HomePregnancyTop 5 Nutritional Recipes of North India For Pregnant Women

Top 5 Nutritional Recipes of North India For Pregnant Women

Research-backed

The excitement and delight of creating new life in our world are enjoyable and come with a great deal of responsibility. Maintaining a nutritious diet will help you care for the new life that is developing inside you, so you should be prepared to take it on as a task. The food you consume before and during your pregnancy plays a significant role in both your health and the health of your unborn child.

In order to satisfy the demands of a developing foetus, a woman who is well-nourished prior to conception has reserves of vital nutrients including protein, iron, calcium, fibre, and folic acid as well as other vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin B complex, and vitamin C. Furthermore, the mother also needs to consistently intake all these nutrients throughout the nine months of the gestational period.

India is a diverse nation, and distinct eating customs are observed in various regions to meet the needs of mother and child nutrition. The explanation is that nourishment is important for their health. The mother’s nutrition throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding directly impact the baby’s health.

Certain culinary customs and beliefs are still practised in North India and north Indian recipes as they aid in giving mother and child the right nutrients. In the long run, their child’s health is improved as a result.

North Indian Menu For Pregnant Women

Your pregnancy menu should complement your regular diet. If you’re from the north, embrace the nutritional recipes of north India for pregnant women, such as parathas, curd, and unsalted butter (hello carbs, calcium, protein and fats). Find methods to pay homage to your heritage and honour your local customs wherever you are while also rewarding your palate with decadent flavours and your body with nutritious food from a north Indian menu.

 

There is no need to alter your diet during pregnancy drastically. If you were already eating healthily, you might only need to add a few calories high in nutrients to your meal. To learn what nutrients you should be consuming and how to plan your meals properly, or to add nutritional recipes of north India for pregnant women in your meal plan, consult a nutritionist to include 

Here is an illustration of an Indian pregnancy cuisine in which you can easily incorporate north Indian recipes.

Meal 1: A Morning Snack

After a few minutes of waking up, eat a small snack. After a long night of sleep, dry fruits, homemade lassi, a milkshake, or simply a plain glass of milk are ideal and light enough on your stomach.

Meal 2: Breakfast

Vegetable-rich sevai, upma or poha, multigrain bread with egg, veggie parathas or chillas stuffed with vegetables, or any other healthy alternative you’re used to eating, should be the first course of your first substantial meal. Enjoy a healthy serving of fruit to go with your breakfast.

Mid-Morning Munch, Meal 3

During the time between breakfast and lunch, keep your stomach occupied with a healthy and light appetiser. Prepare some vegetable or chicken soup, a fruity smoothie, a glass of buttermilk, or something delicious and healthy.

Food Meal 4: Lunch

Stick to your regular lunch fare, but remember to balance your meal with various food categories. You can get a good serving of carbs from a roti or rice-based dinner, and you can get protein from dal, fish, or chicken in the same meal. Give yourself a hearty helping of vegetables to ensure that you get all the vitamins and minerals you need, and finish your meal with a cooling curd dish.

Meal 5: Teatime Tuck-In

Have something to quiet your growling stomach around teatime. Idli, roasted chanas, sevai, or poha are good options to match your breakfast choices. Choose a soup, a grilled vegetarian sandwich, or a steamed sprout-peanut chaat if you want something a little more snacky. Consider something a little lighter, such as fresh coconut water, a homemade chhachh, a milkshake, or a smoothie if you are unable to consume a substantial mini-meal at this time.

6th meal: Dinner

Create a light supper with the same food groups and menu options as lunch. Having a full stomach right before bed can be uncomfortable, so it’s best to reduce your portion sizes throughout the day. Like lunch, include rice, roti, or paratha as a carbohydrate, along with dal or meat as a source of protein. Refresh yourself with a salad and some curd (or buttermilk), and don’t forget the vegetables on the side.

Top 5 Nutritional Recipes Of North India For Pregnant Women

Due to their abundance of vital nutrients, including probiotics, compounds that promote body healing, antioxidants, and a variety of dietary fibres, foods from North Indian recipes are also referred to as functional foods. Here are our top 5 Nutritional Recipes Of North India For Pregnant Women. We hope to inspire you with these recipes so you can decide the best north Indian recipe for pregnant women for yourself.

1. Spring Onion and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

  • button mushrooms, 2 cups, sliced
  • spring onions, 2 cups, sliced
  • Garlic, half tsp, finely chopped
  • Ginger, half tsp, finely chopped
  • spring onion greens, 4 tbsp, chopped
  • Soy sauce One-fourth tsp (optional)
  • black pepper powder 1 tsp 
  • Milk, ¼ th cup 
  • Oil half tsp 
  • Water 4 cups 
  • Salt to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and add ginger and garlic, and sauté until the raw smell disappears and they turn golden brown.

Next, add the spring onions and sauté some more. Now add the mushrooms and mix well. Sauté for a few more minutes. Add water as per requirement and boil for 5 minutes. Lastly, add soy sauce and salt. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the gas and let it cool. Blend the soupy mixture to a creamy consistency and put it back in the pan. Put it on the heat on a low flame. Now add the milk to get the consistency you like. Season with a bit of pepper and garnish with chopped mushrooms and spring onions. Serve hot.

2. Chickpeas and spinach pulao

Ingredients

  • Chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled, half cup 
  • Spinach leaves, 1 cup, chopped 
  • Any variety of rice, 2 cups 
  • Onion, 1/4 th cup, chopped 
  • Tomato, 1 small, chopped 
  • Ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp 
  • Green chilli, 1/4 th tsp, finely chopped 
  • Garam Masala, half tsp 
  • Cumin seeds, half tsp 
  • Oil, half tsp
  • Water as needed 
  • Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and put the cumin seeds. As they sputter, put the onions and saute them till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook well. Now at the chickpeas and green chillies and saute for some time.

