Vitamins: A Few Additional Resources

Over the past several weeks, I've written posts about folic acid, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as how to choose a prenatal vitamin.

To close this series of blog entries, here are some additional links on prenatal nutrition:

Navalgazing Midwife's very informative post on Vitamin D & Its Role in Women and Children

A Good Pregnancy Diet according to Dr. Tom Brewer

Excellent articles on prenatal nutrition from the Drs. Sears

NutritionData.com offers lots of useful information on particular food items (processed and unprocessed) by typing in a food into the "enter food name" field at the top of the page. The site also has a Nutrient Search tool that allows you to select a particular nutrient and then view their list of foods that contain high amounts of the selected nutrient.

If you can recommend any particularly useful or interesting books or websites on prenatal nutrition, please leave them in the comments!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Folic Acid (Folate)

The importance of folic acid is becoming fairly well known because of an advertising campaign sponsored by the CDC (Center for Disease Control), the March of Dimes, and the National Council on Folic Acid. I think many women are aware of the link between adequate folic acid and reduced risk of neural tube defects, like spina bifda.

Folic acid is critical very early in pregnancy. By the time many women realize they are pregnant, their baby's spinal column and brain are already fully formed (around week four). Many women plan pregnancies, but just about as many are surprised by an unplanned pregnancy. For these reasons, all the books I read recommend that women of childbearing age take a daily multivitamin that contains at least 400 mcg of folic acid, whether they are planning a pregnancy or not.

During pregnancy, most of the books recommend 600-800mcg of folic acid, daily. All the prenatal vitamins I reviewed contained 800mcg of folic acid. While getting some folic acid through diet is certainly do-able, this particular vitamin is another one, like calcium and iron, where supplementing with a vitamin can make a lot of sense.


What does Folic Acid do?
Folic acid is best known for what it prevents: say folic acid and many of us think "prevent spinal bifida", even if we're not sure what spina bifida is. Inadequate folic acid has been linked to neural tube disorders, which are malformations of the central nervous system. Spina bifida is the most common of these neural tube disorders. Many studies have shown that adequate folic acid during the first weeks of pregnancy dramatically reduce these very serious disorders.

In Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, Elizabeth Somer explains just how important folic acid is: "Neural tube defects are the second leading cause of death among infants who die from birth defects in this country (Downs syndrome is the leading cause). One nutrient known to prevent NTDs is folic acid. Numersous studies since they early 1990s have consistently found that folic acid supplementation in women around the time of conception and during pregnancy reuces the risk of NTD, especially spina bifida and anencephaly. Women who supplement with folic acid also deliver babies at low risk for urinary tract, cardiovascular, and limb defects. You also tend to improve your fertility, are less likely to miscarry, and should suffer less from nausea" (6).

It is important to continue to get adequate folic acid because low levels may increase the risk of complications during pregnancy. Some studies show that a deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy can also increase the chance of preterm birth.

Having a Baby, Naturally also mentions folate's importance in DNA synthesis and the formation of red blood cells.


What are good food sources for Folic Acid?
Because folic acid is so important, many foods are now fortified with it, including cereal, pasta and rice.

Good natural food sources of folic acid include: beans and peas, leafy green vegetables, asparagus, sunflower seeds, whole grains, papaya, oranges, blueberries and strawberries.

According to Peggy O'Mara in Having a Baby Naturally, "you can get 400mcg of folate in your daily diet if you eat:

1 glass of orange juice or 1/4C of wheat germ or a small handful of dried soybeans and

1 egg or 2 slices of bread or 1/4 of a cantaloupe and

1 cup of pinto, black or navy beans or two cups of cooked turnip greens, spinach or asparagus or 1 tablespoon brewer's yeast" (25).

Other excellent food sources include:

1 cup of most breakfast cereals = 100mcg
1/2 cup boiled lentils = 180mcg
1/2 cup pinto beans = 147mcg
1/2 cup boiled asparagus = 130mcg
1/2 cup boiled spinach = 130mcg
1/2 cup wheat germ = 100mcg
1/2 cup orange juice, from concentrate = 109mcg
1/2 cup chickpeas, canned = 80mcg
1 cup spinach, fresh = 109mcg
1 cup split peas, cooked = 123mcg

How is Folic Acid absorbed?
Folic acid is not stored in the body, according to The Pregnancy Book, by Dr. Sears, which is why it is so important for women of childbearing age to have a consistently adequate intake of folic acid. Dr. Sears also explains that the kidneys excrete more folic acid during pregnancy, which is one of the reasons why pregnant women need more folic acid than when they're not pregnant.


Folic Acid supplements
Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy explains that, unlike many other vitamins, folic acid supplements actually work better than food sources. "Supplements are better than food when it comes to raising blood levels of this B vitamin and reducing birth defects . . . Folic acid levels in the blood increased only in the women who supplemented or consumed fortified foods, while dietary intake of folic acid-rich foods produced no change in folate status . . . Your best bet is to include two or more servings of folic acid-rich foods in your daily diet AND take a supplement that includes at least 400mcg of folic acid" (8).

Below are the books I used to write this post:
The Pregnancy Book, by William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, by W. Allan Walker, MD
Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, by Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD
Having a Baby Naturally, by Peggy O'Mara

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Calcium

During pregnancy, women need various vitamins and minerals to grow the baby - both the process and the baby's actual body. If a woman does not obtain enough of these vitamins and minerals to support her own body as well as the pregnancy, her body will always provide for the baby first, and her own nutrition will suffer.

Women who do not get enough calcium through food or supplement are at risk for osteoporosis (a reduction in bone mass) because of this fundamental principle. A pregnant woman's body will use the calcium stores in her bones to build the baby's skeleton.

Most sources recommend at least 1200mg of calcium each day for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Do you know how much calcium is in your prenatal vitamin? Here are a few common brands and how much calcium each contains:

Rite Aid Brand Prenatal: 200mg
Rainbow Light Prenatal: 200mg
GNC Prenatal: 500mg
One-a-Day Prenatal: 300mg
Stuart Prenatal: 200mg

Surprised?

Clearly it's important for pregnant women to avoid counting on a prenatal vitamin to meet all of their calcium needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What does calcium do?
As many of us know, calcium builds bones, so it is important prenatally for the baby's bones. Most us also know that calcium is in milk products - it's in breastmilk too! So, nursing mothers need calcium after baby is born too.

Several studies suggest that optimal amounts of calcium decrease the risk of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure (PIH) and pre-eclampsia.

In the Sears' Family Nutrition Book, Dr. Sears writes that "calcium is one of the most vital minerals for optimal functioning of your entire body" 955).


What are good food sources for calcium?
Good sources for calcium include dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese; fortified products like soy milk, orange juice, and cereal; fish; soy products; and greens. Here are some specific numbers:

Milk, low-fat: 1 cup = 300mg

Cottage Cheese: 1 cup = 155mg

Yogurt, low-fat, plain: 1 cup = 400mg

Parmesan cheese: 1 ounce = 336mg

Cheddar cheese: 1 ounce = 200mg

Sardines: 3 ounce = 371mg

Orange juice, calcium-fortified: 1 cup = 300mg

Tofu: 3 ounces = 190mg

Salmon: 3 ounces = 180mg

Broccoli, chopped (raw): 1/2 cup = 47mg

Almonds: 1 ounce = 80mg

Cereal, calcium-fortified: 1/2 cup = 100-200mg

Spinach, cooked: 1/2 cup = 136mg

Orange: 1 medium = 50mg

Soybean nuts: 1/4 cup = 116

Honestly, calcium was never a problem for me, because I love dairy. If I had one serving of cheese during the day (approximately 150mg), plus two glasses of milk for dinner (which equals 4 cups of milk, for a total of 1200mg), that was my calcium. People who don't tolerate dairy well, though, or who simply don't like it, need to be more mindful about including non-dairy calcium-rich foods in their daily diets.

