2 healthy, tasty recipes for pregnancy

Looking for the perfect recipes for pregnancy? You can’t go wrong with these two…Dates are powerhouses of nutrients with many benefits for moms-to-be. Try them in sweet and savoury dishes.

ALSO SEE: Why healthy eating is vital during pregnancy

Try these delicious recipes for pregnancy

Moroccan chicken and date tagine

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for frying
• 4 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 500ml chicken stock
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 150g pitted Medjool dates, chopped
• Handful parsley, chopped
• Rice, to serve

Method

1. Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan on high and fry the chicken until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat another splash of oil in the same saucepan and sauté the onions until browned. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, stock and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until car-rots are tender. Add more stock if necessary. Add chicken and dates and cook for 5 minutes. Mix through the parsley and serve with rice.

ALSO SEE: 3 winter dinner recipes the whole family will love

Spiced date baked apples

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 100g Medjool dates
• 1 tsp caramel essence
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon + extra
• Pinch ground ginger
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt + extra
• 3 apples, cut in half
• ¹/³ cup gluten-free oats
• 3 tbsp brown sugar + extra
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Blitz the dates, caramel, cinnamon, ginger and yoghurt in a blender until smooth. Remove the cores from the apples and place in an oven tray (skin side down). Divide the date mixture between the apples.
2. Blitz the oats until it forms a flour, but with pieces still. Stir in sugar and butter and spoon onto the apples.
3. Bake for about 40 minutes until the tops are golden and apples tender. Serve with dollops of extra yoghurt and a dusting of cinnamon.

Health fact

Dates are high in fibre (bye-bye pregnancy constipation), iron and potassium. But it’s especially helpful during the third trimester as it has positive effects, like increasing chances of going into spontaneous and shorter labour. Try to eat six a day.