Delicious, nutritious dinner recipes made with only five ingredients, plus an eat-well guide to pregnancy

When it comes to cooking, take five — take five simple ingredients and turn them into a spectacular entree, that is. These five dinner recipes are simple to make, full of nutrients and fresh flavors, and super-satisfying. They’re also designed to make your life easy; you can prepare them in 35 minutes or less. What’s more, they’re freezer-friendly — perfect fare for when you have a new baby in your life and not a lot of time.  Easy, nutritious meals are especially important now that you’re expecting. After all, at the end of a long, hot day, who wants to labor in the kitchen? Save the labor for delivery day.

5 day meal plan

This meal plan features simple recipes and snacks and provides the proper balance of nutrients for you and your baby. During your second and third trimesters, include one additional snack per day from “Smart Snacks” at left. Recipes follow for foods marked with an asterisk (*).

Note: g=grams, mg=milligrams, mcg=micrograms.


DAY 1

Breakfast
Berry breakfast smoothie: Blend 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk, 1/2 cup berries, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup crushed ice.
1 2-ounce plain bagel topped with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Snack
4 graham crackers

Lunch
Egg salad sandwich: 2 1-ounce slices whole-grain bread, 1 chopped hard-boiled egg, 2 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped celery.
1/4 honeydew melon, cut into wedges
8 ounces reduced-fat milk

Snack
1 1/2 cups bell pepper slices with herb dip (1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt and fresh or dried herbs)

Dinner
1 serving Sweet Potato, Kielbasa and Kale Soup*
2 1-ounce slices whole-grain bread with 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese melted on top of each
8 ounces calcium-fortified orange juice
1 medium nectarine

Snack
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt topped with 1 tablespoon peanut butter chips

Nutritional information: 2,265 calories, 27% fat (71 g), 56% carbohydrate, 17% protein, 31 g fiber, 16 mg iron, 1,650 mg calcium, 436 mcg folate.


DAY 2

Breakfast
1 cup whole-grain cereal (such as Wheat Chex)
8 ounces reduced-fat milk
1/4 honeydew melon

Snack
1 1-ounce slice cinnamon-raisin bread topped with 1 tablespoon soy nut butter

Lunch
1 serving Sweet Potato, Kielbasa and Kale Soup*
1 1-ounce whole-grain roll
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
8 ounces reduced-fat milk

Snack
8 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh fruit

Dinner
1 serving Spicy Scallops and White Beans* over 1 cup cooked white rice
1 cup broccoli, steamed
1 teaspoon butter or margarine

Snack
4 cups low-fat microwave popcorn
4 ounces grapefruit juice

Nutritional information: 2,331 calories, 21% fat (57 g), 59% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 40 g fiber, 24 mg iron, 1,507 mg calcium, 612 mcg folate.