O'Mara offers these suggestions for obtaining 1,000mg of calcium through food sources:

1 cup of milk or fortified soy or rice milk and

1 cup of yogurt or fortified soy or rice yogurt or 1 cup of cooked collard or turnip greens and

3 ounces of sardines or 1 stalk of broccoli and 1 cup of cooked turnip greens (26).

How is calcium absorbed?
In Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, Elizabeth Somer explains that "the total cost of pregnancy for a woman who has had two babies and has breast-fed them both for three months is approximately 100,000 mg, the equivalent of more than 333 extra glasses of nonfat milk!" (77).

Somer offers this explanation for how the body handles its need for calcium during pregnancy and breastfeeding:

"During gestation, it helps compensate for higher calcium needs by increasing the average amount absorbed into your bones from food - from about 20 to 25 percent prior to pregnancy to as much as 50 percent during pregnancy. While nursing, your body compensates for the loss in breast milk by reducing calcium losses in the urine . . . Regardless of absorption, you need to make sure you get enough of this mineral prior to, during, and after pregnancy" (78).

In Having a Baby, Naturally, Peggy O'Mara explains that calcium is aborbed better when taken with vitamin C and vitamin D (26).

O'Mara adds that "new research on calcium is beginning to make some experts believe that getting the body to retain calcium stores is much more crucial in the prevention of osteoporosis than how much of it you consume. Consuming too much alcohol and caffeine and eating a high-protein diet seem to deplete the body of its calcium stores more quickly. Exercising helps the body to hold on to its calcium supply" (26). These habits - avoiding alcohol, limiting caffeine, and exercising regularly - have many health benefits for pregnant women and their babies beyond calcium retention, but that's certainly one more good reason to make them a priority.

Finally, calcium is aborbed best when smaller amounts of calcium-rich foods are eaten through the day and with meals.


Calcium supplements
For women who do not get enough calcium through their diet, a calcium supplement can make up the difference. Here is a list of recommendations to keep in mind if you decide to take a calcium supplement:

Avoid "natural source" calcium pills like bone meal or oyster shell because they might contain lead, a very toxic metal.

Take the calcium supplement at a different time - not at the same time as a prenatal or iron supplement, because calcium interferes with iron absorption, and iron interferes with calcium absorption.

Take calcium with vitamin C and vitamin D (400IU) to increase absorption.

Know how much of the calcium in your supplement is elemental - that's the amount that's actually usable by your body.

Taking calcium before bed may help you sleep.

Below are the books I used to write this post:
The Pregnancy Book, by William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, by W. Allan Walker, MD
Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, by Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD
Having a Baby Naturally, by Peggy O'Mara

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Prenatal Nutrition: Iron

The sources that I read consistently suggest a goal of about 30mg per day of iron for pregnant women. This is a lot of iron for most women, and it can be a challenge to get that much iron through food. Iron is one of the nutritional needs that many pregnant women do not meet through diet, which is why prenatal supplements can be so helpful.

What does iron do?

The Family Nutrition Book, an excellent resource by Dr. William Sears and his wife Martha Sears, an R.N., explains why iron is critical to health:

"Iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen through your blood to all the cells in your body. Hemoglobin is what makes red blood cells red. With insufficient iron, and therefore not enough hemoglobin, red blood cells become small and pale and don't carry enough oxygen. You may have heard the expression, 'tired blood.' This refers to blood that is low in iron and that can't carry enough oxygen to vital organs and muscles. 'Tired blood' results in a tired body.

Iron is needed not only for blood but also for brains. Neurotransmitters, the neurochemicals that carry messages from one nerve to another, require sufficient iron to function properly. A person with an iron deficiency may have a tired mind as well as a tired body" (Sears 58).

During pregnancy, a woman's blood volume increases by 40%, so additional iron is essential to maintain good health and energy levels. It is also important for the creation of the baby’s red blood cells. In Having a Baby, Naturally, Peggy O'Mara states that the health benefits of "getting enough iron during pregnancy may also reduce the risk of premature delivery and low birth weight" (26).

Elizabeth Somer's book Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy explains the additional need for iron during pregnancy in even more detail, "The iron costs of pregnancy are high. More than 246mg of iron is stockpiled in the baby's tissue prior to delivery, and another 134mg is taken up by the placenta, and about 290mg is used to expand the volume of the mother's blood. That equates to about 2.4mg a day during pregnancy just to cover the iron costs of pregnancy. In addition, 1.0mg or more is needed to maintain the mother's normal body processes. Since you absorb only about 10 percent of dietary intake (although iron absorption increases as much as 50 percent during pregnancy in some women), you must consume about 30 to 60mg or more of iron daily to ensure optimal iron status" (84).

What are the symptoms of iron deficiency?

According to The Family Nutrition Book, the following are possible signs of iron-deficiency anemia:

paleness (especially in the face, palms and nail beds)
weakness
fatigue
shortness of breath
irritability
difficulty concentrating
increased susceptibility to infections
intolerance of cold temperatures
constipation
brittle, thin, spoon-shaped nails (63).

What food sources are good sources of iron?

Beef (4oz): 3.5mg
Ground beef (4oz): 2.5mg
Chicken (4oz): 1.6mg (dark meat) to 1.0mg (white meat)
Turkey (4oz): 2.5 (dark meat) to 1.6 (white meat)
Potato with skin: 2.5mg
Beans (1/2C): 2.0mg
Lentils (4oz): 3.0mg
Barley (4oz): 2.0mg
Sweet Potatoes (4oz): 1.7mg
Pumpkin seeds (1oz): 4.0mg
Cream of Wheat (4oz): 5.0mg
1/2C cooked spinach: 3mg
1C dry roasted mixed nuts: 5.0mg
1 egg: .7mg
Quinoa (grain): 9.0mg
Dried Fruit (1/4C): 2.0mg
Iron-fortified breakfast cereal: check your favorite brands

Peggy O'Mara writes that "You need 27mg of iron in your daily diet. You can get enough of it by consuming:

1/2C of cream of wheat (fortified) or 2 servings of beef, turkey, or clams or 1 cup of lentils and

1 cup of lima or kidney beans or black-eyed peas or 1/2C of prune juice, and

1 wedge of watermelon or 12 dried apricot halves or 1T of blackstrap molasses or 2 eggs, and

1 cup of cooked spinach or 2 cups of cooked kale or 4 oysters and

2 slices of whole wheat bread or 1/2C of tofu or 1 chicken leg" (26).

That equals out to some interesting food combinations, in my opinion, but it gives an idea of some iron-rich food sources and combinations. This is one way I can imagine including these selections in a day:

Breakfast: Cream of wheat cereal and 6 apricot halves
Snack: Wedge of watermelon
Lunch: Sandwich on two slices of whole wheat bread
Snack: Prune juice (?? but then I don't like beans)
Dinner: Omelet of quiche with eggs and spinach

There, that sounds more appetizing.

How can I maximize iron absorption?

