Whole Story

With Mother’s Day coming up next week, I find it so exciting and hard to believe that I will be a mother myself very soon!

I’m due at the end of this month, and all in all, it’s been a thankfully easy ride. Sure, there were some physical changes to get used to, but I’ve really enjoyed the miraculous process of giving life to an entirely new person. I’ve especially been focused on the fact that every meal I eat is preparing my son to enter the world.

Now that I’m “eating for two” I’m even more concerned with the quality of food and the nutrients that I’m consuming. I’d like to share some of my food favorites and recipes that have been in constant rotation over the last months. If it’s true that your baby is what you eat, I wouldn’t be surprised if my little man has an entire leg made out of dark chocolate!

Coconut Oil – I could write a whole post on coconut oil considering how much I use it! I love that it’s so versatile and delicious. I use it for stir fries, sautéing fish and meats (which are especially good paired with a tropical salsa) and in desserts and smoothies. But it’s also great for topical applications – I use it on my skin as a moisturizer and mix it with a little baking soda to use as a natural deodorant.

Eggs from Pasture-Raised Hens – Eggs seem to be a perfect pregnancy food. Packed with protein, they’re delicious and couldn’t be easier to prepare. For lunch, I love to make a couple eggs served any which way paired with leftovers.

Dark Chocolate – While I’ve heard about the antioxidant properties of dark chocolate, truth be told, I eat it purely for pleasure. Pregnancy seems to have brought on a severe and desperate need for chocolate, which I happily assuage with Sirius 70% dark. I also highly recommend Chocolove’s Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt to feed those salty/sweet cravings!

Protein Powder – I throw a tablespoon of vanilla Vega Sports Performance powder in with collards, coconut milk and frozen fruit for a quick breakfast smoothie. The sports performance powder doesn’t have additional vitamins added, so I don’t have to worry about overdoing it while I’m taking my prenatal multi-vitamins. Also, it makes your smoothie taste like a milk shake!

Here are a couple of recipes that have been staples of my pregnancy diet. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Sardine Toasties

Between the omega-3 EFAs of the sardines, the healthy fats of avocado and the fiber of the grains, this is an A+ pregnancy meal! These are great for a quick lunch or dinner and the avocado and lemon temper the fishy flavor, if you’re squeamish about sardines.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sardines
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 dill pickle, diced
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley or celery leaves
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 avocado
• Toasted sprouted whole grain bread
• Sea salt

Method:

Drain and mash sardines in a bowl. Mix with next 8 ingredients. Mash avocado and spread on toast, sprinkle with salt, and squeeze the other half of your lemon over toast slices. Spoon sardine mixture on top and enjoy!

Almond Butter “Buckeyes”

When a craving for sweets hits, these buckeyes do the trick.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond butter
• 1/3 cup melted and cooled coconut oil
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons of honey or to taste
• 12 oz. dark chocolate, melted

Method:

In a bowl, combine almond butter, coconut oil, sea salt and honey. Chill in fridge or freezer until firm but workable. Roll into 1 inch balls and re-chill. Melt chocolate and cool. Dip balls into chocolate and chill until firm.

Do you have any go-to pregnancy recipes or favorite products that are fit for feeding two?