Chef Shazia Khan shares a full-day meal plan for pregnant women

It is very important to eat healthy during pregnancy but managing eating healthy and cravings together while feeling nausea from time to time continues to be a challenge for most women out there. And, to address this challenge, we asked Chef Shazia Khan, first Runner-Up of MasterChef India Season 2, who hosts a cookery show titled Mother’s Menu on LF channel, to help us curate a full day meal plan for pregnant women and she shared with us six recipes. These recipes are not limited to breakfast, lunch and dinner but also has a mid-morning and an evening snack option along with a chuski recipe to curb nausea.

1. Breakfast: Power Smoothie
 

Ingredients: Frozen banana: 1, Almonds: 20 (soaked), Figs: 4 (soaked), Apple: 1/2 (cubes), Milk: 2 cup, Flax seed powder : 1 tsp (optional), Sugar: 2 tsp

Method: Blend everything until it becomes smooth and then serve in a glass. 

2. Mid-morning: Grilled Chicken With Avocado And Mango Salad

Ingredients: Chicken: 200 Gms (boneless Breast pieces)
For marination: Garlic paste: 1/2 tsp, Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp, Chilli flakes: 2 tsp, Lemon juice: 1, Lemon zest: 1/2 tsp, Fresh coriander: 1 tbsp finely chopped, Olive oil: 1 tbsp, Salt to taste
For the salad: Avocado: 1 (peel and cut it into cubes), Ripe mangoes: 2 (peel and cut into cubes), Lettuce: 100 gms
For the dressing: Mango pulp: 1/2 cup, Lemon juice: 1, Green chilly: 1 ( finely chopped), Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp ( finely chopped), Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp, Honey: 1 tsp, Olive oil: 3 tbsp, Salt to taste

Method: 
1. Mix all the ingredients for marination in a bowl. Add chicken to it, mix well, cover and let it marinate.
2. Heat a grill pan, add a little amount of oil and grill chicken on both sides until done.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl and keep aside.
4. In a large bowl combine lettuce, avocado, mango and toss them together gently.
5. Pour the dressing, gently toss them together and serve with the grilled chicken

3. Lunch: Masoor Aur Sua Dal with Roti/Rice

Ingredients: Oil: 2 tbsp, Onion: 1 ½  (finely chopped), Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped), Turmeric: ¼, Masoor dal: 3/4 cup (washed), Ghee: 2 tbsp, Garlic: 1 tsp (finely chopped), Dill leaves: 1/2 cup, Curry leaves: Few (chopped), Coriander: 2 tbsp (chopped), Salt to taste

Method:
1.  Take a pressure cooker and add some oil in it. When it becomes hot, add one chopped onion and two green chillies and fry them until they turn translucent.
2.  Add turmeric and masoor dal, sauté them for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add some water, salt and cook the dal until done. (2 whistles)
4. Now take a pan and put some ghee in it. Once it becomes hot, add the remaining portion of chopped onion along with garlic, and curry leaves and fry them until they turn translucent.
5.  Add the dill leaves and cook for 5 minutes. Now, add the coriander leaves. Mix this masala with the cooked dal and bring it to boil.
6.  Serve with roti or rice

4. Evening: Dahi Ke Kebab

Ingredients: Hung curd: 1 cup, Whole wheat bread crumbs: 1 cup, Onion: 1 (very finely chopped), Coriander: 3 tbsp (very finely chopped), Green chilli: 1 tbsp (very finely chopped), Garam masala: ¼ tsp, Garlic : ½ tsp (very finely chopped), Ginger: ½ tsp (grated), Salt to taste
For the filling: Walnuts: ½ cup (chopped), Red chilli powder: ½ tsp, Chat masala: ½ tsp, Dry mango powder: ½ tsp, Salt to taste, Oil to fry

Method:
1. Mix all the kebab ingredients along with the bread crumbs in a bowl and refrigerate the mix for 20 minutes.
2. Mix the filling ingredients and keep them aside.
3. Shape kebab by placing the filling inside.
4. Pan-fry and serve.

5. Dinner: Pudina Pongal

Ingredients: Rice: 1 ¼ cup (soaked for 20 minutes), Yellow Moong Dal (Split): ½ cup (soaked for 20 minutes), Cumin seeds: 1 tsp, Water: 5 cups, Ghee: 2 tbsp, Salt to taste
For the paste: Mint Leaves: 1 cup, Coriander leaves: ¼ cup, Green Chilli: 1, Ginger: 1 inch
To temper: Ghee: 1 tbsp, Cashew nuts: 8 halved, Cumin seeds: 1, Whole Black Peppercorns: 1 (Coarsely Crushed), Curry leaves: 1 sprig, Asafoetida: 1 pinch

Method:
1. Make a paste of mint leaves, coriander, green chilli and ginger using a mixer grinder and keep it aside.
2. Now, take a pressure cooker, add some ghee. Once hot, add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
3. Add the soaked rice and dal and saute them for a few minutes.
4. Add the mint-coriander paste and saute it for a minute.
5. Add 5 cups of water, season with salt and close the lid and cook it for 4 to 5 whistles. 
6. In the meantime, prepare the tadka. Take a tadka pan, add ghee. Once it is hot, add cumin seeds and allow it to crackle. Then add peppercorns followed by cashew halves (fry them until they turn golden). Now, add curry leaves and asafoetida and turn off the flame.
7. Once the pressure has been released, open the lid and mash the pongal mixture.
8. Add tadka over it and serve 

6. For Nausea: Lemon Ginger Mint Chuski

Ingredients: Lemon: 2, Ginger: 1-inch piece, Mint leaves: 25, Sugar: ¼ cup, Water: 1 cup, Black salt: ¼ tsp, Chat masala to taste

Method:
1. Take a pan and add ¾ cup of water and ¼ cup sugar and heat it until sugar dissolves. 
2. Blend ginger, mint leaves with ¼ cup water and collect the juice by straining the mixture. 
3. Once the syrup cools, squeeze in the lemon juice. 
4. Add ginger, mint juice and mix well. Add some chat masala.
5. Pour it into popsicle moulds and freeze for 8-10 hrs until completely frozen.

Try them and let us know how if they helped curb those cravings.