocado, Strawberries, Edamame, and Goat Cheese

Waldorf Chicken Salad with Pistachios and Creamy Yogurt Dressing

Twice-Baked Avocado Potatoes

Shakshuka with Chickpeas and Feta

Corn Farroto with Seared Scallops

Cashew-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Fennel

Seasoned Carrot Fries

SIX I Want Chocolate . . . with Peanuts and Pickles!: Recipes to Satisfy Every Craving

Peanut Butter, Apple, and Chickpea Breakfast Cookies

Crispy French Toast Fingers with Creamy Strawberry-Chia Dipping Sauce

Sun-Dried Tomato, Swiss Chard, and Feta Quiche with Oat-Almond Crust

Panko-Coconut Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

Classic Tomato-Basil Marinara Sauce

Baked Panko Eggplant Parmesan

Chicken Sausage Pizza on Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Baked Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower

Chicken and Pinto Bean Nachos

Cheddar Philly Cheesesteak Wrap

Cauliflower-Potato Mash with Mushroom Gravy

Dark Chocolate Pecan Banana Bites

Cold Cocoa

Crunchy Chili-Cumin Chickpeas

Lemon-Glazed Mini Zucchini Muffins

SEVEN I’m Exhausted: Meals You Can Whip Up in 30 Minutes or Less

Blueberry-Sunflower Seed Overnight Oats

Figs in a Blanket

3-Minute Salsa and Cheddar Microwave Egg Sandwich

Black Bean Quesadillas

Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach, and Herb Frittata

Soba Noodles with Edamame and Sesame-Peanut Sauce

Lemon-Herb Faux Egg Salad Pita Pocket

Turkey Ragu–Topped Baked Potatoes

Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp

Penne with Greens and Chicken Sausage

10-Minute Maple-Mustard Salmon

Shrimp Tacos with Mango-Spinach Salsa

Cucumber-Sesame Salad

Microwave Apple Crisp with Walnuts

Dark Chocolate Mug Brownie

Paper Bag Microwave Popcorn

EIGHT I Won’t Have This Much Free Time for a Very Long Time: Prep Ahead Recipes Before Baby

Berry, Banana, and Greens Smoothie Bag

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

Strawberry-Chia Pudding Breakfast Pops

Cheddar-Quinoa Egg Muffins

Peanut Butter-Cocoa-Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Kale and Chicken Sausage Soup

Smoky Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers

Chicken Black Bean Burritos

Turkey Lentil Loaf

Zucchini Fritters

Minestrone Veggie Soup

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

Mediterranean Lean Beef and Veggie Burgers

Blueberry, Coconut, and Banana Cream Pops

NINE I’m Officially a Walking Snack Machine: Milk-Maker Meals

Supermom Green Smoothie

Cocoa-Coconut Granola

Power Banana-Blueberry Pancakes

Date-Nut Breakfast Bars

Creamy Quinoa-Flaxseed Cereal with Strawberries and Coconut

Hemp Pita Pizzas with Mushrooms and Peppers

Salmon, Avocado, and Hearts of Palm Spinach Salad

B. L. T. A. H (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado, Hummus)

Broiled Soy-Ginger Flank Steak

Slow Cooker Pork Loin and Vegetable Marinara over Whole Wheat Pasta

Whole Roasted Herbed Chicken with Vegetables

Garlic Shrimp, Balsamic Greens, and Tomatoes over Polenta

Roasted Lemony Asparagus

Herb-Roasted Root Veggies

Flourless Chocolate Cake . . . with a Surprise!

Oatmeal, Almond, and Cranberry Lactation Cookies

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Index

To all moms-to-be and the people who love them. A great adventure awaits.

Introduction

Major congratulations are in order! You’ve just scored an amazing new gig as the CEO of a new start-up. This will likely be in addition to one or more existing jobs—let the multitasking begin! Your new assignment involves your body taking on the exciting forty-week challenge of growing the next generation of (insert your last name here). Whether it’s your first or fifth baby, this will without a doubt be an experience like no other. And while there will be many magical moments, like any job worth having, there will be aspects that will come in the form of some not-so-magical side effects. We’re talking about nausea, cankles, and constipation, to name a few. All the while you’ll be tasked with something very important—eating right to nourish you and your baby in the best way possible.

On that note, we introduce you to the Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook, organized by common pregnancy symptoms. Like any other cookbook, these chapters are filled with recipes—delicious recipes. But unlike any other cookbook, these recipes all contain ingredients that deliver the nutrients your body needs to combat the most common pregnancy discomforts while nourishing baby in the healthiest way possible. It’s an eat-to-beat way of looking at your meals and snacks. As a crazy-powerful (or is that crazy, powerful?) CEO, these nutrients are your employees. And while the tone of this book doesn’t take itself too seriously, we take your needs very seriously. So you can laugh while you whip up truly healing meals.

