Pregnancy is rarely thought of as a great time for enjoying food. What about morning sickness? Irrational cravings? And what about having to feed the rest of your family? These questions are even more pressing during the holidays.
Catherine Jones and Rose Ann Hudson, a professionally trained chef and a nutritionist, are convinced it is possible to cook appealing meals, satisfy a pregnant woman’s nutritional requirements, please the rest of the family and do it without being stuck in the kitchen all day.
To prove it, they’ve written “Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition With Recipes for the Whole Family” (Marlowe & Co., $16.95).
Jones, author of two previous cookbooks, had been thinking about writing a cookbook for pregnant women when she became pregnant with her first child and developed pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and preeclampsia, a complication of some pregnancies.
“I realized I could really use a book like this one, [with] nutritional information at a glance and recipes and ideas to meet the goals,” she said.
But work on the book was delayed by both her daughter’s premature birth and two-month hospital stay and her husband’s career as a foreign service officer, which took the family to Macedonia for two years. Back home, after the couple’s second child was born, Jones resumed work on the book and sought out a nutritionist as a writing partner.
“I was looking for someone who could give me all the medical and nutritional information I needed to write the book and develop the recipes,” she said.
She found Hudson, a perinatal nutritionist on the staff of Inova Fairfax (Va.) Hospital and in private practice.
Hudson came to the project with years of experience listening to the questions pregnant women ask about food–queries like “How do I know what to eat without gaining too much weight?” or “What do I do if I have to eat out?”
“Pregnant women are highly motivated,” Hudson said. “You’ll never find a better group for lifestyle changes. But they’re a little confused and sometimes very insecure because everybody wants to do the right thing. They want to know how to manage if life isn’t perfect. The information in the book gives them control in a situation where you don’t really have a lot of control.”
The writers’ guiding principle in developing recipes for the book was making them rich in the nutrients pregnant women need–calcium, iron, protein and fiber–and low in fat, sodium and sugar.
“Rose Ann gave me lists of the healthiest foods for pregnant women,” Jones said. “I created recipes around those foods and tested them on my family and friends.”
The book emphasizes a whole-family approach–recipes have to fit into fast-paced lives and be manageable for first-time mothers as well as for women feeding existing families.
“My second pregnancy convinced me that this book needed to be family-friendly,” Jones said. “Having to feed a toddler and take care of my pregnant self was a challenge.”
Jones gave the recipes to other mothers to test. If a recipe didn’t make the quick-and-easy, family-friendly grade, it was tossed.
The more than 150 recipes in the book are presented in categories that fit with contemporary lifestyles. In addition to main courses and sweets, there’s a soup and sandwiches section, a vegetarian section, a section devoted to salads and dips. There is also a breakfast section with pancakes and waffles no normal kid would complain about and lots of recipes for foods straight out of a takeout menu: noodles with spinach, red peppers and sesame dressing; artichoke-spinach dip; pad Thai; chicken or beef fajitas. All of these come equipped with explanations appropriate to the nutritional needs of the mother and child-to-be, as well as nutritional information for the rest of the family.
The basics involved in planning a healthful diet are in the book, too, as are discussions of the extra 300 calories that pregnant women need, the 1,200 milligrams of calcium they should consume daily, the amount of protein that should be included in their diet (about double what they would normally need) and guidelines on carbohydrates and fats. There are sections on vitamins and minerals, diabetes, anemia and, of course, suggestions on dealing with morning sickness. And there are cautions about prominent food bacteria: salmonella and E. coli.
As a result, looking at the book is something like reading a baby-care manual before you have a baby–a little scary to read out of context but actually fairly simple and straightforward in practice.
“It’s hard to provide a balance between providing all the information and scaring people,” says Jones. “I think women want information. Some simply want to know how much weight they should gain and if they can still have their morning coffee, while others want the latest on mercury levels and safe fish consumption, or listeriosis culprits.”
Because the recipes in “Eating for Pregnancy” were conceived to fit real-life situations, the book is a telling record of our time, when busy families rely on slow cookers, shortcuts and prepared foods. The authors also apparently think that in today’s world adults occasionally need reminding that children eat better if their parents eat with them, as well as tips on how to construct a complete meal. Not that any of their text is meant as criticism; it’s a realistic approach at a time when more and more meal times take place outside the home.
And what advice do Jones and Hudson offer a pregnant woman who is too nauseated to cook?
“Wait until you can,” says Hudson. “In the meantime, get someone else to prepare meals for you.”
– – –
Tips to reduce morning sickness
– Before you get out of bed in the morning, eat dry toast, crackers or cookies–whatever works best. Allow about 20 minutes for the food to settle before rising.
– Move slowly; allow yourself a few extra minutes when getting out of bed to balance your body and your brain.
– Keep dry crackers with you to satisfy sudden hunger and to quell nausea.
– Have breakfast items on hand so you don’t have to rummage through your cupboards or refrigerator.
– Avoid sudden movement after eating or drinking.
– Don’t let your stomach go empty. Eat small, frequent meals.
– Try to include protein in your meals, especially at dinner.
– Drink plenty of fluids. Try to eat fruit and vegetables with a high water content, such as melons, citrus fruits and salad greens.
– Don’t mix liquids and solids; eat and then wait 20 minutes before drinking.
– Avoid greasy or fatty fried foods, especially fast food.
– Avoid highly seasoned foods.
– Avoid caffeinated beverages.
– Eat ice pops, fruit ice or sherbet between meals. Chew ice or suck on an ice cube. Sip cold ginger ale.
– Get plenty of rest. Physical and emotional fatigue can exacerbate nausea.
– Get plenty of fresh air. Go for a walk in the middle of the day. Take deep breaths of fresh air from time to time.
– Take your prenatal vitamins at night. Consult your doctor to change brands if your vitamin makes you nauseated (some brands are more easily tolerated). Continue taking folic acid supplement even if you stop taking a prenatal vitamin.
– Do not take any medication for nausea or vomiting unless prescribed by your doctor.
–Excerpted from “Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition With Recipes for the Whole Family.”
— The Washington Post.
Chicken salad with dried apricots and almonds
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
“High in protein and vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A and fiber, this chicken salad is terrific on toasted whole-grain bread or on a bed of mixed greens,” write the authors of “Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition With Recipes for the Whole Family.”
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint or tarragon
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup each: sliced almonds, toasted, light mayonnaise
1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl to cool. Dice the cooked chicken, or tear the meat into bits with your fingers; return to the bowl.
2. Combine the chicken, apricots, herbs, bell pepper, almonds and mayonnaise in a bowl; mix well. Adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.
Nutrition information per serving:
233 calories, 55% of calories from fat, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 49 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 393 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Fruit-filled granola
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
“If you feel a sudden urge to get crunchy during pregnancy, this recipe is for you. Homemade granola goes way beyond the call of duty to get fiber into your diet, and this version is also a good source of protein and iron,” write the authors of “Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition With Recipes for the Whole Family.”
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey, molasses or maple syrup, or a mixture
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped or whole dried fruits, such as dates, raisins, sweetened dried cranberries, banana chips, dried pineapple, dried papaya
1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Combine the oil and honey in a small saucepan; heat just until hot. Mix the rolled oats and sliced almonds in a large bowl. Add the honey-oil mixture; mix until well combined.
2. Spread the granola mixture evenly on an oiled jelly roll pan. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. It should still be soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will harden as it cools. Do not overbake, or the granola will have a bitter, burned taste. Cool completely. Place granola in a large bowl; add the fruit. Mix well. Store in an airtight container or a resealable bag.
Nutrition information per serving:
242 calories, 33% of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 39 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 5 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
