15 Easy Healthy Indian Recipes Perfect for First Trimester Pregnancy

What you consume during pregnancy and childbirth becomes the key source of nourishment for your baby. However, eating healthy during pregnancy does not always have to equate to boring.

While it’s crucial to consume a variety of balanced and healthy foods right from your first trimester, you can dabble with recipes that combine taste with nutrients. Let’s have a look at these 15 dishes featuring healthy and simple ingredients that provide nourishment to your baby and satiate your cravings-

1. Banana Walnut Pancakes

Pancakes make for an easy and delicious breakfast, brunch, or snack option. Here’s what you need to make this protein-packed meal:

Ingredients:

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tbsp of wheat bran

1/4th cup banana puree

1 cup of whole wheat flour

½ tbsp of vanilla essence

½ cup milk

½ tbsp baking powder

4 tbsp castor sugar

4 tbsp butter

Recipe Instructions: 

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add water and mix. 
• Melt butter in a frying pan and add the pancake mix with a ladle. Toss to cook on both sides.
• Serve it hot with some honey and banana slices.

2. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Energy Bars:

These energy bars have great nutritional value and are also perfect for fulfiling your sweet cravings. Here’s how you can make it:

Ingredients:

½ cup peanut butter

1 cup peanuts (roasted)

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp vanilla essence

½ cup chocolate chips

20 dates (pitted)

2 eggs

1 cup oats

1 tbsp Kosher salt

Recipe Instructions:

• Add peanut butter, oats, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and dates in a blender to churn. 
• In a bowl, add vanilla essence, salt, and mix the eggs
• Add the peanut mixture to the egg mixture and blend again to make a coarse paste.
• Add the chocolate chips to the mix. Grease your baking pan. And transfer the mix to your baking sheet.
• Bake for 35 mins and let it cool before cutting them into bars.

3. Bean Soup:

This easy and healthy pregnancy Indian meal will spruce up your dinner menu, and provide you with your nutritional requirements, all at once. Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients

2 cups chopped tomatoes

3/4th cup kidney beans

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

½ cup chopped onions

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tbsp chili powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Recipe Instructions:

• First, soak the kidney beans in water and leave them overnight
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the chopped onions. 
• Add garlic, salt, tomatoes, chili powder, and saute for a few minutes
• Pressure cook the beans for 15 minutes. Don’t forget to add enough water
• After cooling, add the kidney beans into a blender and churn
• Heat the soup in a pan and add lemon juice.
• Serve it hot and garnish with coriander leaves

4. Apple and Lettuce Salad

This salad contains healthy proteins and good nutrients and is a perfect addition to your first trimester Indian diet plan.

Ingredients:

½ cup cabbage

1/2 cup chopped apples

1 cup lettuce

1/4th cup of grated carrot

1 tbsp chopped spring onions

½ cup bean sprouts

1/4th cup red and yellow peppers

½ tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped grapes

Salt to taste

Recipe Instructions

• Put the vegetables in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and refrigerate for a while.
• Sprinkle lemon juice into the apples and refrigerate
• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, add salt, and mix gently.
• Add your choice of dressing to the salad, toss well and serve.

5. Chicken and Tomato Pasta:

It is a healthy pregnancy recipe for the first trimester and makes a perfect dinner option. To make this, you need:

Ingredients:

500gms chicken breast fillet

350gms dried penne pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

Pepper powder

100gms peas

1 tbsp pasta sauce

Salt to taste

Recipe Instructions:

• Boil the pasta in water and add peas to it
• Brush oil over the chicken fillet. Season with salt and pepper
• In a frying pan, cook the chicken till tender. Cut it to bite-sized pieces.
• Take another pan to heat the pasta sauce. Add your pasta, chicken, combine well and serve.

6. Cabbage Rice:

A healthy and nutritious recipe to have during lunch. Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients:

½ cup shredded cabbage

1 ½ cups of cooked rice

1 capsicum

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

½ tbsp pepper powder

Salt

Cheese (optional)

Recipe Instructions:

• In a wok, add onions and butter. Saute till transparent
• Add cabbage and capsicum into the pan and cook till tender
• Add rice, mix well. Garnish with cheese and serve.

7. Broccoli and Baby Corn Stir-fry:

It is an easy-to-cook recipe, filled with healthy ingredients. You will need:

Ingredients:

3/4th cup broccoli

1/3rd cup baby corn and capsicum

1/3rd cup onions

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp cornflour

½ tbsp black pepper

A pinch of sugar

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Recipe Instructions:

• Heat oil in a wok. Add the garlic and cook for some time.
• Stir-fry the vegetables
• Make cornflour slurry by adding ½ cup water. Add this to the veggies.
• Add your seasoning, mix well, and serve hot with toasted cashews.