These recipes are free of overly processed ingredients and filled with whole foods. This means that when eating these meals you’ll be avoiding an excess of processed carbs, too much added sugar and sodium, and fewer icky additives, all of which can impact your (and your baby’s) health, as well as how you feel in the short and long term. Clean eating is a term that is thrown around all the time but has, until this cookbook, never been applied to pregnancy. And you don’t have to special-order obscure, ridiculously expensive ingredients to make these meals. We had you in mind when we created them and we respect your time and your bank account while also believing that you deserve the most delicious, nutritious, healing food. Think of these recipes as a reflection of you—they multitask, they get a whole lot accomplished, and they have great taste.

Last but not least, these recipes can be used for years and years after your pregnancy, so we hope they become favorites for your entire family. Someday that little poppy seed-, or kiwi-, or cantaloupe-size human inside of you might just make you Mother’s Day breakfast from this book.

Be healthy. Be happy.

Written with love,

Stephanie Clarke, MS, RD and Willow Jarosh, MS, RD

Basics

Nutrition Dos and Don’ts During Pregnancy

DO commit to adopting these healthy habits

Pregnancy is the perfect time to say sayonara to not-so-stellar eating habits. Focus on these, and you’ll be feeding you and baby right.

1. Don’t skip: Eat consistent meals throughout the day. Don’t skip meals or wait more than 4 to 5 hours without eating anything. This will also help keep your energy levels more consistently high, and keep nausea at bay.

2. Rise and dine: Eat breakfast. Baby is growing around the clock, so skipping breakfast means baby is missing important growing materials. Having a hard time with nausea? Visit chapter 1 for recipes to help you squeeze in some nutrition when all you feel like eating are saltines. In general, try a cold fruit smoothie like the Peach-Ginger Smoothie, or anything that doesn’t make your stomach cringe. It doesn’t have to be traditional breakfast food.

3. Stay well hydrated: This is one of the things that will make a huge difference in how you feel during pregnancy. Daily adequate water intake is important for vital body functions such as digestion, circulation, regularity, nutrient absorption, and much more. Water is essential to help transport nutrients through your blood to your baby. Proper hydration can prevent pregnancy-related symptoms such as constipation and hemorrhoids, excessive leg swelling caused by water retention, leg cramps, and dry skin. How much water do you need? Start with at least 8 cups per day (64 ounces) and add an additional 1 cup of water for every 1 hour of light activity. Then give yourself the urine-color test. If your urine is light to clear, you’re doing well staying hydrated. If it’s a dark yellow to brown (like apple juice) you need to drink more water.

 4. Cook more at home: Making more of your meals at home means that you can control what goes into your diet (thankfully, you’ve got your hands on this cookbook!) and your baby’s. Restaurant meals are notoriously high in sodium, which can increase water retention and puffiness. Plus, you’ll likely eat a meal that’s more calorie-appropriate at home, which will help you maintain a healthy rate of weight gain.

5. Eat mostly nutrient-rich foods: You’ve got 9-ish months to give baby the best nourishment possible, and because your calorie needs don’t actually increase that much (the approximately 400 additional calories a day you need in the second and third trimesters is not all that much food), you should choose those extras wisely. Go for whole foods that are rich in nutrients as opposed to foods that contain empty calories like soda, sweetened beverages, processed grains, and processed baked goods.

DON’T double your food intake

But how much more should you eat? While you are eating for two during pregnancy, one of those two ranges in size from a poppy seed to a watermelon. (Ouch, don’t think about that right now.) So, your calories don’t need to be doubled, but they do need to be maximized. In other words, the extra 340 calories a day you need during the second and 450 a day in the third trimesters shouldn’t be coming from ice cream and pickles on a regular basis (although there’s certainly a place for both of those foods in your diet!). These recipes maximize nutrients so the additional calories you need go toward meeting increased requirements for nutrients like iron, protein, and choline. For more on those VIP nutrients.

DO monitor your weight gain

Gaining weight at an appropriate rate is a good sign that you’re doing well in terms of managing your increased hunger with your calorie needs. Your doctor should let you know if you’re off track in either direction, however it’s important to ask questions about how you’re doing at each visit. If you think you’re gaining too quickly or not quickly enough, bring it up with your doctor if he or she hasn’t already. If you’re overweight at the beginning of your pregnancy, speak to your doctor about the recommendations for weight gain and see the chart for weight gain recommendations below. Pregnancy is not a time to cut calories drastically, but you will likely be recommended to gain less weight overall.

what’s my healthy pregnancy weight gain?

Step 1: Calculate your pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI)

How to do this:

1. Multiply your weight in pounds x 703 =

2. Square your height in inches (i.e. height x height) =

3. Then divide step 1 by step 2: weight (pounds) x 703 / height =

For example, a woman who weighs 140 pounds and is 5’5" would have the following BMI calculation:

1. 140 pounds x 703 = 98,420

2. 65 inches x 65 inches = 4225

3. 98,420 / 4225 = 23.29

Step 2: Find your BMI on the Chart below to determine your weight gain

where does all the weight come from?