Next, add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates and the tomatoes turn mushy. Add Garam Masala and water. Cover with lid and cook for 2 whistles. The chickpeas should be cooked but not very soft. Now add the rice, spinach leaves and salt. Add sufficient water to cover the mixture. 

Put the lid on the cooker but do not close it, and cook on a low flame till the chickpeas and rice are well cooked. Dig in with your favourite raita!

3. Mixed vegetable cutlet

Ingredients

  • Potatoes, 2 large, chopped 
  • French beans, 1/2 cup, finely chopped 
  • Carrots, 1/2 cup, finely chopped 
  • Peas, 1/2 cup 
  • Cabbage 1/2 cup find the chopped 
  • Onions 1/2 cup finely chopped 
  • Turmeric powder one 1/4 tsp 
  • Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp 
  • Bread crumbs to coat 
  • Oil for frying 
  • Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan, put the onions, and saute them until they are translucent. Next, add the french beans, cabbage, carrot, potatoes and salt. Mix well. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder and mix well to combine. Add a little water and cover and cook the vegetables on a low flame till they are well cooked and soft. 

Once the mixture cools down, mash it well and divide it into ball-shaped portions of equal size. Flatten these to make a shape of your own choice. 

Lightly grease a non-stick with a little oil. Gently roll every cutlet in the breadcrumbs and put it in the pan. Fry till they are golden brown and crisp. Serve hot with either mint chutney or tomato ketchup, or both!

4. Peanut and fresh vegetable salad

Ingredients

  • Raw peanuts, 2 cups, de-shelled and pressure cooked 
  • Carrot, 1/4 th cup, chopped 
  • Broccoli, 1/4 th cup, chopped 
  • French beans, 1/4 th cup chopped 
  • Green chilli,  1/4 th tsp chopped 
  • Coriander leaves,  2 tbsp chopped 
  • Chat masala,  1/4 th tsp 
  • Cumin powder,  1/2 tsp 
  • Pepper powder,  1/4 th tsp 
  • Lemon juice,  1 tbsp 
  • Salt to taste

Method

Take all the chopped vegetables and lightly steam them. Once slightly cooled, add all the remaining ingredients to the vegetables—season with salt and pepper to eat. You can serve it both ways, warm or cooled.

Note: You can change and add the vegetables as per your choice.

5. Fenugreek & Besan ladoo

Ingredients :

  • Homemade desi ghee 120 grams 
  • gram flour (besan), 1 cup 
  • Fenugreek seeds, 4 tbsp 
  • Carom seeds ajwain 2 tablespoon 
  • Jaggery (gud) 200 grams 
  • Green cardamom 5-6
  • Almonds 2 tbsp, chopped (optional)
  • Cashews 2 tbsp, chopped (optional)
  • Grated dry coconut (optional)

Method

In a pan, add little ghee and gram flour and roast by stirring constantly till the besan gives out a toasty fragrance. Set aside in a bowl. In another pan, dry roast fenugreek seeds and ajwain. Turn down the flame and bring it to room temperature. Now add a little of the ghee and roast almonds and cashews in the same pan. Set aside. Now lightly toast the coconut and set aside.  

Grind the fenugreek seed, ajwain, cardamoms, cashews, almonds and coconut into a fine powder. Now add the remaining ghee and jaggery into a pan on low heat. Mix well till all the jaggery melts, and there are no solid pieces. Turn down the flame and move the pan away from heat and add the gram flour, spice and dry fruit powder to the jaggery. Make medium-sized laddus when the mixture is still warm by greasing your palms with a little ghee. Don’t let the mixture cool down completely; otherwise, the laddus won’t bind. Store in an airtight container. 

FAQs

  • Can you eat rice while pregnant?

During pregnancy, rice can be consumed in moderation. Resistant starch, found in rice, helps the formation of good bacteria in the stomach, promoting regular bowel movements.

  • Is dieting while pregnant okay?

Some pregnant women opt to eat less because they are concerned about gaining too much weight. Limiting your food intake could be harmful to both you and your growing child. Unless your obstetrician advises you to watch your weight, you shouldn’t attempt to shed weight while pregnant. Even in these situations, weight gain is controlled and not halted!

  • Which Indian foods should I avoid during pregnancy?

The first item on the list of “what not to eat when pregnant” is papaya since it contains components that expectant mothers should avoid. Because it might cause menstruation, another staple of Indian cuisine, the aubergine or eggplant, is off-limits to expectant mothers. Also, raw eggs as they can cause Salmonella, an illness that affects the gastrointestinal tract and produces diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramping. Sesame seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek (methi), which are used in Indian cuisine, contain phytoestrogens that might trigger uterine contractions.

Conclusion

Pregnancy can encourage thoughtful eating and smart decision-making. Choosing healthy foods for you and your unborn child might be challenging. The developing baby is ready to gulp down all the nourishing meals you consume, so eating a balanced diet is crucial for you. You can eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods to keep your infant secure and healthy. Follow the meal plan shown above, and inform your gynaecologist of your food preferences so that they can advise you on additional supplements if necessary. Enjoy a pregnancy that is healthy and well-fed!

Avatar
Somapika Dutta (B.Sc Physiology, Honours)
Somapikar holds Bachelors Degree in Physiology from University of Culcutta. She has 6+ years of experience writing in different niches, including health, tech and lifestyle. An animal enthusiast and a raging foodie, experiencing life - one day at a time.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Exclusive content

Latest article

More article