8. Date and Banana Milkshake:

Craving for a sweet drink? Try this protein-rich drink. You will need:

Ingredients:

½ cup banana

1 cup milk

1/4th cup dates

4-5 ice cubes

Recipe Instructions:

• Soak the dates in warm milk for 30-45 minutes
• Add the ingredients into the blender and churn to make this delicious shake.

9. Creamy Celery Soup:

Another simple recipe for days when you are craving a piping hot bowl of soup. You need:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped onions
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 1/4th cup chopped celery stalks
• 1/4th cup chopped potatoes
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup milk

Recipe Instructions:

• Heat butter in a pan and add potatoes and onions.
• Add the celery, two cups of water, and bring the mix to a boil
• Remove the pan from heat and let the mix cool
• Churn it in a blender. Strain the mixture, transfer the soup back to the pan, and heat it.
• Mix cornflour slurry, add the seasoning. Simmer until the soup thickens, and add fresh cream on top.

10. Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon:

Fish is a key source of DHA, an ingredient foundational to your baby’s growth and development. How to include fish in your diet? Try this recipe. You need:

Ingredients:

1 cooked salmon fillet

1/3rd cup lemon juice

1/3rd cup olive oil

2 tbsps Dijon mustard

1 red bell pepper and cucumber, diced

2 cups cooked brown lentils

½ cup chopped red onion

Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe Instructions:

• Whisk lemon juice, salt, pepper, and mustard in a bowl. Slowly add oil to the bowl.
• Add the veggies and salmon to the bowl and toss well. 

11. Chicken Salad Wraps:

This recipe is packed with proteins and is a healthy pregnancy Indian recipe. To make it, you need:

Ingredients:

4 flour tortillas

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1 cup carrot and tomato, sliced

1/4th cup sugar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3rd cup Tabasco sauce

½ cup lemon juice

2/3rd cup chopped scallions

Recipe Instructions:

• In a bowl, add sugar, garlic, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and whisk
• Heat the tortillas for 10 minutes
• In a bowl add the chicken and veggies mentioned above. Mix the ingredients and add the dressing.
• Place the chicken and veggie mixture on the tortillas and enjoy!

12. Yoghurt Crunch:

This is a delicious breakfast recipe that will keep you full for long hours. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/3rd cup almonds and pecans, chopped

1/3rd cup dried apples and apricots, chopped

½ cup yoghurt

1 tbsp butter

Recipe Instructions:

• Add oats into a bowl and drizzle maple syrup over it
• Spread the oats on a baking tray and bake for five minutes
• Sprinkle almonds and pecans over the oats and bake for another seven minutes
• Transfer the mixture into a bowl. Add yoghurt, dried apples, apricots and serve.

13. Sprouts Cutlet:

A nutritious and savoury evening snack to munch on. All you need is:

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and boiled

8-10 cashews

100gms sprouts

½ cup fresh coriander

Salt to taste

100gms bread crumbs

Cooking oil

1 tbsp cornflour

Recipe Instructions:

• In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes. Add cashews, coriander, salt, sprouts, and mix well.
• Make small cutlets and coat them with bread crumbs
• Brush some oil on them and shallow fry until they turn golden brown.

14. Savoury Cheese Omelette:

A cheesy yet nutritious meal, perfect to satiate your savoury cravings. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

2 eggs

2 tbsp Mozarella cheese

¼ small red pepper

Seasoning to taste

Brown bread toast

Recipe Instructions:

• Whisk the egg in a bowl and add cheese. Add in your choice of seasoning too.
• Melt butter in a pan and pour the egg mixture. Cook till the base turns golden.
• Cook for a minute and serve with toast.

15. Banana Yoghurt Muffins:

These healthy and easy-to-make muffins are a perfect dessert option after a meal. You need:

Ingredients:

1 cup yoghurt

½ cup sugar

1 3/4th cup flour

2 large bananas, mashed

1 egg

⅔rd cup vegetable oil

Recipe Instructions:

• In a bowl, sift sugar and flour.
• Add oil, yoghurt, egg, and banana puree. Mix well, and gradually add flour and sugar.
• Grease the muffin pan and add the mixture.
• Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Our list of healthy meal recipes are suitable for the first trimester. Try these nutritious recipes at home and pamper your taste buds.