"Eating food rich in vitamin C along with plant sources of iron helps to unbind phytates and the oxalic acid and increase iron absorption. Vitamin C can double the amount of iron absorbed from a food. Meat, poultry, and fish also enhance the absorption of iron from plant sources . . . Meat can double the amount of iron absorbed from veggies. The best partners for getting the maximum amount of iron out of food are meat and foods high in vitamin C eaten together at the same meal" (Sears 59).

Here are some suggestions of food combinations to maximize iron absorption listed in the Sears book: spaghetti with meat and tomato sauce; meat and potatoes; chicken fajitas with broccoli, sweet peppers and tomatoes; fresh fruit, iron-fortified cereal.

Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy offers this helpful information, "Iron intake involves a balance between iron promoters and iron inhibitors, and entails more than just eating iron-rich foods. Here are a few ways to maximize your promoters to guarantee you get the most from your diet:

1. Always consume a vitamin C-rich food with every meal, such as orange juice, a tossed salad, broccoli, more most fruits. Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron and counteracts some of the inhibitors in foods, such as phytates in whole grains and tannins in tea and coffee.

2. Consuming small amount of red meat, such as extra-lean beef, with large amounts of iron-rich plants, such as split pea and ham soup, increases the absorption of the plant iron.

3. Cook in cast-iron skillets. The iron leaches out of the pot into the food, raising the iron content of the meal.

4. Select iron-fortified foods.

5. Drink tea and coffee between meals. Tannins in these beverages (even if they are decaf) reduce iron absorption by up to 80 percent if consumed with food.

6. Take iron supplements on an empty stomach to improve absorption [as long as this doesn't cause nausea!]" (85).

Additional suggestions I can think of:
Potato with skin, chopped broccoli, and a little chopped ham (or bacon)
Beef-barley stew
Mashed sweet potatoes with a little orange juice and honey
Cream of Wheat cereal with chopped almonds and chopped dried fruit
Breakfast cereal and a glass of orange juice
Breakfast cereal, nuts, and dried fruit trail mix
Quinoa hot cereal for breakfast with chopped dried fruits
Qunioa pilaf
Chili with ground beef and tomatoes

It's important to remember that iron from animal ("heme" iron) sources is absorbed much higher amounts than iron from plant sources ("non-heme" iron). Heme iron is absorbed at a rate of 15-35% whereas non-heme iron is absorbed at a rate of only 2-20%. Dr. Sears reminds us that "the percentage of iron listed on the package label is certainly not the amount of iron that gets into your bloodstream. This is especially true of iron-fortified cereals, in which only 4 to 10 percent of the iron listed actually gets absorbed. The amount of iron absorbed from any food depends on the type of iron in the food, the body's need for iron, and the company of other foods eaten at the same meal" (65).

Peggy O'Mara writes recommends concentrating on "dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale. Also eat plenty of whole grains, seaweed, soy products and fortified cereals" if you follow a vegetarian diet (26).

Finally, "The following foods hinder iron absorption: tea and coffee; high fiber foods such as bran; soy proteins; antacid medicines; milk or dairy products consumed with a meal" (Sears 60).

What about iron supplements?

Because adequate iron intake is critical for mother and baby during pregnancy, and because it is higher than what many women are able to consume through food alone, some women find that they need to take an iron supplement. I have heard good things (anecdotally) about Floradix, which is available at many health food stores and on Amazon, where you can check out their reviews, too. Here's what The Motherwear blog had to say about Floradix, Help for the Weary.

O'Mara does caution: "Most prenatal vitamins will provide the amount of iron necessary for expecting women. It is very important, however, to check with your health care provider before taking any additional supplements because too much of it can be toxic. Also keep in mind that some women will experience more constipation with increased iron supplementation" (26).

If anyone has any experience with overcoming anemia or any iron-rich recipes, please leave a comment!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

How to Choose a Prenatal Vitamin

Many women take prenatal vitamins during their pregnancy. Some expectant moms take store brand vitamins, others get a prescription from their care provider for a specific brand. Since taking a prenatal vitamin is such a common aspect of pregnancy, I thought I'd spend the next few "Nutrition Wednesday" posts on it. This post will be an overview - and then each week I'll highlight a few common vitamins/minerals contained in the vitamin: what each does for mom and baby; common dosages; what foods contain this nutrient etc.

Interestingly, as I checked in several pregnancy and prenatal nutrition books, I found that there was not a consensus on prenatal vitamins: several books went so far as to explain that if mother's diet is excellent, prenatal vitamins are unnecessary. Most of the my sources, however, did suggest using prenatal vitamins almost as insurance:

The Harvard Medical Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy has a helpful chapter called "Dietary Supplements - What's Good and What's Not". In this chapter, the author explains that

"Most physicians recommend taking a prenatal vitamin to ensure that pregnant women are not deficient in nutrients. This is an important point, because the goal of taking a vitamin is not to 'boost' the levels of any one nutrient to excess but to bring abnormally low levels of nutrients to a normal level. A reputable supplement with the right amount of vitamins and minerals can serve as a safety net in case the foods you eat fail to supply a critical nutrient that your baby needs, or if nausea and vomiting are preventing you from eating a balanced diet" (92).

and

Peggy O'Mara writes in Having a Baby, Naturally :

"Taking a prenatal vitamin can help ensure adequate vitamin levels, although it should not be used as a substitute for a good diet. Experiment with the best time of day to take your supplement, because taking it on an empty stomach may contribute to nausea. Taking it with a meal is usually best" (11).

Okay, so that's why many doctors and midwives recommend taking prenatal vitamins... now, which one to take? Here are some guidelines:

First, take a prenatal supplement, meant specifically for pregnant or breastfeeding (lactating) women. Prenatal vitamins have been modified to correspond with pregnant women's needs, and will work better than a traditional multivitamin.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy offers these additional considerations:

"It is safest to choose a supplement from a large, reputable manufacturer at a retail pharmacy, because these companies will be under higher scrutiny to provide a safe product than small companies that sell products over the Internet or in smaller stores. Choose a formula specifically designed for pregnant women, and check to see that it provides the level of vitamins and minerals that you need. You can ask your doctor to recommend an over-the-counter vitamin or to prescribe one through your pharmacy. Some people may also choose not to take a multivitamin, instead preferring individual supplements of the nutrients they need most. In this case, it's important to make sure you are getting the right dose, because individual-nutrient supplements are often sold as doses above the recommended daily dose" (93).

According to this same book, here is a list of Dietary Reference Intakes During Pregnancy, for women 19 years old or older:

Calcium: 1000mg
Phosphorous: 700mg
Magnesium: 350mg
Vitamin A: 770mcg (2,560IU)
Vitamin D: 5mcg (200IU)
Flouride: 3mg
Thiamin: 1.4mg
Riboflavin: 1.4mg
Niacin: 18mg
Vitamin B6: 1.9mg
Folate: 600mcg
Vitamin B12: 2.6mcg
Panthothenic acid: 6mg
Biotin: 30 mcg
Choline: 450mg
Vitamin C: 85mg
Vitamin E: 15IU
Iron: 27mg
Zinc: 11mg
Copper: 1000mcg
Selenium: 60mcg
Iodine: 220mcg

Elizabeth Somer writes in Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy that

"the secret to supplementation is to do it sensibly. Choose a multiple vitamin and mineral that supplies at least 400mcg of folic acid and approximately 100-200 percent of the Daily Value for all other nutrients. If you don't consume daily at least two calcium-rich foods, such as nonfat milk and fortified soy milk, and lots of magnesium-rich whole grains, wheat germ, and legumes, then consider supplementing your multiple with extra calcium (500mg) and magnesium (250mg) since no one-pill multiple contains enough of these two minerals. In addition, you will need additional iron if blood or tissue iron levels are low" (10).

