Tufts Nutrition

Morning sickness? Drop a Lemon-Ginger Zing Cube into your seltzer water to soothe the nausea. Heartburn keeping you up at night? Have low-acid Tabouli-ish (aka tabouli sans tomatoes) for dinner. Craving protein but suddenly turned off by the smell of cooking meat? Quinoa-Veggie “Cheeseburgers” may do the trick.

A little menu-planning could help you better handle the physical challenges of pregnancy while meeting your nutritional needs, according to Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook authors Stephanie Clarke, N06, and Willow Jarosh, N06.

Clarke and Jarosh are registered dietitians and owners of C&J Nutrition, a nutrition consulting, communications and workplace wellness company based in New York City and Washington, D.C. The cookbook grew out of a program they developed to offer pre- and postnatal support for their private clients.

The book includes make-ahead meals for after the baby arrives and recipes, such as Orange-Carrot Cream Smoothie, to keep calcium stores stocked, pointing out “if you don’t get enough from your diet or supplements, baby takes what he or she needs from your bones.” A chapter on cravings gives healthful interpretations of favorite comfort foods, such as Baked Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower.

Most of the recommendations, such as fiber- and magnesium-rich foods to combat constipation, are based on scientific research, while some, like eating oats, chickpeas, nuts and seeds to boost milk production in breast-feeding moms, are only anecdotal. But the ingredients are so healthful that Jarosh considers the potential symptom-solving properties “icing on the already very nutritious cake.”