New and updated Recipes to coincide with The StrongLikeMum Method Book
last updated Feb 2023
Prenatal Recipes
(contributed by KatieLShore)
1) Blueberry thickie:
Serves one large glass
Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup baby spinach (you don’t taste it!)
1/4 cup porridge oats
1 tbsp smooth almond butter (or tahini for those with nut allergies)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 soft medjool date
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk (any plant or dairy will do)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Place all the ingredients together in a blender and blitz on high for 30 seconds or until smooth.
Note: If drinking immediately the milk can be reduced to 200ml and a handful of ice cubes can be added whilst in the blender to keep the smoothie cold.
For more protein add 1 scoop vanilla protein powder instead of the vanilla extract.
This smoothie is antioxidant rich from the blueberries and spinach whilst the nut or seed butter provides essential fats to slow down the sugar from the date. Oats also provide long-lasting energy and are a good source of fibre.
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2. top salty snacks for nausea/ morning sickness:
2x oatcakes spread with guacamole (shop bought is fine, just look for pure avocado as some brands add milk) or mashed avocado with a hefty squeeze of lime or lemon and a pinch of sea salt
1x Granny Smith apple paired with 1x tbsp sugar-free peanut butter and a pinch of sea salt. Granny Smith is the sourest tasing eating apple variety and keeping them in the fridge makes them nice and cold (double win when combatting nausea). Adding a small pinch of sea salt to the peanut butter brings out the flavour and cuts through the richness.
1/2 cup pineapple (fresh or tinned in it’s own juice, not syrup, is fine) paired with 1-2 tbsp plain cottage cheese. The sourness from the pineapple is balanced out with the cottage cheese.
Extra idea: 1x medium pickled gherkin with a couple of cubes of feta cheese. It sounds like an odd combination but the vinegar from the pickle and the salt from the feta should provide sufficient sourness to abate nausea temporarily.
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3. Vegetable quesadilla with mashed avocado
I don’t make any claim these are authentic in any way but they are easy to make, tasty to eat and make a great packed lunch if you have any leftover the next day. Don’t skip on adding the lime juice at the end, it really brings the whole dish together. Avocados are a great source of healthy fats and the black beans are full of iron and protein which we know are super important in pregnancy.
Makes 3 quesadilla
ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
1 400g tin black beans (kidney may be substituted)
50g cheddar cheese, grated
3 spring onions
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika or chilli powder if you like it spicy
6 small tortillas (corn or wheat are both fine)
1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped into rough cubes
1 lime (zest and juice)
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan assisted and roast the sweet potato whole until
tender, approximately 40 minutes. Alternatively if you’re short on time you can microwave the sweet potato (depending on size) for about 10 minutes until the flesh is soft. Make sure to prick the potato before it goes in to the microwave.
2. Once the potato is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and mash roughly in a
large bowl. Discard the skin or eat as a snack.
3. Snip (using kitchen scissors) or slice the spring onions into small rounds before gently
frying in the coconut oil on the hob until tender but not brown. Wipe the frying pan clean
and leave to one side for now.
4. Drain and rinse the black beans and leave to one side.
5. Add the spring onions to the sweet potato bowl along with the rinsed beans, cheese, spinach, spices and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
6. Finely chop the stalks of the parsley bunch then add them to the sweet potato mixture and mix together.
7. To assemble, lay one tortilla flat in the frying pan you used to cook the spring onions in (be careful - it will still be hot) before spreading with ⅓ of the sweet potato mixture. Leave a 2cm rim around the edge, before topping with a second tortilla. Push down using your hands (or I often use the bottom of another saucepan) to gently cement them together.
8. On a medium to high heat dry fry the tortilla for 3-5 minutes a side until golden brown in places. You’ll know they are down when the cheese has melted and the filling feels piping hot all the way through.
9. Repeat the process until all the sweet potato mixture and tortillas are gone.
10. Whilst the quesadilla are cooking quickly mash the avocado with the zest and half of the juice from the lime mixing in some roughly chopped parsley leaves. You can add a sprinkle of salt here if you like.
11. Serve each tortilla with a squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top - it really sets the flavours off.
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4. Orange Zinger:
Serves one
This drink is great if you’re vomiting a lot, after exercising or on hot days when there is a risk of dehydration. It contains key electrolytes and fluids that can be easily lost or become depleted when pregnant.
ingredients:
100ml orange juice (freshly squeezed, not from concentrate and organic where possible)
100ml coconut water (avoid brands with added sugar.) or sparkling water if you don’t have coconut water.
Pinch of sea salt/ pink Himalayan salt
1. Stir together and drink immediately - that’s it!
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5. Kale, red pepper and goat’s cheese frittata:
ingredients:
200g kale, roughly chopped
2 roasted red peppers chopped into strips (from a jar)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 spring onions, chopped into small rounds (both green and white bits)
6 large eggs, beaten
100g hard goat’s cheese, roughly chopped
Pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper
Put the grill on to high to warm up whilst you get on with the first part of the frittata.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and add the white parts of the spring onions. Cook for about 3 minutes until they are softened but not brown.
Add the kale to the frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted.
Once the kale is done add the peppers to the frying pan.
Mix together the eggs and half of the cheese in a separate bowl. Season with the salt and pepper and pour over the vegetable mixture in the frying pan.
Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and the green bits of the spring onions before putting the pan under the grill for 5-10 mins (or until the frittata is golden on top and cooked all the way through.)
You can either cut into wedges and serve immediately or leave it to go cold to eat later. This stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days.