How To Ease Away Prenatal Constipation
Constipation affects around 40% of pregnant women in the UK. There are many ways your diet can help ease constipation. These recipes incorporate the different foods that are beneficial for gut health and keeping you regular.
Clare Young at Seed Nutrition is a Maternal and Child Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and has kindly shared her top tips and recipes for managing constipation during pregnancy.
My top tips are:
- Stay hydrated throughout the day and consume a continuous amount of liquid. This can be in the form of water, herbal teas, soups, smoothies and juices.
- Include insoluble fibre such as flax seed or chia seed and asparagus in your daily diet.
- Include prebiotic and probiotic foods to feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut.
- Improve stomach acid levels and bile production with apple cider vinegar, fermented foods and ginger.
- Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for fibre and vitamins and minerals.
- Consume healthy fats from oily fish, avocados, coconut and olives to improve transit time and bile acid
Cinnamon Pear Oat Porridge
2 Servings, 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 Pear (sliced)
1 1/3 tbsp Cinnamon
80g Oats (rolled)
450ml Water
25g Pecans (roughly chopped,
optional)
30g Almond Butter (optional)
Directions
- Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the pear and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often until softened and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pears and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the oats and water to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often until gently boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the oats to a bowl and top with pears. Add the pecans and almond butter, if using. Enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat with a splash of water or oat milk or eat cold.
Nut free: Use pumpkin seeds instead of pecans. Omit the almond butter or use tahini instead.
More flavour: Add a splash of oat milk and/or vanilla. Cook the pear in coconut oil.
Additional toppings: Sweeten with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Chickpea Omelette with Asparagus
2 Servings, 15 minutes
Ingredients
46g Chickpea Flour
119ml Water
9g Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
67g Asparagus (trimmed, chopped)
1g Fresh Dill (chopped)
1/2 Avocado
1 Spring Onion (chopped)
Directions
- In a medium bowl, add the chickpea flour, water, nutritional yeast, turmeric and
sea salt. Whisk well to combine. Set aside. - In a skillet over medium heat add the oil and the asparagus. Cook, turning
occasionally until the asparagus is fork tender, but still crisp, about 5 to 6
minutes. Remove and set aside. - In the same skillet, add more oil if necessary. Over medium heat, pour the
chickpea omelette mixture and move the pan around to ensure it covers the
skillet evenly, in one layer. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown on
the bottom. Add the asparagus to the omelette, then fold in half over the filling. - Gently, remove the omelette from the skillet and place on a plate. Top with dill,
sliced avocado and green onion. Enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
Serving Size: One serving is equal to one omelette with all the toppings.
More Flavour: Add chilli flakes or black pepper.
Additional Toppings: Top with goat cheese or feta
Gut Healing Green Smoothie
2 Servings, 5 minutes
Ingredients
593ml Water (cold)
42g Kale Leaves
1/2 Avocado (peeled and pit removed)
1 Banana (frozen)
12g Chia Seeds
13g Ground Flax Seed
40g Hemp Seeds
42g Raw Honey
Directions
- Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass
and enjoy!
Notes
No Kale: Use spinach instead.
No honey: Use maple syrup, dates or extra banana to sweeten instead.
Likes it creamy: Use almond milk instead of water for extra creaminess.
Storage: Make ahead and store in a sealed mason jar. Shake well before drinking. Keeps
well in the fridge for 1 – 2 days
8 Servings, 45 minutes
Gut Healing Green Smoothie
Ingredients
237 ml Water
680g Black Beans (cooked,
drained and rinsed)
680g Diced Tomatoes (fresh or
canned)
230g Corn (fresh, canned or
frozen)
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Paprika
2 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
2 tsp Sea Salt
255g Quinoa (dry/uncooked)
8 Whole Wheat Tortilla
120g Baby Spinach
2 Avocado (diced)
Directions
- In a large pot, add water, black beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin, paprika, chilli
powder and salt. Bring to a simmer. - Add quinoa and cook for 12 to 15 more minutes.
- Place each tortilla wrap on a plate and top with spinach, avocado and the
quinoa filling. Enjoy!
Notes
More toppings: Feta cheese, greek yogurt, diced chicken breast or cucumber slices.
Gluten free: Use corn or rice tortillas instead of whole wheat.
Slow cooker version: Add the water, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, paprika,
chilli powder, salt and quinoa together in the slow cooker. Stir well to mix and cook on
low for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
6 Servings, 50 minutes
Berry & Flax Baked Oat Bars
Ingredients
480 ml Oat Milk
120g Unsweetened Applesauce
80g Maple Syrup
160g Oats (quick or rolled)
40g Ground Flax Seed
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
280g Frozen Berries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC).
- In a mixing bowl combine the oat milk, applesauce, and maple syrup. Stir in the
oats, flaxseed, and cinnamon. Fold in the berries. - Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the oatmeal is
spongy to the touch in the center and a toothpick comes out clean. - Let the baked oatmeal cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Baking dish: An 8 x 8-inch baking dish was used to create six servings.
Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days or freeze for up to three
months.
More flavour: Add vanilla extract and chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans.
No applesauce: Use mashed banana instead.
No oat milk: Use almond milk or milk of choice instead.
