3 Calcium-Rich Recipes for Your First Trimester of Pregnancy
To make sure you and your child are getting enough calcium during your first trimester, we’ll share three delicious calcium-rich recipes in this article.
Without a doubt, one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of essential nutrients is calcium. This element is especially vital during gestation, both for mothers and for their developing babies.
The importance of calcium during your pregnancy
Calcium is a nutrient of extreme importance during any stage of life. It contributes to the formation and strengthening of our bones. At the same time, it’s fundamental in other processes, such as the signal transduction, muscle functioning, blood clotting and other functions of the nervous system.
During pregnancy, calcium is necessary for the above-mentioned tasks. But it’s also important because developing fetuses receive the calcium they need from their mothers. Meeting your calcium requirements is key to keeping you healthy and guaranteeing your little one’s optimal development.
What foods contain calcium?
During every stage of gestation, moms can obtain the calcium they need by consuming items from the following food list:
- Soy.
- Eggs.
- Fish.
- Almonds, walnuts and other nuts.
- Milk and other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.
- Fruits: Oranges, olives, kumquats, figs, kiwis and raspberries.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, parsley, cabbage, spinach, kale, seaweed.
As for the correct dosage, general recommendations are around 1000 mg. per day. However, this depends exclusively on each mother’s body, as well as the implementation of certain habits that improve absorption.
Therefore, your doctor should be the one to determine your personal calcium requirements, according to testing. You may need to take dietary supplements, given that not all women are able to cover their needs through diet.
Calcium helps mothers maintain good bone health, prevents future illnesses like osteoporosis, and reduces the risk of suffering postpartum depression.
These calcium-rich recipes for the first trimester of pregnancy are nutritious options that are sure to please your taste buds. It’s worth giving them a try and looking for variations that suit your specific needs and preferences.
3 calcium-rich recipes for your first trimester of pregnancy
1. Textured soy with zucchini
Ingredients
- Salt.
- Fresh garlic.
- 1/2 onion.
- 1 zucchini.
- 1 pinch of black pepper.
- Crushed tomato (1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Textured soy (approximately 1 cup).
- Oregano (1 spoonful is enough).
Preparation
- Place the soy in a bowl with water for at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in a frying pan with oil.
- Cut the zucchini into small pieces and add to the frying pan after 3 minutes.
- Drain the soy and add it into the mixture. Also include the crushed tomato, salt, pepper and oregano.
- Mix all of the ingredients together and cook for 2 more minutes.
There are 2 ways that you can enjoy this recipe. First, you can enjoy it with pasta. Or you can have it with a salad with other vegetables, such as spinach. Here’s the secret to calcium-rich recipes for the first trimester of pregnancy: variety.
2. Creamy spinach au gratin
Ingredients
- Salt.
- Pepper.
- 2 pints of milk.
- 1 pound of spinach.
- 50 grams of butter.
- 3 tablespoons of flour.
- 2 1/2 ounces of parmesan cheese.
Preparation
- Heat water in a saucepan with salt. Add spinach once the water starts to boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Then, drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add flour and mix until you form a paste. Then, add milk and stir so that the mixture absorbs the milk.
- Once you reach your desired thickness, add the spinach and stir to mix well.
- Season to taste.
- Place in a baking dish with parmesan cheese on top.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
“Calcium helps mothers maintain good bone health, prevents future illnesses like osteoporosis, and reduces the risk of suffering postpartum depression”
3. Vegetable-stuffed kale with almond sauce
Ingredients
- Salt.
- 1 kale.
- Pepper.
- 3 onion.
- Olive oil.
- 6 garlic cloves.
- 3 carrots.
- 1/4 cup of almonds.
- 1 1/2 cups of beef broth.
- 1 tablespoon of flour.
- 1/4 cup of shredded Swiss cheese.
Preparation
- Wash and steam 6 kale leaves. Then, cut them in half and discard the stems.
- Peel and grate the onions and carrot and sauté them in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season to taste while stirring. Lower the heat and cover.
- Allow to cool. Add the cheese and mix well.
- Take kale leaves and fill them with the vegetables and cheese. Then, roll them up and place them on a tray.
- For your almond sauce: Brown garlic slices in a frying pan over low heat. Then, add the almonds. Process along with a bit of broth.
- In the same frying pan, add the almond mixture, flour and remaining broth. Cook and stir until you have a saucy texture.
- Heat the kale roles in the microwave until the cheese melts. Finally, serve and enjoy!
During the first months of pregnancy, you should do your best to eat healthy and light to avoid discomfort. Remember that your body is just starting to adjust to the oncoming process. These calcium-rich recipes for the first trimester of your pregnancy will contribute greatly to this process.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Murshed M., Mechanism of bone mineralization. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med, 2018.
- Zhao JG., Zeng XT., Wang J., Liu L., Association between calcium or vitamin D supplementation and fracture incidence in community dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta analysis. JAMA, 2017. 318 (24): 2466-2482.