One of the things we cover in my Hypnobabies childbirth classes in nutrition. Sometimes it can be very challenging to even know where to start. Pregnancy nutrition is a little different in that we want to make sure we are getting everything we need and not necessarily focusing on limiting the “bad” stuff. Usually, if we focus on getting enough of the ‘good stuff’ we will naturally eliminate the ‘not so good stuff”. Pregnancy is an amazing time for our bodies because if our body or baby needs a specific nutrient, out body will scream at us in the form of cravings. When we are not pregnant,our bodies still talk to us but it’s more in the form of a whisper.
One of the ‘good things’ that we want to make sure we’re getting enough of during pregnancy is protein. Protein is good on a lot of different levels and the big factor for me is know that we have to have protein to build a cell and to repair cells. It’s literally in every cell of our bodies. During pregnancy, we are building a LOT of new cells! That being said, a very easy place to get good, high quality, inexpensive protein is eggs. For few years, eggs got a bad reputation but now, science is proving that eggs actually help lower bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol.
Eggs are also more than just little balls of protein. They include lots of good nutrients that help support a healthy baby and mom. Eggs also help the bag of water stay nice a nice and strong. If the amniotic sac ruptures too early, that can lead to major complications for momma and baby but it’s healthier if the bag of water stays intact longer. Babies can actually be born inside their bag of water, which is called being born in the caul. Babies born “en caul” are considered to be blessed for life!
In my house, we LOVE eggs. Every weekend morning, you’ll find my partner in the kitchen whipping up some yummy egg something. One of our favorites is the frittata. They are SO simple and versatile and requires very little planning. That’s a win-win in our house.
We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) so we start with 6 eggs and any vegetable we have in the house. We like to use fresh veggies but frozen would work great too. Crack the eggs in a bowl, mix them up then set that bowl aside for now.
Recently, we have discovered the joys of cast iron so we pull out the 9.5″ square cast iron pan (like this one: Lodge L8SQ3 Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Square Skillet, 10.5-inch). Roughly dice about 1/2 of a white or Viadalia onion and add it to the pan with some butter (or olive oil) and garlic. We also like garlic so we use about 1 heaping tablespoon or 4-5 cloves. Sauté the garlic and onion until soft and fragrant then add your veggies.
Usually we have carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms and sometimes we have some leftover steak or lunch meat. This weekend, we had broccoli, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms and celery to add to the garlic and onions. This is the part where you can just get creative. We have added corn, potatoes, green beans, chicken, and shrimp just to name a few.
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Once your garlic and onions are nice and soft, add your veggies (and meat if you would like). If you are going to add spinach or any other soft veggie, add it after your other veggies are done. You can also add any additional spices here if you would like to. We usually add salt, pepper and basil. This usually takes about 5-8 mins on med high heat stirring occasionally.
When you’re veggies are nice and soft (cooked al-denta), then it’s time to add the eggs. We also love cheese so add it here if you would like. Mix everything together and the put the whole cast iron skillet in the over. Cook at 350 for about 20 mins or until it looks done. Cut, serve warm and enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, it re-heats wonderfully and you can store them in the fridge for up to a week. Here is a handy printable recipe card and let me know how you like your frittata!
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