Here is Mothering's response to "I'm looking for a really good prenatal vitamin and wondered what your suggestions would be."

I have used DaVinci Laboratory's Ultimate Prenatal Vitamins for 20 years with excellent results. It is in a base of herbs so consult with your midwife or doctor about your own health needs in this area. Some vitamin shops carry this product although it was formerly for professional use only. Ask your doctor to order it for you if you cannot find it locally visit their website at www.davincilabs.com Wishing you a beautiful pregnancy and birth experience.

So there are a few caveats about prenatal vitamins:

1. Don't assume all prenatal supplements (or supplements in general) are safe.

The author of the Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy cautions that "dietary supplements are regulated differently from either food or medications. The responsibility for ensuring a supplement's safety lies with the manufacturer, not an overseeing agency such as the FDA . . . supplements that contain the same ingredient have been found to vary widely in quality and content. This doesn't mean that all supplements are dangerous; most reputable companies know that ensuring a safe, consistent product is in their best interest. But you can't assume that everything sold on your pharmacy's shelves [or online!!] has been tested for quality and safety" (92).

For example, you might want to check out a vitamin on this list before you buy it: Survey Data on Lead in Women's and Children's Vitamins. I was shocked to notice a significant overlap between health food store vitamins and the vitamins on the list for the highest lead content.

2. Prenatal vitamins sometimes cause nausea in pregnant women, especially in the first trimester. If your prenatal vitamins make you nauseous or add to your morning sickness, consider switching brands or - what I've found anecdotally to help the most women - take them at night after dinner rather than in the morning on an empty or nearly empty stomach. The Midwifery Today e-newsletter had an article about this common problem just recently: Nausea and Prenatal Vitamins

3. While taking prenatal vitamins can be "insurance" against a nutritional deficit, it's critically important to eat a balanced, healthy diet during pregnancy. Our bodies absorb nutrients much better from food than from vitamins, and many times the combinations involved in foods or traditional recipes combine together to work better in our bodies. Also, there are lots of important phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are not available (yet?) in prenatal supplements.

Several of the books mention iron, calcium, and folic acid as three nutrients in prenatal vitamins that are particularly important, because many pre-pregnant and pregnant women do not get adequate amounts of these nutrients through the foods they eat. We'll start with those next week. In the meantime, these are the books I used to compile this information, and would recommend reading as additional resources:

The Pregnancy Book, by William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, by W. Allan Walker, MD
Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, by Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD
Having a Baby Naturally, by Peggy O'Mara

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Prenatal Vitamins

Many pregnant women take prenatal vitamins, as recommended by most care providers. If you take prenatal vitamins, do you know what vitamins and minerals they contain, and at what levels?

This is a "quiz" I do with families during our first class:

How much of your daily requirements are supplied by your prenatal vitamin?

Write down your estimate by each of the following ingredients:

1. Vitamin A ______%

2. Vitamin C ______%

3. Folic Acid ______%

4. Iron ______%

5. Protein ______%

6. Calcium ______%

7. Omega-3 Fatty Acid ______%

Some people believe that by taking a vitamin (or vitamins), they're covering their nutritional "bases" without eating a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Does taking a prenatal vitamin make up for a poor diet?

I'll post a follow-up discussion and resources on prenatal vitamins tomorrow!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Meals to Freeze

Many women are approached with offers to help "after the baby comes". I suggest considering asking these generous friends to bring a meal that you can eat and freeze the leftovers (or make two meals: one for now and one for later!). Or, when things are going smoothly during pregnancy, make a few extra meals "for your freezer".

Postpartum life is busy with lots of new adjustments, and although everyone knows good nutrition is important, it can be easy to sacrifice to sleeping, or baby care. Breastfeeding mothers, in particular, need to be sure they are eating well.

Here are a few recipes that I've enjoyed postpartum - they do run the gamut from easy/quick to more involved as well as from lower-fat to yum: cheese! They all freeze well, just be sure to store them carefully in freezer bags, foil (line casserole dish with two criss-crossing layers of foil; fill; lift out of casserole and seal foil), tupperware, etc. Many of the recipes can be portioned out and stored in one-person sizes, so they can be reheated easily without waste.

Keep in mind, too, that other things you already make might also freeze well: soups, muffins, breads, pesto, oven-baked "fried" chicken, pizza dough, pie crust etc. Frozen berries and vegetables are also great to stock up on to round out a meal.

MAPLE-PECAN GRANOLA

2 cups regular oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine oats and next 5 ingredients (through salt); spread on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Serve with plain or vanilla yogurt and fruit (banana, berries, etc).

Freeze in freezer bag.



EASY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This doubles easily and freezes well.

6-8 chicken breasts or thighs, boneless
4-6 Slices Swiss Cheese
1 Can Cream Of Mushroom Soup
1/2 C White Wine
2 C Seasoned Stuffing Mix
4 Tbsp Melted Butter
Salt
Pepper

Wash chicken pieces with cold water and pat dry. Cut off any extra fat. Place in a greased casserole dish large enough to hold them in ONE layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with cheese slices.

Mix wine and soup until smooth and pour over everything.

Mix stuffing with melted butter and sprinkle evenly on top.

Bake at 300 F for 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 4-6

Freeze cooked casserole in portion sizes to reheat in the microwave, or freeze unbaked casserole, thaw in refrigerator and bake.


CAPONATA WITH PENNE AND SHREDDED ITALIAN CHEESE

This is more work and a lot of ingredients, but really, really good.

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cubanelle Italian long green pepper, seeded and diced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup large green olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata black olives, pitted and chopped
1 (3-ounce) jar capers, drained
1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) golden raisins
1 medium firm eggplant, diced
Salt
1 (32-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Penne pasta (12-16oz)
Mozzarella Cheese or Italian blend cheese, shredded (8oz)

Place the cutting board near the stovetop. Preheat a big, deep pot over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and crushed pepper. As you chop vegetables (peppers, onion, and celery), add them to the pot. Once vegetables are in there, increase heat a bit.

Stir in olives, capers, and raisins. Salt the diced eggplant and stir into the pot. Add tomatoes, diced and crushed, to the pot and stir caponata well to combine. Cover pot and cook caponata 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley and remove pan from heat.

Combine half (freeze other half) and pour over cooked penne pasta. Sprinkle with parsley, red pepper flakes, and shredded cheese. Bake until cheese melts.

I freeze the caponata mix already cooked and then thaw/microwave; make pasta and bake.


BULK SPAGHETTI SAUCE

2lbs Italian sausage
2t garlic, minced
2C onions, chopped
5 jars commercial spaghetti sauce (12C)
½ C green pepper, chopped
4 16 oz cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, cut up, undrained
½ C celery, chopped

Brown sausage, onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in large pot. Add sauce & stewed tomatoes. Simmer on low to medium for at least one hour. Stir occasionally. Allow to cool. Set aside sauce needed for other recipes and freeze the rest in bags/containers for sauce over pasta.


BEAN BURRITOS

These freeze very well (as burritos, or the mix) and it's easy to make a much larger batch of filling. I’ve used one chile from a can of chipotle/adobo instead of the jalapeno and that works fine too.

3/4 cup rice (I use brown)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat) or 1 canned chipotle chile
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 box frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
6 scallions, thinly sliced
8 burrito-size (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)
Salsa and sour cream (optional)

Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions. [I just mix rice into bean mixture at this point.]

Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.

