Choosing the best foods for you and your baby can be difficult if you're craving sweets or salty snacks, but pregnancy cravings can be hard to ignore. Decoding your cravings for carbs, chocolate, or meat can help you identify nutrition deficiencies and signals your body is trying to send you. Making healthy choices when it comes to snack or meal time can also help ease some of the imbalances behind fertility issues and give your pregnancy the support it needs.
Certified nutrition and healthy lifestyle coach Lauren Chambers, who is also the real-food recipe blogger behind So Fresh N So Green, has ways to amp up your recipes and food choices so both you and baby are getting the nutrition needed for a healthy life while satisfying those nagging cravings.
Recipes:
Chickpea Pesto Pasta Salad with Arugula, Corn + Heirloom Tomatoes
Author: Lauren Chambers of So Fresh N So Green
Cuisine: American
Method: Blending, Boiling, Grilling
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, refined-sugar free, dairy-free, plant-based, vegetarian
Dish Type: entree
Serves: 6-8
Difficulty Level: Easy
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
For The Pasta Salad:
• 1 package Banza Chickpea Noodles (also available at some local grocers)
• 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh arugula
• 2 ears corn (can grill or leave raw)
• 1-2 cups pesto sauce (see recipe below)
• salt + pepper to taste
• Optional : if you digest dairy well feel free to add some parmesan or feta, or use a dairy-free cheese substitute like Kite Hill Almond Ricotta
For the Pesto: See recipe here
Preparation
1. Follow instructions to boil pasta (I've found 10 minutes of cooking to be the perfect amount of time). Rinse and drain pasta when done and set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, get your grill heated and ready if grilling the corn (you can also leave it raw for time and ease).
3. Follow pesto instructions by adding everything in a food processor and blending until smooth
4. Toss pasta with all remaining ingredients and serve either chilled or at room temp. Makes great leftovers!
Strawberries & Cream Nice Cream
Author: Lauren Chambers of So Fresh N So Green
Cuisine: American
Method: Blending
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, refined-sugar free, dairy-free, plant-based, vegetarian
Dish Type: dessert
Serves: 6-8
Difficulty Level: Easy
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 2 hours to chill
Ingredients
• 2 -3 cups frozen strawberries
• 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
Preparation
1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Chill in freezer for minimum two hours to achieve more of an ice cream consistency. *Note -- you may need to add more or less berries to thicken. Start with 2 cups and gradually add more from there until you achieve the consistency you want.
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