You may be wondering why you’re about to gain 25 to 35 pounds when your baby will likely be somewhere between 6 and 8 pounds at delivery. Where does all of the extra weight gain come from? And where does it end up? Here’s how your baby weight is distributed.

• Breasts: 1–2 pounds

• Placenta: 1–2 pounds

• Uterus: 1–2 pounds

• Amniotic fluid: 2–3 pounds

• Your blood: 3–4 pounds

• Your protein and fat storage: 8–10 pounds

• Your body fluids: 3–4 pounds

DON’T consume these foods and drinks

A lot of people think that once you are pregnant there is an endless list of DON’Ts. While it’s true that there are a few foods and behaviors that are not recommended, there are so many that are that we highly suggest focusing on all of the healthful foods you CAN eat (starting with the yummy recipes in this book). With that in mind, here’s a list of foods and beverages that you should avoid or use caution with.

 Alcohol: Whether to completely abstain from alcohol or if it’s safe to have an occasional drink has been recently (and hotly) debated. The majority of health professionals and large health organizations continue to recommend abstinence during pregnancy. It is well documented that drinking in excess is harmful to a growing baby. However, the lines are blurred when it comes to moderate drinking and no set amount has been proven safe. Please discuss this issue with your doctor if you are considering an occasional glass of vino or any other type of alcoholic beverage.

 Too much caffeine: If you’re a coffee drinker, you can breathe a sigh of relief because according to current recommendations, you don’t have to give up your daily cup of Joe (or opt for a decaf version) entirely. While observational studies have linked excessive caffeine intake to increased risk of miscarriage, large studies do not show a benefit of avoiding caffeine altogether. Most health professionals agree with the March of Dimes recommendations that consuming no more than 200 mg/day is safe for baby. Do keep in mind that coffee shops often serve up larger portions than 8 ounces (a medium coffee at a coffee shop is typically 16 ounces, or 2 cups). And some have higher caffeine levels per cup, such as Starbucks, which has approximately 1.5 times the caffeine content of your typical home brew. We recommend sticking with a short cup (8 ounces) of Starbucks. Here is a list of common sources of caffeine and their amounts:

Starbucks Grande Coffee (16 oz) 330 mg

Starbucks Tall Coffee (12 oz) 260 mg

Maxwell House ground coffee brewed (12 oz) 100–160 mg

Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee (14 oz/medium) 178 mg

Dr Pepper (12 oz) 37 mg

7-Eleven Big Gulp Diet Coke (32 oz) 124 mg

7-Eleven Big Gulp Coca-Cola (32 oz) 92 mg

Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Buzz Ice Cream (8 oz) 72 mg

Baker’s chocolate (1 oz) 26 mg

Green tea (6 oz) 40 mg

Black tea (6 oz) 45 mg

Excedrin (per tablet) 65 mg

Source: CSPInet.org and Starbucks.com

 Raw fish: We know this is a tough one if you’re a sushi lover, so you may be happy to hear that not ALL sushi is off limits. Feel free to enjoy any cooked sushi rolls (many rolls contain cooked shrimp, cooked or raw vegetables, and other types of cooked fish, which we highly encourage—after all, seafood is an important part of a healthy pregnancy) and all of the other healthful options at sushi restaurants (edamame, seaweed salad, miso soup, etc.). When in doubt be sure to ask your server if the fish is raw or cooked in a particular dish. Additionally, while major organizations like the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) still recommend avoiding raw fish, some experts and doctors are giving their patients leeway as long as the fish has been frozen prior to being served, which is said to reduce the risk of parasites. That said, there’s still a risk of getting sick from cross contamination with other bacteria or food-borne pathogens after the fish has been frozen, which means the fish came in contact with another food that was infected. If you want to avoid as much risk as possible, we say skip the raw stuff until after delivery. But this, like all other safety issues during pregnancy, is something you should discuss with your doctor first.

 Four types of high-mercury fish: shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel. See sidebar for more on seafood recommendations during pregnancy.

 Lunch meats and refrigerated smoked fish or pâtés: Refrigerated lunch meat can harbor a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes, which can lead to an infection that can be harmful to baby but may not cause any symptoms in you. While Listeria is relatively rare, you’re more susceptible to it when you’re pregnant. If you’re wondering what the heck you’re going to eat now that lunch meat is off the table, don’t fret. You can still enjoy all of the above as long as they’re used in a cooked dish (i.e., casserole, frittata, etc.) or heated until steaming first. That said, it’s safer to skip take-out deli meat sandwiches and stick to making them yourself at home—this way you can be sure they were heated properly.

 Unpasteurized cheese or any other unpasteurized food: It used to be that pregnant women were told to avoid soft cheeses altogether. But the good news is that you can eat all of the feta, blue cheese, and Brie you want as long as you check the ingredients to confirm that it’s been made