Homemade smoothies can pack quite a nutritional punch for you and your baby, and they’re great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or a late-night treat. I’ve found that 12 ounces is just the right amount for me, and I use the following basic lineup of ingredients:

I set my blender carafe on a kitchen scale to measure everything in ounces as I add it, since it’s easiest and most accurate that way. I start my blender on the lowest speed and gradually increase it until the mixture is nice and smooth, after about 30 to 45 seconds.

You could create literally millions of different smoothie variations based on this formula, but here are three healthy combinations to help get you started.

1) Yellow-Green Tropical Smoothie

6 ounces pineapple juice
3 ounces frozen mango
2 ounces coconut vanilla Greek yogurt (Oikos makes this flavor)
1 ounce frozen spinach
sweetener to taste (optional)

Why It’s Good For You
Eating Well When You’re Expecting recommends that pregnant women consume three to four servings of green and yellow vegetables and fruits daily because they’re rich in beta-carotene, fiber and many essential minerals. The mango and spinach in this smoothie count for at least one serving; plus, you get protein and calcium from the Greek yogurt, and Vitamin C from the pineapple juice.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you — you can taste the greens. If you want your smoothie to remind you more of relaxing on the beach than mowing the lawn, use four ounces of mango and skip the spinach, or start with just a little spinach and work your way up.

2) Vitamin-C-Packed Strawberry-Orange Smoothie

4 ounces frozen strawberries
4 ounces orange juice
2 ounces milk
2 ounces plain greek yogurt
sweetener to taste (optional)

Why It’s Good For You
Strawberries and orange juice are both excellent sources of Vitamin C, which is one of the most important vitamins for expecting moms. Among other attributes, Eating Well says it’s essential to the production of collagen for your developing baby, it helps in the absorption of iron, and it may help you resist infection. The milk in this smoothie pumps up the calcium content and gives it a smooth, creamy taste.

3) Stomach-Soothing Peach Ginger Smoothie

6 ounces milk
4 ounces frozen peaches
2 ounces vanilla greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
sweetener to taste (optional)

Why It’s Good For You
Peaches count as a yellow fruit (mentioned above), and they pair perfectly with ginger, which may ease nausea and aid digestion. This smoothie is also loaded with calcium, with is crucial for your baby’s bones as well as yours. This is the one you’ll want to blend up when nausea or heartburn is preventing you from eating much “real food.”

Enjoy, and let me know what other combinations you come up with!

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby guessing game here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

These simple treats are loosely based on a recipe for chewy ginger cookies from the December issue of Food Network Magazine that I chocolatized and adjusted to my tastes. I figured they’d be perfect since ginger is known to ease nausea, and chocolate makes everything better. Plus, I used blackstrap molasses instead of the regular kind because it’s rich in iron. Win-win-win!

Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies: The All Day Morning Sickness Cure

They look dense, but their texture is actually light and chewy. They’re nice and chocolately with just enough ginger and spice to add a warm, comforting flavor without overpowering. Even if it’s all in my head, these cookies make me feel better, and my husband and coworkers thoroughly enjoyed them too. Someday I’ll have to make them with my daughter and tell her all about how queasy she made me.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped chocolate
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and the egg, and beat well to combine. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients; then stir in the chocolate and crystallized ginger. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Drop tablespoons of dough two inches apart onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until just set.

Makes about three dozen cookies.

Mollee and her husband, Matt, live in Midlothian, Virginia, and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby (a girl!) in May 2013. (Check out her baby pool here.) Although she helps pay the bills by doing graphic design, Mollee’s true passion is for making things with her hands. Find more of her recipes, paintings and crafts at molleemade.com.

I frequently turn to websites like AllRecipes.com to find great meal ideas. One of our family favorites is Ginger Glazed Chicken with Pineapple Salsa. I’ve been fixing it for years and just about everyone who tries it, loves it. When my wife got pregnant for the second time we wanted to cook this one up, but this time around, I decided to change it up a bit and add in as many healthy ingredients as possible. It’s already a healthy recipe to begin with, but I added a few extra ingredients to the salsa to make it more embryo-friendly:

• finely chopped Red Pepper which is loaded with vitamins A, C and B6.
• cubed Mango which is also packed with vitamins A and C, but gives the added punch of potassium.

Here is the full recipe:

ginger marinade Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium is recommended)
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

salsa ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) can DOLE® Pineapple Tidbits, drained, reserving juice
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup cubed mango

Directions

1. Combine first 8 ingredients ingredients except chicken, in small bowl. Place chicken in resealable bag. Pour glaze over chicken coating well. Marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or more. (I like to marinade this overnight.)
2. Combine salsa ingredients in bowl and refrigerate if you’re not eating it right away. If you let this sit for a while, the flavors start to mingle and intensify. (Side tip: if you have extra red pepper, cut it into slices and save it as a healthy snack.)
3. Heat grill to medium-high.
4. Drain chicken. Pour marinade into small saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes.
5. Grill chicken; covered, 6 minutes. Brush with marinade, turn and cook 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in thickest part of chicken. Baste several times while cooking
   
6. Serve with heaping portions of salsa.

This recipe is great over white or brown rice. You could also try it out with cous cous. Add a side of veggies and you’ve got a super healthy meal that you’ll actually enjoy eating. Even my two year old enjoyed this one – just push the idea of the pineapple and you can’t go wrong with almost any child.