Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but it can bring about unique nutritional needs. Ensuring that your meals are both delicious and nourishing becomes a priority. These easy dinner recipes are crafted to provide essential nutrients while satisfying your cravings. With a focus on balance and flavor, these dishes aim to support a healthy pregnancy and keep you feeling your best.
Steps
- Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower: Cook farro according to package instructions, or use wheat berries or brown rice as a substitute. Grill chicken and roast cauliflower until both are cooked through.
- Skillet Ravioli Lasagna: Cook ravioli in a skillet with marinara sauce and beef or ground turkey. Add fresh mozzarella balls during the final minutes of cooking to melt them slightly.
- Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls: Arrange chicken, kale, bell peppers, and black beans on a sheet pan and roast. Toss all ingredients together to serve as a warm salad.
- Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew: Sauté chopped onions and carrots, then add chickpeas and tomato paste to the pot. Simmer until the stew thickens and serve.
- Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta: Cook pasta and reserve some pasta water. Sauté mushrooms and spinach, then mix them with pasta and reserved water to create a creamy sauce.
- One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan: Combine lentils, kale, tomatoes, and Parmesan rind in a pot. Simmer until the lentils are tender and the broth is flavorful.
- Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa: Roast Brussels sprouts and cook quinoa. Bake halibut fillets and serve with the roasted sprouts and quinoa.
- Steak Enchilada Skillet: Brown steak in a skillet and add tortillas gradually with enchilada sauce. Simmer until everything is heated through and well combined.
- Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry: Sauté precut veggies, then add chickpeas and coconut simmer sauce. Serve over cooked brown rice and season with hot sauce if desired.
- Spaghetti & Spinach with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce: Use sun-dried tomato oil to start the cream sauce. Toss cooked spaghetti and spinach in the sauce until the spinach wilts.
- Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta with Chicken: Cook pasta and mix with cooked chicken, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Stir in a creamy sauce and serve warm.
- Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp for Two: Cook shrimp quickly and mix with pasta in a lemon-yogurt sauce. Serve immediately for a bright, creamy meal.
- Turkey Pumpkin Chili: Combine turkey, canned pumpkin, and spices like smoked paprika in a pot. Simmer until thickened, adjusting consistency with water if needed.
- Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers & Onions: Sauté chicken with chili powder, cumin, and chipotle powder. Add peppers and onions, then toss with pasta.
- Chicken & Veggie Quesadilla: Fill tortillas with canned or leftover chicken and diced vegetables. Cook on a griddle until the cheese melts and tortillas are golden.
- Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken: Combine chopped cooked chicken, salad greens, and hard-boiled eggs. Serve with your favorite dressing.
- Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes: Cook ground beef with beans, reducing sugar and ketchup. Serve in buns for a healthier take on the classic.
- Butternut Squash Soup with Avocado & Chickpeas: Heat canned soup and stir in chickpeas and curry powder. Add Greek yogurt for creaminess before serving.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Farro
- Cauliflower
- Ravioli (beef or turkey)
- Fresh mozzarella balls
- Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls
- Chicken breast
- Kale
- Bell peppers
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Tomato paste
- Fresh onion
- Shredded carrot or soup starter mix
- Spinach
- Pasta
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan
- Lentils
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese rind
- Halibut
- Brussels sprouts
- Quinoa
- Steak
- Flour tortillas or corn tortillas
- Chickpeas
- Precut vegetables
- Brown rice
- Simmer sauce with 400 mg of sodium or less
- Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- Spaghetti
- Spinach
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Spinach
- Artichoke
- Pasta
- Chicken
- Shrimp
- Lemon juice
- Yogurt
- Canned pumpkin
- Ground turkey
- Smoked paprika
- Chicken breast
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Chipotle powder
- Bell peppers
- Onions
- Canned cooked chicken
- Vegetables
- Cooked chicken
- Hard-boiled egg
- Ground beef
- Beans
- Canned soup
- Chickpeas
- Curry powder
- Greek yogurt
- Avocado
FAQ
- What can I substitute for farro in the Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower recipe?
- If farro is unavailable, you can use wheat berries or brown rice instead. Just follow the cooking instructions on the package.
- Can I use a different meat in the Skillet Ravioli Lasagna?
- Absolutely! You can swap out the beef for ground turkey if you prefer.
- How can I simplify the prep for the Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew?
- To make preparation easier, look for pre-chopped fresh onion and shredded carrot or a soup starter mix in the produce section.
- What should I look for in a simmer sauce for the Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry?
- Choose a simmer sauce with 400 mg of sodium or less. Check the ingredients to ensure it doesn’t contain cream or fish sauce if you wish to keep it vegan.
- How do I prevent the tortillas from sticking together in the Steak Enchilada Skillet?
- Gradually add the tortillas to the skillet to avoid them sticking together. You can also use corn tortillas for a different flavor and firmer texture.
- What ingredient helps emulsify the sauce in the Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta?
- Saving some of the pasta-cooking water and adding it to the sauce will help it emulsify and achieve the right consistency.
Tips
- Ingredient Substitutions: If farro is unavailable for the Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower, consider using wheat berries or brown rice as an alternative, cooking them according to their package instructions.
- Enhancing Flavor in Soups: For the Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew, use mashed chickpeas to add thickness and consider using store-bought chopped onions and shredded carrots to save prep time.
- Maximizing Flavor in Pasta Dishes: When making Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta, reserve some pasta water as it will help to blend and thicken the sauce.
- Speeding Up Vegetable Prep: To quickly prepare the Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry, opt for pre-cut vegetables from the grocery store’s salad bar, and ensure the simmer sauce has less than 400 mg of sodium if keeping the dish vegan.
Equipment
- Sheet Pan – For the Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls.
- Skillet – For recipes like Skillet Ravioli Lasagna and Steak Enchilada Skillet.
- Soup Pot or Large Saucepan – For soups and stews such as Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew and One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan.
- Immersion Blender – For making creamy soups like Butternut Squash Soup.
- Grill Pan – For Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower if not using an outdoor grill.
- Spiralizer – If you want to create vegetable noodles for some pasta dishes (optional).
- Food Processor – For quickly chopping vegetables or making dips (optional).
