A vegetarian diet can provide you with the vitamins and minerals, proteins, and other nutrients you and your baby need.  You may find it helpful to print out our blank weekly meal planner so you can organise nutritious meals. A little bit of planning can help you make sure you’re getting healthy, well-balanced meals every day. We’ve got some tasty vegetarian recipes to inspire you.

Spanish omelette with Peppadew peppers

There’s no need to be anxious about eating omelette while you’re pregnant . Well-cooked eggsare perfectly safe for you, and this omelette is finished under the grill to make sure it’s thoroughly cooked. 

Serves two

• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small red onion, halved then finely sliced
• 1 small red pepper, sliced
• 4 hot Peppadew peppers, sliced
• 4 large eggs
• 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method
Steam the potato until nearly tender, then drain. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onion over a gentle heat for five minutes to 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the red pepper and Peppadew peppers to the pan, and cook for a few minutes, stirring well. Add the drained potatoes and stir everything together. Beat the eggs with some black pepper and two tablespoons of water. Pour the eggs over the vegetable mixture and cook over a low heat without stirring. Preheat the grill.  After five minutes to 10 minutes, gently shake the pan. If the mixture doesn’t move, this means the eggs are cooked. If it’s still runny in places, continue cooking the omelette. Covering the pan will speed up the process slightly.

When the eggs are set, sprinkle over the cheese and place under the grill. Cook until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Cut the omelette in half and serve with a green salad.

Spinach and feta filo pie

Spinach is an excellent source of iron and folic acid. This Greek-inspired dish contains naturally salty feta cheese, so there’s no need to add extra salt. A grating of nutmeg and some black pepper is all the seasoning you need.  This pie freezes well and can be reheated in a hot oven to regain its crispiness.

Makes six to eight slices

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggs
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1kg fresh or frozen spinach
• 225g feta cheese, cut into cubes
• 100g unsalted cashew nuts, chopped
• black pepper
• nutmeg
• 300g filo pastry
• olive oil spray

Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, or gas mark 5. Wash the spinach thoroughly, then steam until wilted. Place on a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess water. Mix the spinach with the feta cheese, cashew nuts and onion.  Beat the eggs and stir into the mixture. Season with black pepper and grated nutmeg. Lightly spray about four sheets of filo pastry with olive oil. Arrange them over the base of a 25cm pie dish, allowing them to hang over the edge.  Spoon in the spinach and feta filling. Fold the filo sheets into the middle of the dish. Spray the remaining filo pastry with oil and place on top.  Bake for 35 minutes to 40 minutes until golden and crispy. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Root vegetable crumble

You can use your favourite root vegetables for this recipe. For example, instead of parsnips, you may prefer turnips or swede. Or you can even use them all!  This recipe also calls for pumpkin seeds, which are a great source of zinc and selenium. But you can substitute other seeds if you prefer.

Serves four

Ingredients
For the vegetable filling:

• 2 medium carrots
• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 small parsnips or 1 large parsnip
• 2 small turnips
• 2 medium potatoes
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• pepper

For the crumble topping:

• 3 slices wholemeal or granary bread
• 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, or gas mark 4. Peel or scrub all the vegetables and cut into cubes measuring about 1cm to 2cm. Place in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Mix the tomato puree and coriander into the stock. Pour over the vegetables until they’re just covered. Place in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Drain off 2 tbsp to 3 tbsp of liquid from the casserole dish. Whizz the bread in a blender or food processor to produce fine crumbs. Mix the breadcrumbs with the seeds, thyme and nuts, and spoon on top of the cooked vegetables. Smooth out with the back of a spoon and return to the oven for 15 minutes to 20 minutes, until the crumble is crispy and golden. Serve straight away with a green salad or some green beans.  For a variation on this recipe, leave out the nuts or seeds, and sprinkle 100g grated cheese over the crumble instead.

Spaghetti with butternut squash and pine nuts

This recipe makes the perfect easy vegetarian dinner. Pine nuts are a fantastic source of vitamin E, and butternut squash contains lots of vitamin A.

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, washed, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
• 40g rocket leaves
• 75g to 100g wholemeal spaghetti per person
• 75g pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• black pepper
• grated cheese, to serve

Method
Place the squash in your microwave and cook on high until the flesh is soft. This should take about 10 minutes in an 800W microwave. If yours has a lower wattage you’ll need to cook it for a bit longer.  Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet, and lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan.  Mix the rocket, garlic and olive oil together in a bowl. When the squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh and mix into the rocket and garlic mixture. Drain the spaghetti and stir in the squash mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve at once with grated parmesan. If your partner or friends are non-vegetarians, they may like a little chopped crispy bacon sprinkled on top too.

Aubergine dip (melitsanosalata)

If you like to snack on dips in the evening, try this healthy Greek aubergine option. Carrot, pepper and celery sticks make a nutritious alternative to crisps and tortilla chips. They’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two so you can prepare them in advance, ready for when you’re peckish.

Ingredients

• 2 large aubergines
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
• black pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, or gas mark 6. Wrap the aubergines in foil and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes to 30 minutes until soft.  Peel the aubergines and mash the cooled pulp with the olive oil, garlic and vinegar. Stir in the yoghurt and mayonnaise, and season with black pepper.  Chill well before serving.  Want more quick and nutritious food ideas? Check out our five tips for a healthy pregnancy, and discover the best snacks for each of your trimesters.

Original article:  https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a551100/vegetarian-recipes-for-pregnancy