4 Nutritious Recipes for Overweight Pregnant Women

During pregnancy, it's essential for you to take care of your diet, especially if you're overweight. These recipes for overweight pregnant women will help you stay healthy.
4 Nutritious Recipes for Overweight Pregnant Women

Last update: 10 March, 2019

In this article, you’ll find a few recipes for overweight pregnant women. These recipes provide essential nutrients and minerals for you and your baby’s proper development.

Being overweight during pregnancy can have negative consequences, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Additionally, there may be future complications for the baby. Thus, it’s important to have a healthy diet.

Recipes for overweight pregnant women

It’s extremely important to pay attention to the way you eat during pregnancy. To help you with this crucial task, we’ve made a selection of some recipes for overweight pregnant women.

1. Squash and potato croquettes

You can make this recipe for breakfast or dinner. It’s very simple and only requires a couple of steps!

Ingredients

  • One and a half cup of grated squash.
  • 1 onion.
  • 2 eggs.
  • 1/4 cup of wheat germ.
  • 1 cup of grated potato.
  • 1/2 cup of bread.
  • 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • 1/4 teaspoon of basil.

Preparation

  • Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
  • When the mixture is homogeneous, you should form the croquettes and place them in the oven at a maximum temperature of 350°.
  • Once they brown, remove and serve with applesauce and yogurt.
4 Nutritious Recipes for Overweight Pregnant Women

2. Green bean cream

It’s an ideal option to accompany lunch or dinner that is full of nutrients.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of beans.
  • 1 tomato.
  • 1 garlic clove.
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.
  • 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • Olive oil.
  • Parsley pasta, garlic and nuts (hazelnuts, almonds), and toast.
  • Pepper and salt to taste.

Preparation

  • Start by boiling the beans for about 40 minutes.
  • Sauté the tomato, onion, and garlic without browning.
  • Subsequently, liquefy the beans along with the other previously stir-fried ingredients until a thick cream forms.
  • When it’s ready, place that cream in a pot and add the butter and oil along with the ingredients. Stir for approximately 10 minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy its flavor.

“It’s extremely important to pay attention to the way you eat during pregnancy.”

3. Vegetarian sandwich

There’s nothing better than starting your day with a nutritious vegetable sandwich. For this, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • 2 slices of whole grain bread.
  • 3 slices of tomatoes.
  • 2 slices of onions.
  • 1/4 teaspoon of mustard.
  • 1/2 teaspoon of mayonnaise.
  • 1/4 cup of alfalfa.
  • A teaspoon of lemon juice.
  • 1/4 of a ripe avocado.
  • 1 fresh mushroom chopped into pieces.
  • 1/4 grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Olive oil.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

  • Peel a quarter of the avocado and cut it into small slices.
  • Season it with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a little olive oil.
  • Place the bread to toast on both sides, add the mayonnaise and mustard.
  • Start putting together the sandwich. To do this, place the slices of tomato, onion, avocado, and alfalfa on a slice of bread.
  • Finally, add the chopped mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. If you wish, you can eat it cold or hot.
4 Nutritious Recipes for Overweight Pregnant Women

4. Salmon with garlic

For lunchtime, enjoy this exquisite garlic salmon and load your body with proteins, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. To prepare it, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • 3 salmon fillets.
  • 1 sliced lemon.
  • Lemon juice.
  • 1 garlic clove.
  • 100 grams of white wine.
  • Black pepper.

Preparation

  • Mix the lemon juice, wine, garlic, and pepper. Add them to the fillets that were previously placed in a tray.
  • Afterward, put the lemon slices on top and let it rest throughout the night.
  • The next day, place the fillets in the oven for 5 minutes on each side.

Tips to maintain your weight

In addition to these recipes for overweight pregnant women, you can take into account the following tips to have a good pregnancy:

  • Try not to gain weight in the first trimester: it’s essential that you increase your caloric intake because the baby doesn’t use much of your energy reserves during this period.
  • Drink enough water: staying hydrated is important to avoid excess weight and keep your baby healthy.
  • Don’t eat food for two people: you should try to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
  • Avoid foods that don’t nourish you, like sweets, soft drinks, animal fat, and junk food, among others.
  • Don’t try to lose weight during pregnancy: if you’re overweight, it’s advisable for you to gain between 10 and 20 pounds during this period.
  • Cooking methods: prepare your food by steaming it, grilling, or baking. Avoid frying.
  • Exercise daily: exercise at least 30 minutes a day. The maximum time is one hour a day.

In conclusion, these recipes for overweight pregnant women are made with foods that provide healthy vitamins and minerals. We recommend trying some of them and incorporating their ingredients into your daily diet.


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.


  • Landi F., Calvani R., Tosato M., Martone AM., et al., Protein intake and muscle heatlh in old age: from biological plausibility to clinical evidence. Nutrients, 2016. 8 (5): 295.
  • Hijova E., Bertkova I., Stofilova J., Dietary fibre as prebiotics in nutrition. Cent Eur J Public Health, 2019. 27 (3): 251-255.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.