Assemble: Mound 1/4 cup rice, 3/4 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating From Frozen

Microwave and oven: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high for 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; bake at 450° until crispy, about 10 minutes. This is our favorite quick method. (I do it this way, but crisp up in my toaster oven.)

Oven only: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap; rewrap individually in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 450°, 40 minutes; remove foil, and bake to crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. (To reheat defrosted burritos, remove any wrapping, and bake for 10 minutes.)

Microwave only: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate, covered with a microwave-safe bowl, and defrost at high power for 3 to 4 minutes; uncover, and microwave on high, 3 to 4 minutes longer.


BROCCOLI SOUFFLE

6 beaten eggs
12 oz grated cheddar cheese
6 T flour
half a stick of butter
1 - 24 oz carton of cottage cheese
1 large bag of frozen broccoli (I prefer about same amount of fresh, washed/chopped/steamed - about one large head)
Garlic powder

Melt butter in a 9 x 13 dish as oven is preheating to 350. Combine all the rest of the ingredients and pour into the dish. Make for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then eat.

Can be frozen either in a large blocks for dinner or small squares of foil for lunches.


TURKEY LOAF

This doubles, triples etc. very easily.


Mix 1 pound of Ground turkey
2 eggs
enough Pepperige Farm stuffing to hold the loaf shape
1 jar turkey gravy per loaf

Shape into loaves, wrap well and freeze.

Can bake from frozen - put in 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Can also be cooked in the crockpot - start in the morning on low.

Put turkey gravy over it as it bakes. If you like sweet potatoes or baked potatoes, throw in oven to cook while turkey loaf does.


LAVINA'S SPINACH LASAGNA

You can use half sharp cheddar cheese and half Monterey jack cheese. Easy to make half for dinner and freeze other half. To save time, you can use no-bake lasagna noodles and/or shredded cheese.

2 Lb Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
1 Tbsp Parsley
1/4 C Butter -- Melted
2 Eggs
1 C Parmesan Cheese -- Grated
1 Lb Monterey Jack Cheese -- Grated
9 Lasagna Noodles
3 Pkg Spinach – Chopped – thawed and drained
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Mix cottage cheese, parsley, butter, eggs, and seasonings.

Grease a 9x13" baking pan and layer as following: 3 noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese mix, 1/2 jack cheese, 1/2 spinach, and 1/2 Parmesan cheese.

Repeat, ending with noodles.

Dot with a little more butter and sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 F oven for 35-40 minutes.

Garnish with basil and/or parsley and serve.

Freeze in portion-sizes, or in unbaked in an 8x8" pan. Reheat in microwave (portion-sizes) or thaw and bake in the pan.

Do you have a favorite meal that freezes well? To share it, just leave the recipe in the comments section.

PS. This is my fiftieth blog post - the first one published 4/30/08. My web traffic has more than doubled - almost tripled (!!) since then.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Local Eating Part Two: More Recipes

What a delicious time of year this is: many get the urge to bake, or to cook warm, hearty meals as the weather gets cooler. And there is still lots of choices for local eating. At my local farmstand (that carries only locally-grown food), there are late-season tomatoes, peppers, green beans and corn, plus potatos, lots of winter squash, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, lettuce and spinach, and maple syrup and honey. The local apple orchards are offering picking on at least five kinds of apples. Yum!

Last week, I offered recipes for foods with kale, pears, and apples. This week, I will focus on root vegetables, winter squash and spinach.

SPINACH

Spinach, either raw or cooked, can be very tasty and is very nutritious. It is a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

One of our favorite spinach side-dishes takes about 15 minutes, and there really is no recipe. It's just a simple fresh spinach saute: wash spinach very well, and spin mostly dry; heat a little olive oil in a saute pan, and add a few cloves of chopped garlic. Saute the garlic on low-medium heat for a minute or two until it is just starting to turn golden (not brown!). Add the spinach, stir to combine, and cover until the spinach starts to wilt & cook down. If you're cooking a lot of spinach, you may need to add the spinach in intervals so it all fits into the pan (when the first bit cooks down, add the second bit, etc.). When the spinach is wilted/sauteed how you like it, season with salt and pepper & serve. Variations include adding a little bit of red pepper flakes with the garlic; squeezing lemon, or a little of your favorite vinegar just before serving. Some people even add oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, golden raisins, or pine nuts.

A delicious spinach meal comes from the Everyday Food magazine:

Easy Egg Florentine with Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese

4 slices (1 inch thick) sourdough bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 pound baby spinach
1/3 cup crumbled fresh (pasteurized) goat cheese (3 ounces)
4 large eggs

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place bread on a baking sheet, and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium. Add scallions and as much spinach as will fit; season with salt and pepper. Cook until wilted, tossing and adding more spinach as room becomes available, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain off excess liquid; mix in goat cheese. Transfer to a bowl; cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet; heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, and remove from heat; let stand until whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 3 minutes.

Top each piece of toast with spinach mixture and 1 egg; serve immediately.


ROOT VEGETABLES

Root vegetables include potatoes, parsnips, carrots, turnips, etc. A large potato, with skin is a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese, plus has 7g of protein. Carrots are, of course, a very good source of Vitamin A, as well as Dietary Fiber, Vitamin K and Manganese. You can check out other root vegetables on this nutrition data website.

Here's a simple recipe that uses a delicious variety of root vegetables:

Roasted Root Vegetables

3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 cups coarsely chopped parsnip (about 1 pound)
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped peeled turnips (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 medium red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a shallow roasting pan; toss well. Bake at 450° for 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Add parsley, vinegar, and pepper, tossing to coat.

Nutritional Information
Calories:175 (26% from fat) Fat:5.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.6g) Protein:2.9g
Carbohydrate:31.9g Fiber:6.7g Cholesterol:0.0mg Iron:1.3mg Sodium:267mg Calcium:80mg


And here's a potato chowder that also uses fresh corn:

Corn and Fingerling Potato Chowder with Applewood-Smoked Bacon

2 slices applewood-smoked bacon (I used regular)
1 3/4 cups diced onion
3 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 7 ears)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
8 ounces (1/4-inch-thick) rounds fingerling potato slices (I used red potatoes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Thyme sprigs (optional)
Preparation

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn, chopped thyme, and garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, milk, half-and-half, and potatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Transfer 2 cups potato mixture to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth; return pureed mixture to pan. [Or, if you have one, use an immersion blender!!] Stir in salt and black pepper; sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories:186 (27% from fat) Fat:5.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.4g) Protein:7.6g
Carbohydrate:27.8g Fiber:3.4g Cholesterol:18mg Iron:1.1mg Sodium:398mg Calcium:84mg


WINTER SQUASH & PUMPKIN

There are so many interesting pumpkin recipes that go beyond pie - one of my new favorite uses for canned pumpkin is in pasta sauces, but I also have two favorite pumpkin muffin recipes, and a recipe for pumpkin butter that is especially wonderful at this time of year. These recipes call for canned pumpkin, but skinned, roasted, pureed fresh pumpkin can easily be substituted. If you roast your own, be sure to save & roast the seeds, too! Pumpkin is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron and Manganese.

Winter squash can also be cooked lots of ways - my family's favorite is the winter squash puree below, but we also enjoy it roasted. Winter squash is very nutritious - to see the analysis of a particular winter squash, check out NutritionData.

Pumpkin Butter

This is good swirled in plain yogurt and granola; over cream cheese served with whole-grain crackers; in oatmeal; and on toast.

