I am so happy to invite my friends and colleagues, registered dietitians Stephanie Clarke and Willow Jarosh on my Plant Chat today to talk about their new book. Together with dietetic intern Tamara Kelly-Scott, we are excited to learn more about their tips for a healthy, happy pregnancy.
Every woman wants a healthy, happy pregnancy. But, every woman is different. Some women float through pregnancy without a worry or symptom. Others may experience every symptom in the book. Regardless, there is hope for a healthy, happy pregnancy by using food as medicine. In their book, Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook, Stephanie and Willow provide symptom-healing recipes and a wealth of other information for pregnant women during and after pregnancy.
This informative book features recipes for wholesome, unprocessed meals and snacks. In addition, it contains nutritional breakdowns and tips for the best ways to alleviate troublesome pregnancy symptoms. Since Tamara is a pregnant woman currently in her third trimester, the nausea symptoms still are overwhelming. So she curiously went to the I’m Gonna Hurl section of Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook and was greeted with some awesome recipes, such as the Peach-Ginger Smoothie and the Lemon-Ginger Zing Cubes. There are many more medicinal recipes for leg cramps, water retention, heartburn, constipation, etc. We love how humor is included in this book with education, making it an interesting read, as well as a cookbook.
Stephanie and Willow met in a graduate school program at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. After completing their combined Dietetic Internship and Master’s program, they founded C&J Nutrition in 2006. C&J Nutrition provides nutrition counseling, consulting, pre and post-natal programs, and workplace wellness. We are so happy they took time out of their busy schedules to be interviewed for the blog. Continue reading to learn more about Stephanie, Willow, and their fantastic cookbook.
We’ve had a pre and postnatal program in our private practice since we opened — our Well Rounded NYC program. Helping women feel their best, and stay healthy, during and after pregnancy has always been something we feel really passionately about. It’s a time when there’s so much change happening and when women are especially in tune with how what they eat affects their health and wellbeing. We wanted to write Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook to offer support during and after pregnancy and to help women feel empowered to minimize discomforts via food choices. We also wanted to focus on all the foods that women CAN eat, since oftentimes we hear our clients say they’re bombarded with (usually well-meaning) messages from friends, family, and media about what to avoid during pregnancy.
What makes Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook unique from other cookbooks related to pregnancy?
It takes an “eat to treat” approach. Each chapter is focused around a common pregnancy discomfort (nausea, constipation, fluid retention, heart burn, etc.) and the recipes contain ingredients that are packed with nutrients that can help minimize/prevent those discomforts, in addition to optimizing the health of mom and baby. We also included a chapter for freeze-ahead meals (to make before baby arrives), 20-minute or less meals, and an entire chapter of meals and snacks you can make and eat with one hand (the nursing chapter).
What are your top 3 foods for women suffering from nausea and vomiting during any trimester of pregnancy?
As strange (and oftentimes unappealing) as it sounds, protein-rich foods are the most powerful for helping to reduce pregnancy-related nausea. But these are not typically the foods we crave when we’re nauseated (hello, carbs!). So, our top foods for women experiencing nausea are ones that integrate protein in a way that feels carb-y. And bonus points if they fit in veggies too, since veggies can be tough to tolerate with a queasy stomach.
Fruit and veggie smoothies with nut butters, tofu, or protein powder to increase protein
Soups with pureed beans stirred in
Whole grain savory scones with beans and veggies baked in
Whole grain hot cereal topped with fruit & nuts
Please share your top 3 healthy pregnancy tips.
Turn brunch into lunch. When you eat, baby eats and going too long without eating prevents baby from getting important nutrition. Brunch at 11am? Consider it lunch and have breakfast at home when you wake up.
Get protein in at every meal. Your body can’t absorb a whole day’s worth of protein in one sitting, so it’s really important to give it boosts of protein at every meal (and many snacks). Plus, including a little protein with meals can help keep first trimester nausea at bay.
Snack! Snacks help to fill in the nutrient gaps that meals might not meet. They also keep you from going too long without eating, which can help keep your blood sugar stable, your energy level higher, and your mood steadier. Snacking can also help prevent you from getting overly hungry and overeating at meals, which can trigger heartburn later in pregnancy.
What is your own personal nutritional philosophy for optimal health and wellness, whether you’re pregnant or not?
We like to put the focus on feeling good and having steady energy to do all the things that make us happy. There are no good or bad foods and we believe in listening to your body and respecting cravings. We believe that the goal of what you eat and how you eat should ultimately be to make you feel really good for the long haul. And once you put your food choices into these terms it can be a lot more motivating to include more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans in your daily eats!
Can you share a plant-based friendly recipe from your cookbook?
A mixture of avocado and Greek yogurt* creates a creamy and rich center for these cheese*-topped baked potatoes. You’re getting potassium from the potatoes, calcium from the cheese*, and healthy fats from the avocado—cramps be gone! Serve them with a lean protein and a green salad for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Scale
2 large russet potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 ripe avocado
3 tablespoons 2% plain Greek yogurt*
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons chopped scallions, divided
1⁄2 cup shredded light Mexican blend cheese*
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rub each potato with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Poke fairly deep holes in the potato skin with a fork.
Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 60 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the potato flesh feels soft.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, gently scoop out the potato flesh into a medium bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato at the bottom of each shell.
Add the avocado, yogurt, salt, and pepper to the potato flesh and stir to combine. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the mixture thoroughly.
Gently stir in the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of the scallions. Place the empty potato skins on the lined baking sheet.
Fill the potato skins with the mashed avocado-potato mixture. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over each half. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and browned at the edges.
Serve topped with the remaining 1 tablespoon scallions.
Notes
*For a plant-based option, substitute vegan cheese for the dairy cheese and dairy-free plain yogurt for the Greek yogurt.
*Nutrition information per serving:
*Per serving: 253 calories, 8 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 3 g total sugar, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 141 mg sodium, 1007 mg potassium (29% DV), 125 mg calcium (12% DV), 58 mg magnesium (15% DV), 0.1 mcg B12 (2% DV), 0.8 mg B6 (38% DV), 1.8 mg iron (10% DV)
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