Second Trimester

Eating Everything

The principle: I eat everything

The nausea has passed, you have energy, you can eat everything because you're hungry, you're not too big yet, there's the joy of sharing the good news, you want to treat yourself and it's the right time to do it! You need to cook foods that will do you good and increase your energy rations. You need to fill up on calcium, fibre, vitamins and minerals, and for that it's the moment to take some time revising your shoppig habits, go to the market, choose ultra fresh foods (no more readymade meals), visit the fishmonger, the butcher, the greengrocer... When you're pregnant, you're popular with shopkeepers!

Filling ingredients

Pasta, wholemeal (whole-wheat) - dark rye or multigrain - for super satisfying snacks, eggs in the morning, dark chocolate for magnesium.

Calcium rich foods

Pasteurised cheese, yoghurts, milk... but also oranges, members of the cabbage family like broccoli, tinned sardines, figs, almonds, some mineral waters.

Vitamin rich foods

Be generous with fresh herbs, fruits such as citrus, kiwifruit and grapes, and kale. This vitamin-packed leafy green can be made into a smoothie or a juice with carrots and ginger

Second Trimester

Breakfast Ideas

This is the time to fill up on antioxidant fruits, seeds and yoghurt for the calcium, and mix colors and flavors.

Cravings

Craving yoghurt

For a daily dose of calcium, very important for developing the skeleton of the baby.

  • Yoghurt + thyme honey + ground linseed (flaxseed) + blueberries
  • Yoghurt + hazelnut butter + chocolate chips/shavings
  • Yoghurt + speculass (speculoos/Dutch spiced biscuits) (or gingerbread biscuit) + raspberries

Craving toast

Fresh fruits can replace spreads or jams for a version that's sharper, fresher and not as sweet.

  • Spreadable cream cheese + mashed strawberries + honey + vanilla
  • Mascarpone + berries + sugar
  • 1/2 mashed avocado + juice of 1/2 organic lemon + grated apple

Craving protein

To satisfy the appetite that is growing every day!

  • Crackers with herbs + cream cheese + ham
  • Sandwich bread + scrambled egg + grated parmesan cheese
  • Brioche + 1/2 small tub yoghurt + 1/2 mashed banana + sesame seeds

Big Appetite Breakfast

A protein paked breakfast to fully satisfy you, serve with a slice of good wholemeal bread.

Baked eggs

With Spinach + Parmesan

Serves 1 Plate

Preparation Time 10 Minutes

Cooking Time 15 Minutes

  • 1 handful baby spinach leaves, well washed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 50g (1 3/4oz) grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently soften the baby spinach in a small frying pan without adding any fat. Season it with salt and pepper and chop roughly with a knife. Break the eggs into a ramkin or a cast-iron mini-frying pan. Add the parmesan and spinach, season with pepper and bake for 10 minutes.

Cranberry juice

Antiocidant and very thirst-quenching.

Green tea with mint

Infuse a few leaves of green tea and mint in hot water for 10 minutes

High-Vitamin Breakfast

A breakfast that is both filling - with the dried fruit and nut muffins - and vitamin-charged thanks to a cocktail with lots of the highly sought after folic acid (vitamin B9)

Almond muffins

With Dried Apricots

Makes 8 Muffins

Preparation Time 15 Minutes

Cooking Time 25 Minutes

  • (4 1/4 oz) flour (see note below)
  • (1/4 oz/2 teaspoons) baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • (1 1/4 oz/ 1/3 cup) light brown sugar
  • (1 oz/ 1/4 cup) flaked almonds
  • (3 oz)) soft dried aprecots (about 6), cut into quarters
  • (2 1/4 oz) butter, melted
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • (3 1/2 fl oz) low-fat milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon bitter almond extract (optional)

Preheat the overn to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, flaked almonds and dried apricots in a large mixing bowl. Place the butter, egg, milk and extract (if using) in a smaller bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together roughly--the batter doesn't need to be completely smooth. Fill the holes of a buttered muffin tray (or paper cupcake cases) two-thirds full. Bake in the overn for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Carrot-orange juice

With Ginger + Apple + Beetroot + Watercress + Kale

Makes 2 Large Glasses

Preparation Time 10 Minutes

  • 1 handful kale or curly cabbage
  • 2 handfuls watercress
  • 1/2  raw beetroot (beet)
  • 1 cm (1/2 inch) fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 red apples
  • 1 handful baby spinach leaves juice of 1 organic orange

Wash and peel all of the vegetables, then put them through a vegetable juicer. Add the squeezed orange juice, mix together and serve immediately.

THE NO-JUICER RECIPE

2 glasses of apple juice + 2glasses of carrot juice + 1 glass of squeezed orange juice + juice of 1 lemon + 1 small piece of grated ginger

High-calcium Breakfast

A breakfast for feeling like a kid again with a milk chocolate scone and a banana milk to build up your calcium stores.

Banana milk

Makes 2 Large Glasses

Preparation Time 10 Minutes

  • 1 banana, peeled
  • 300 ml (10 1/2 fl oz) milk
  • 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup or sugar

Place the banana in a blender with the milk, vanilla and agave syrup. Blend very well for 15 seconds on maximum power and enjoy imediately.

Chocolate scones

Makes About 10 Small Scones

Preparation Time 15 Minutes

Cooking Time 20 Minutes

  • 260 g (9 1/4 oz) flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 125 g (4 1/2 oz) chocolate chips
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 75 g  (2 3/4 oz) butter, softened (or almond butter)
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 3 tablespoons pasteurised milk
  • 150 g (5 1/2 oz) ricotta cheese (or yoghurt) icing (confectioners') sugar

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Ferhenheit. Combine the flour. baking powder, sugar, choclate and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the milk and ricotta. Add to the dry mixture. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2 cm (3/4 inch) on a well-floured surface. Cut the scones into triagles or use a cookie cutter. Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the scones on it. Dust with icing sugar and bake fo 20 minutes.