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree, approx. 3 1/2 cups
3/4 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Juice of half a lemon (I don't actually use this)

1. Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice, or more to taste.
2. Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

To preserve: Spoon hot pumpkin mixture into hot jars, filling to within 1/4 inch from top. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

(I haven't canned it, but I have frozen it.)


Pumpkin Muffins

These very simple muffins are so good. They can easily be made into mini-muffins, too; mini chocolate chips are a delicious addition.

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil*
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar**
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1¼ cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.


Ginger-Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are a little more complicated to make, but so good.

5 1/2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
2 tablespoons brandy

2 cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cooked pumpkin puree or canned solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulfured (light) molasses
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line sixteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, currants and brandy in small bowl.
Sift flour, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt into medium bowl.

Whisk pumpkin puree, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and egg in large bowl until foamy. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar; beat until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in molasses and oil. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin mixture in 3 additions each. Stir in currant mixture.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

Mix 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over muffins. (I just sprinkle with the sugar, as my kids don't like the lumps of ginger on top...)

Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.


Butternut Squash Puree with Orange, Ginger and Honey

This can be made with acorn squash as well.

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
5 pounds butternut squash, each cut in half lengthwise, seeded (about 2 very large)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (I just use some powdered ginger)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I leave the peels out)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (scant) ground allspice (I sprinkle some nutmeg instead)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place squash, cut side down, on prepared sheet. Bake until squash are very tender when pierced with fork, about 50 minutes. Cool slightly. Scoop out pulp from squash and place in processor. Using on/off turns, puree pulp until smooth. Transfer squash puree to bowl.

Combine butter, orange juice concentrate, honey, ginger, and orange peel in heavy small saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir mixture into squash puree. Mix in lemon peel, cinnamon, and allspice. Season generously with salt and pepper. (I do this differently; I just add the oj concentrate, honey and spices to the squash in the food processor and puree, then serve.)

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring often, or cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high until heated through, about 5 minutes.)

Transfer to bowl and serve.

Happy eating!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Local Eating during Pregnancy: Part One

I'm finishing up the excellent book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver, who is one of my favorite authors. And I'm finishing up my year of garden work: picking my winter squash and orange pumpkins, the last peppers and eggplant, and putting cold frames over the less-hardy greens. Three days of rainy weather approaching has made the task more urgent - I don't want my peppers and winter squash to get moldy! During the rain, I think we'll be inside peeling apples from our local orchard for applesauce and husking/blanching/freezing corn from a farm just up the road.

There are many advantages to buying & eating more foods locally and seasonally. Some help others most directly, but certainly affect us in the long-term: economic benefits for the local area and local farmers; less dependence on gasoline to bring the food to you; small farms often farm more sustainably and/or organically (even if they don't go through the process to be certified organic). There are other benefits that are just for the local eater her/himself: eating food that was grown for taste, not portability/storage (YUM!) as well as the additional nutrition offered by eating locally and seasonally.

For many women, pregnancy is a time when they are more motivated to learn about nutrition, and to make food choices based on what they learn. It's also a time when there is a more obvious link to other mothers - mothers past, animal mothers, our mothers, future mothers. One of my favorite books to read during pregnancy was a memoir-ish book called Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood. The author, Sandra Steingraber, discusses her journey month-by-month through pregnancy, giving each chapter a moon name, from "Old Moon" to "Harvest Moon". She writes in the preface that "When I became pregnant at the age of thirty-eight, I realized, with amazement, that I myself had become a habitat. My womb was an inland ocean with a population of one" (ix).

So, in honor of the coming harvest, and for all of you mamas growing your babies in the "inland ocean", here are a few recipes I'll be using to take advantage of this beautiful (and delicious!) season...

KALE

This recipe, Dino Kale Saute, is my favorite ways to use kale - everyone I've made it for as always loved it. Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K and has calcium and protein in it (!!).

Dino Kale Saute

12 ounces dinosaur kale or regular kale, cut or torn into 1- to 2-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup soft sourdough or French loaf bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon white wine Worcestershire sauce
Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Rinse kale leaves thoroughly under cold running water. Drain well; set aside.

2. In a small skillet heat 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cook bread crumbs in the hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes or until browned. Season with pepper; set aside.

3. In a large, nonstick skillet heat the remaining 4 teaspoons oil. Add kale. Cook the kale, covered, for 1 minute. Uncover. Cook and stir for 1 minute more or until just wilted. Transfer kale to serving dish. Drizzle with Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with the browned bread crumbs. Squeeze lemon wedges over all. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
Calories 89, Total Fat (g) 5, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 53, Carbohydrate (g) 9, Fiber (g) 4, Protein (g) 3, Vitamin C (DV%) 94, Calcium (DV%) 8, Iron (DV%) 8, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet


APPLES

Apples are delicious this time of year and there are so many kinds to choose from. Apples have some Vitamin C and are a good source of fiber.

Rustic Apple Sauce

Ingredients
4 cups cubed peeled Braeburn or Pink Lady apple
4 cups cubed peeled Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons crème fraîche (or full-fat yogurt or sour cream)
Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook 25 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; mash to desired consistency with a fork or potato masher. Stir in crème fraîche. Serve warm or chilled.

Nutritional Information
Calories:140 (12% from fat)
Fat:1.8g (sat 1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.2g) Protein:0.3g Carbohydrate:32.5g Fiber:2.3g
Cholesterol:3mg Iron:0.5mg Sodium:30mg Calcium:31mg

One of my favorite recipes comes from the mother of my best friend growing up. It's not really a recipe, actually: chop up an apple and a small handful of walnuts; add a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yum!


PEARS

Pears are also in season in the fall. They have some Vitamin C and are a very good source of fiber.

Pear Clafouti

Cooking spray
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 cups cubed peeled pear
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Coat a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray, and dust plate with 1 teaspoon flour. Arrange the pear cubes in the bottom of prepared dish, and set aside.

Combine 3/4 cup flour, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Gradually add 1 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Add 1 cup milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Pour batter over pear cubes. Bake mixture at 375° for 35 minutes or until set.

Nutritional Information
Calories:230 (15% from fat)
Fat:3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1g,poly 0.5g) Protein:7.7g Carbohydrate:41.1g Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:113mg Iron:1.3mg Sodium:171mg Calcium:121mg


PEARS & APPLES

I think pears and apples are both excellent addition to spinach or lettuce salads. A salad with spinach or mixed greens, apples or pears, a sprinkle of sunflower seeds and some chopped cooked chicken or hard-boiled egg is an excellent lunch or dinner. Paul Newman's raspberry walnut salad dressing is a good one to try on this type of salad if you don't want to make your own balsamic vinaigrette. A sprinkle of (pastuerized!) blue cheese or goat cheese, or cheddar, can be nice too.

Pears and apples are also good served with this dip:

Cottage Cheese and Apple Snacks

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
1 to 2 teaspoons skim milk
3 medium apples or pears, cored and sliced

For dip, in blender container or food processor bowl place the cottage cheese, peanut butter, and cinnamon or apple pie spice. Cover and blend or process until smooth. If necessary, stir in enough milk to make dip of desired consistency.

Serve the dip immediately or cover and chill it for up to 24 hours. Serve dip with the apple or pear slices. Makes 6 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 106, Total Fat (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 3, Sodium (mg) 178, Carbohydrate (g) 13, Protein (g) 7, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Next week, I'll include more seasonal recipes for spinach, winter squash, pumpkin and more.

