Winter Meal Plan For Pregnant Women (Recipes Included)

Eating right during your pregnancy can go a long way in ensuring your newborn is getting the right nutrients for their growth and development. These winter vegetable recipes are easy to make and are packed with nutrition – just what you need as an expecting mom!
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These recipes have been put together by Ms. Srividya Iyer, Senior. Clinical Dietitian, Apollo Cradle, Brookefield

Winter vegetables play a major role in pregnancy nutrition. They help keep the immunity system safe and protected and prevent the pregnant women from falling sick during this season. These vegetables are abundantly available and should be added to their pregnancy diet.

  • Cauliflower
  • Bell Pepper (Capsicum )
  • Spinach (Palak)
  • Carrot
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Sweet Potato (Shakarkandi)
  • Green Peas
  • Fenugreek Leaves (Methi)
  • Broccoli
  • Drumsticks
  • Yam (Rataloo/Jimikand)
  • Brinjal (Baingan)
  • Radish (Mooli)

Nutritional Benefits Of Winter Vegetables

Rich source of:-

  • Fibre – prevents pregnancy-induced constipation
  • Iron – Helps combat anaemia
  • Vitamins like A, B and C
  • Vitamin C helps for iron absorption & immunity
  • Helps with diabetes ( other than roots and beets) and helps to control the maternal weight gain during pregnancy

We have put together some healthy and tasty recipes for you. 

 

  • Carrot Peas Pulao

Ingredients

  • 1 – Onion Sliced
  • 3 – Green Chillies
  • 1 Cup Peas
  • 3 To 4 – Carrots Diced
  • 2 Cups – Long-grained Rice
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 inch Fresh Ginger
  • 5 – Cloves (laung)
  • 5 – Cardamoms (elaichi)
  • 1/2 – 1 Tsp – Chilli Powder
  • Salt – as per taste

Method

  • Grind ginger, cardamoms and cloves to a fine paste by adding a little water.
  • In a pressure cooker, melt the butter, add onions and fry for 3 – 4 minutes.
  • Add the paste and fry a little more.
  • Then add the vegetables and fry again for some time.
  • Add the rice and keep stirring until the rice turns crisp.
  • Add salt and chilli powder.
  • Add exactly 2.3/4 cups of water.
  • Pressure cook for 8 – 10 minutes (don’t let it cook too long).
  • Serve hot with raita.

Yam Curry

Ingredients

  • 500g Yam 
  • 3 Red Chillies
  • 2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
  • ¼ Cup Coconut scraped
  • 2 Tsp Oil
  • 15 Curry leaves 
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 2 Green chillies slit 
  • 2 Tsp Tamarind Pulp 
  • 1 Tbsp Jaggery (gur) grated

Method

  • Peel and cut the yam into one-inch cubes. Wash them well.
  • Grind three red chillies, one and a half teaspoons mustard seeds and coconut with a little water to a coarse paste. Heat oil in a pan, add remaining mustard seeds, remaining red chillies and curry leaves. When the seeds begin to splutter add yam pieces, salt and turmeric powder and toss.
  • Add one cup of water, cover and cook on medium heat till almost done.
  • Add green chillies, tamarind pulp and jaggery and mix.
  • Add the ground paste and mix.
  • Lower the heat, cover and cook till the yam is completely cooked. Serve hot

Garlic Rice

Garlic based recipes help the new moms a big way in lactation to produce more breast milk for their newborn. Researchers say newborn babies like the flavour of garlic in breast milk and that makes them adhere to more sucking in the mom’s breasts which in turn produce more milk through sucking reflex.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • I Tsp Jeera Seeds (cumin)
  • 3-4 Green Chillies. slit
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic- Chopped
  • 1 Onion – Chopped
  • 4 Cups Cooked White Rice
  • 1 1/2 Tsp  Salt
  • Curry Leaves – few and coriander leaves to garnish.

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the jeera, garlic, chillies, curry leaves and chopped onions.
  • Cook and stir until the garlic is golden brown. This is the colour you want for maximum flavour, do not allow it to burn, or the flavour will be bitter.
  • Stir in the cooked white rice, and season with salt.
  • Continue to cook and stir until heated through and well blended, about 3 minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy after garnishing with coriander leaves and few drops of ghee for flavour.

Capsicum Corn Tikki

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Sweet Corn Kernels (Makai Ke Dane)
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Green Capsicum
  • 2 Tsp Finely Chopped Green Chillies
  • 4 Tbsp Rice Flour (Chawal Ka Atta)
  • Salt To Taste
  • Oil For Deep-Frying

Method

  • Blend the corn in a mixer to a coarse paste, without using any water.
  • Transfer the mixture into a deep bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  • Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a round flat tikki.
  • Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai and deep-fry a few tikkis at a time, till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides.
  • Drain on an absorbent paper and serve immediately with green chutney.

Drumstick Curry

Drumsticks are a rich source of protein, iron, fibre and vitamins. It is especially rich in Vitamin C which is required for boosting immunity. Being high in Iron and fibre helps pregnant women to combat anaemia and healthy bowel movements. Drumstick is an easy source which has both iron and vitamin C in it. So that Vitamin C food need not be taken separately to enhance the iron absorption in the body.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tsp Oil
  • 1 Big Onion Chopped
  • 1 Tomato Chopped
  • 1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 Tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
  • 2 Tsp Fresh Coconut
  • 3 Drumsticks cut in 4″ pieces
  • 1 medium size Potato – peeled and chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves – finely chopped

Method

  • Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and fry on medium heat until it turns light golden for about 5-6 minutes.
  • Add tomato, ginger garlic paste, garam masala, coriander powder and red chilli powder. Mix well and fry for about 2 minutes.
  • Add fresh coconut and fry for about a minute.
  • Put the drumsticks and the potato and mix well.
  • Add water & salt to taste.
  • Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until drumsticks and potato are cooked.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and turn off the gas.
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