Monday, September 28, 2009

Pregnancy Update and Meal Plans

I am at the end of my second trimester! Things are going very well with this pregnancy... EXCEPT that I have been really tired lately. My doctor has evaluated my bloodwork, and I have talked at length with my midwife. Their final analysis: my fatigue is simply due to overloading my schedule and not getting enough rest.

Hmmm. I am glad it is nothing serious, but I don't know how to thin out my schedule... and napping doesn't really come easily in a house full of active children. We'll just have to see how I can fit in more rest... yeah, right.

But in the meantime, I know that my body (and my baby) would not appreciate me cutting corners and letting unhealthy convenience foods into my daily diet. These foods actually deprive us of energy because of the additional strain they put on our digestive and detoxification systems. In times like these, our bodies really need the right fuel to keep them operating at peak performance. (Which reminds me of a post I wrote a while ago about the proper fuel for our bodies.) The "right fuel" is real food... So I will keep pressing on with my "whole foods" meal plans and preparations.

Here's what I have planned for this week:

Monday: This quiche with Parsley Mashed Potatoes and a Garden Salad.

Tuesday: Make Yogurt in the morning.
Cabbage Rolls (from this cookbook) plus a Garden Salad. I have so much cabbage from my last produce box! I will make a double or triple batch of these and freeze them for future meals when I simply don't have time to cook.

Wednesday: This is our full-to-bursting day. So I will make Crock Pot Black Bean Soup (follow this link) and some fresh soaked flatbreads to dip into the soup. If I have time in the morning when I start to soak the flatbreads, I will also bake some Banana Nut Muffins.

Thursday: Crock Pot Roast, Oven Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Vegetables.

Friday: Chicken and Spinach Calzones with another fresh, crisp salad... full of all the wonderful raw food benefits we need to frequently take advantage of!


Press on dear readers... we all get tired, don't we? But what we eat really matters! Make a reasonable plan, then stick with it... you'll be glad you did!

4 comments:

Kristi said...

Kudos to you for sticking with it! I can't imagine having to cook all whole foods while pregnant. I was doing good just to get through the day. I ate as best I could, but we called Pizza Hut quite frequently! I hope you get a little more energy back and find some time to rest!

Jessica said...

Would you mind sharing your recipe for the Chicken & Spinach Calzones?

Noel said...

At least you have a reason to be tired!!! I hate being tired with no reason at all. It's fustrating! Your meal plan sounds very nutrition :)

Amy Ellen said...

Hi Jessica,

Unfortunately, I don't have an exact recipe for the calzones. I use my whole wheat pizza crust recipe and divide it into two balls. I roll them out and then top the dough with a mixture of cooked, chopped and drained spinach (or chard or kale); ricotta cheese; minced garlic; salt; pepper... sometimes onions, sometimes peppers, sometimes mushrooms.

Then I smother it with mozzerella, fold it up, press the edges together, oil and slit the top and bake at 400 until nice and brown. The only tricky part is moving the calzone onto the pan... I guess I should lay the dough on the pan and then fill it... that would make sense.

My family loves calzones... and they are not picky about what goes inside, as long as there is cheese... and as long as the veggies are cooked and not crunchy... so I usually saute them all in a pan together with the garlic before I mix in the ricotta.

Oh, and I make a dipping sauce by mixing a can of crushed tomatoes with salt, pepper, herbs and a pinch of cayenne. My husband actually prefers this to other marinaras... and it is cheaper!

Hope this helps... I know this is not real specific.

Have a great day! Amy Ellen