In the meantime, to learn more about eating locally, I recommend Kingsolver's book (of course) - as well as the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle website, which offers tons of online resources to learn more about the benefits of eating locally/seasonally and how to incorporate more seasonal/local food into your diet. There is also information on how to find local foods, and the recipes from her book (which I can't wait to try!).

For us Mainers, I also recommend the Get Real Get Maine website, which has searches for specific food items, listed by county; pick your own farms; farmers markets; CSAs (community sustained agriculture farms that sell "shares" of their produce) and more.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Good Breakfasts for Pregnant Women

This post is the first of a new Wednesday series about nutrition during pregnancy. I figured it'd make sense to start with breakfast!

When I was pregnant the first time, I had to be out the door by 6:40am so I could be at work (I was a high school teacher) between 7 and 7:15. I've never been a morning person. I've never enjoyed eating as soon as I get up - I'd much rather have breakfast after I've been up for an hour or so. Well, I found that when I was pregnant, sleep was very, very precious. In order to sleep a few minutes longer, I was sacrificing breakfast time. Turns out, that made me feel nauseous: morning sickness!! And, it turns out, the threat of morning sickness was very motivating to me - breakfast became the most important meal of the day because having it (or not) affected how I felt the rest of the day.

With baby #2, I knew I was pregnant way before the positive pee stick - one of the first major signs was breakfast. Without it, I chased a toddler and a puppy (whose bright idea was that combination??) all day feeling queasy & exhausted. With it, at least I was just exhausted. I would've been exhausted anyway!

I decided to check back on the weeks of food journaling I did with baby #1 (not so much with baby #2), to see just what I did have for breakfast. Here are some of the meals:

Mozzeralla cheese stick + fruit/veg muffin (x5 school mornings)
Yogurt, apple salad, 1 slice carrot bread, juice
2-egg souffle + 2 pieces of bacon; OJ and milk
Banana bread + milk
Cream of wheat with dried apricots and pecans
2 slices of whole wheat bread toasted with cheese; 1 apple; dill pickles and milk (what??? I was pregnant!)
OJ; yogurt with granola and blueberries
Cottage cheese with pineapple; OJ
Cottage cheese eggs; whole wheat toast; milk; OJ

These breakfasts were from my second trimester - first trimester breakfasts were different, mostly a can of ginger ale and those skinny pretzal sticks. By mid-morning I was usually feeling better and so could sneak in a snack before lunch. I did find that if I made a smoothie in the blender and slowly sipped it (again with the pretzals!) on my way to school, that also worked.

Here are some smoothie ideas to play around with:

Fresh or frozen fruits: banana, berries, peach slices, melon
Low-fat vanilla or plain yogurt or soy milk
Orange juice
Ice, if you want
Non-fat powdered milk (to increase protein)

Combinations I like:

yogurt + banana + small scoop of peanut butter
yogurt + frozen strawberries + banana + 1T powdered milk
soy milk + banana + frozen strawberries
yogurt + banana + OJ
yogurt + mix of frozen berries

I know some people swear that putting a few handfuls of spinach or a big kale leaf doesn't change the taste of a breakfast smoothie while adding great nutrients... I haven't personally tried this, but if you have (or if you do), I'd love to hear what you thought.

If you noticed a theme of a low-fat dairy source (skim milk, low-fat cheese stick, or low-fat yogurt) plus fruit/veggie bread or muffin for the second trimester breakfasts, that's because that's what I usually would grab on my way out the door. For my second pregnancy - when I was home, there was a lot of yogurt + fruit + homemade granola.

I'll be posting more recipes each week - here are a few to get you started:

Morning Glory Muffins - from Cooking Light

1 1/4 C Flour
1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 C Carrot -- Shredded
1 Small Cooking Apple (Rome) – Shredded
1/3 C Raisins
1/4 C Pecans – Chopped
1/8 C Flaked Coconut
4 Oz Crushed Pineapple In Juice – Drained
1/3 C Vegetable Oil
1/3 C Apple Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 Egg White

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Combine flour and next four ingredients (flour, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, salt) in a large bowl.

Shred or chop apples and carrots and pecans (in food processor is easiest). Add to flour ingredients with raisins, coconut, and pineapple.

In separate bowl, combine oil, apple butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir well with a whisk. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; stirring just until moist.

Spoon the batter into a 12 muffin cup pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove muffins from pans immediately to cool on a wire rack.

Pregnancy modification: all whole-wheat flour or half and half whole wheat & white; and/or a few tablespoons of wheat germ mixed in with the flour to add protein. Cooking Light lists the muffins as having 2.6 grams of protein each with just white flour.

These muffins keep very well in the refrigerator. My kids also really like them.


Sweet Potato Bread - from Cooking Light

1/3 cup flaxseed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
Cooking spray
Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place flaxseed in a clean coffee grinder or blender; process until coarsely ground. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flaxseed, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Beat cream cheese and the next 5 ingredients (cream cheese through egg white); stir in sweet potato. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Note: To freeze bread for up to 1 month, place in an airtight container, or wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap or foil. Thaw at room temperature.

Pregnancy modification: Again, I used half & half whole wheat & white flours. I also used sweet potatoes from a can - mashed what I needed and put the rest in the freezer for the next time I made this. With just white flour, Cooking Light lists the protein grams per slice as 3.6.

This is really good with low-fat cream cheese spread on it.

And last, my favorite yummy, yummy granola:

Maple Pecan Granola - from Cooking Light

2 cups regular oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine oats and next 5 ingredients (through salt); spread on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Note: Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

My note: it can also be frozen. I love it with fresh berries and/or banana and plain low-fat yogurt. Also good with pumpkin butter swirled in during the winter when fresh berries are harder to find (or afford!).

Cooking Light lists the protein grams as 2.2/serving.

If you're looking for more ideas about the specifics and benefits of healthy eating during pregnancy, click on the nutrition label below, or here. Enjoy!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine

Pregnancy Awareness Month Week Three: Nutrition & Green Living

Here is the link to the Pregnancy Awareness Month Week Three Newsletter, which focuses on nutrition and "going green" during pregnancy.

I've already written a few posts about nutrition, because of its centrality to a healthy pregnancy for mom and baby, so I'm going to include a few resources on "green living" during pregnancy and into parenting.

It so happens that removing as many chemical cleaners from my household was one of my New Years goals this year, and it has been going very well. I have been making or purchasing natural/organic household cleaners ever since, and my house has been just as clean and a lot safer! Financially, making the cleaners is much cheaper, and that offsets the pricier cleaners that I'm buying. Plus, we just got a Target in my area, and I've purchased a few soaps in the Method line. One of the most helpful websites I've found has been the Healthy Child, Healthy World website and their homemade recipes for cleaners.

I've expanded my goal to include replacing cleaners for the people in the family too, starting with the children (who were half-way there already with California Baby and Rainbow products). Below are a few resources I've found re: kids products & chemicals:

Awards for top baby skincare products
BPA and Children's Feeding Products
Basics on cloth diapering here and here and on G Diapers.
Homemade substitutes for commercial shampoo

I've really been looking at these changes as a process... which has made it a lot easier. Making a change here, and then here, and then over there has been much more "do-able" than throwing everything out & trying to figure out replacements for everything at once.

Does anyone else have any favorite homemade/natural/organic/gentle/biodegradable etc. products?

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes in Central Maine

Recipes!

Below is a collection of recipes that I enjoyed during pregnancy, and which contain protien and/or other important nutrients. I don't, unfortunately, have the nutrient profiles, but it is relatively simple to guesstimate when you are cooking yourself by counting total protein grams and dividing the total by how many portions you've made.

SCANDINAVIAN APPLE CAKE

2 C Cooking Apples -- Peel, Core, Chop
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Walnuts – Chopped
1/3 C Butter -- Melted
1 Egg -- Slightly Beaten
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 C Flour (whole-wheat)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Allspice
1/8 Tsp Salt

In a large mixing bowl combine apples, sugar, walnuts, and the melted butter. Stir in eggs and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices. Add dry ingredients to apple mixture, stirring just until combined.

Spread batter into a greased 8x8" baking pan. Bake in a 350 F oven about 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Serve warm.


BROCCOLI SOUFFLÉ
(La Leche League Cookbook)

6 beaten eggs
12 oz grated cheddar cheese
6 T flour
half a stick of butter (or margarine)
1 - 24 oz carton of cottage cheese
1 large bunch of broccoli, chopped and steamed for a few minutes in the microwave
Garlic powder

Melt butter in a 9 x 13 dish as oven is preheating to 350. Combine all the rest of the ingredients and pour into the dish. Make for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean cool 10 minutes and then eat. Or freeze in two 8x8” pans or in small squares for lunches.


PEAR CLAFOUTI
(From Cooking Light. Rich, custardy & super quick. An easy way to incorporate a little more protein in your day, including some eggs. I substitute peaches for pears sometimes)

1 Tsp Flour
2 C Pear (Peel, If Desired) -- Cubed
3/4 C Flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/8 Tsp Nutmeg
2 C Lowfat 1% Milk
3 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 Tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 10" deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray (or you can use a wide 1 1/2 quart casserole dish) and dust with flour. Arrange fruit cubes in the bottom of prepared dish, and set aside.

Combine 3/4C flour, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Gradually add 1C milk, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Add 1C milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Pour batter over pear cubes.

Bake mixture at 375 for 35 minutes or until set.

CALORIES 230(15% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 7.7g; CHOLESTEROL 113mg; CALCIUM 121mg; SODIUM 171mg; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.1g


CHEESY BEEF CASSEROLE
(This can easily be made ahead & popped in oven later. It also freezes well.)

4 C uncooked medium egg noodles or other pasta
1 pound ground beef
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small green pepper, diced
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper

Cook noodles according to directions.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, brown meat. Drain grease. Stir in tomatoes and season to taste. Combine well and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and green pepper.

In a 2-quart buttered casserole, place half of the noodles. Spread half of beef mixture over noodles, topped with cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.


TURKEY ALFREDO PIZZA
(A great way to use leftover chicken or turkey from Cooking Light. Good source of protein & great way to get some extra greens. You can use mozzarella instead of fontina, if you want.)

1 cup shredded cooked turkey
1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
2 tsp. lemon juice (you could skip this)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 garlic clove, halved
1 (16-oz.) Boboli pizza crust
½ cup Alfredo sauce
¾ cup (3-oz.) shredded fontina cheese
½ tsp. crushed red pepper

Thaw and drain the spinach. Combine the first five ingredients; toss well.

Rub cut sides of garlic clove over crust; discard garlic. Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over crust; top with turkey mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and red
pepper.

Bake at 450°F for 12 minutes or until crust is crisp. Cut into wedges and serve.

CALORIES 316(29% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 5.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 19.2g; CHOLESTEROL 39mg; CALCIUM 351mg; SODIUM 837mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.6g


HAM AND PEAR MELT
(I load all four tortillas at a time, then broil the second round while we're eating the first round, so they're still warm. This recipe could easily serve four for a lighter meal, or save leftovers and reheat in microwave for lunch.)

4 Flour Tortillas
4 Large Slices Deli Ham
2 Small Ripe Pears -- Thinly Sliced
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Place tortillas on a cookie sheet or broiler pan.
2. Layer one slice of ham (2 if small) and sliced pears over HALF the tortilla.
3. Thinly sprinkle cheese over the entire tortilla.
4. Broil 2-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. Fold side without meat/pears over the meat/pear side. Serve immediately.


LA BAMBA CASSEROLE
(From Cooking Light. An easy casserole packed with protein.)

1 Pound Ground Turkey Breast
1 (5.25 OZ) Can chopped Green Chilies, drained
1 Cup Onion, chopped
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 (10 OZ) can Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
1 (16 OZ) Can Fat Free Refried Beans
1 1/2 Cups (6 OZ) Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Salsa
Sour cream

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and cook through. Add next 5 ingredients and sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Spoon turkey mixture into an 8" square-baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spread on the refried beans over the corn. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in 375 oven. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream.

CALORIES 344(28% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 6.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 32.2g; CHOLESTEROL 77mg; CALCIUM 269mg; SODIUM 902mg; FIBER 7.4g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.7g


SMASHED POTATO AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
(Easy Cooking Light casserole.)

1 Lb Red Potatoes – Halved
1/2 C Broccoli -- Chopped
1/4 C Onion – Diced
1/4 C Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Tsp Dried Dill
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/8 Tsp Red Pepper
4 Oz Sour Cream
1/2 C Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven 375 F.

Place scrubbed potatoes (you can use peeled baking potatoes instead) in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until tender.
Drain potatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 Cup of cooking liquid. Return potatoes and liquid to pan. Mash with a potato masher until slightly chunky.

Add chopped broccoli and next six ingredients (broccoli thru sour cream) in a greased 8x8" pan or a casserole dish. Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

CALORIES 292(17% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 3.2g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 14.9g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 257mg; SODIUM 405mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.5g


SPINACH, MUSHROOMS & BROWN RICE CASSEROLE
(I ate this a lot while pregnant & really enjoyed it, especially with turkey kielbasa and applesauce or fruit salad or carrot sticks. This dish cooks up very quickly, esp. if you use pre-sliced mushrooms and cook the brown rice ahead of time. It is also full of good protein and lots of spinach.)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Large Clove Garlic – Minced
1 C Mushroom -- Sliced
2 Pkg Frozen Spinach -- Thawed & Drained
1 1/4 C Cheddar Cheese -- Shredded
1/2 C Small-Curd Cottage Cheese
3 C Brown Rice -- Cooked
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add spinach (water thoroughly pressed out), stirring, for one minute.

Stir in pepper, cheddar cheese and cottage cheese. Stir until cheese melts.

Add brown rice and mix thoroughly. Stir until heated through. Taste for salt and pepper, seasoning accordingly.

Spoon into dish and sprinkle with paprika.


FIESTA QUICHE
(An easy dinner that includes some of your egg servings. Serve with green salad.)

4 Flour Tortilla
1/2 C Sharp Cheddar Cheese
4 Oz. Can Green Chiles -- Drained And Chopped
1/4 C Green Onion -- Sliced
1/2 C Salsa
4 Eggs
1/3 C Milk
1 Tsp Chili Powder
Tomato -- Wedges
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 12" quiche dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Arrange the tortillas in dish. Sprinkle the cheese, chiles, and green onions over the tortillas. Dollop with picante sauce. Combine the egg substitute, milk, chili powder, and pepper. Pour into quiche dish.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let stand a few minutes to set.

Garnish with tomato, sour cream, and cilantro and serve.


CRANBERRY APPLE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

2 Med Sweet Potatoes – Peeled
1 Granny Smith Apple -- Cored
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4" slices. Coarsely chop apples. Layer sweet potatoes and apples into 1.5qt or other small casserole dish. Top with cranberries. Dot with butter and sprinkle cinnamon over all.

Bake, covered, at least forty-five minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes in Central Maine