Making the Food That Makes the Baby

There really isn't a whole lot I can do as the parent who is not making the baby within my own body.  I can watch, wait, worry, and even try to plan, but I feel like there is something more I should be doing.  Something to contribute to the over-all health & development of our little person, something to somehow help carry the burden of creating our child.

When reading about pregnancy, one topic I frequently notice is nutrition.  Pregnant mothers need to consume an average to 300 extra calories each day.  They also need to make sure that those calories come from nutrient-rich, healthy foods with plenty of iron, calcium, folate, and fiber.  The tiny developing baby inside my wife is eating what my wife eats, and is literally being constructed from the food.   As the family cook, this is something I can get involved with.  I can make the food that makes the baby.

Here is a quick lunch that I put together for the two of them.  It is red quinoa with kidney beans, kale, walnuts, and apples.  There is also olive oil, lemon, and herbs bringing the flavors together.

For dinner, I made a soup inspired by Julia Child's recipe for French onion soup.  A good soup takes all day to make, but it is always worth it.  This soup started by roasting some beef bones & onions in the oven, simmering them for 5 hours with other spices & vegetables, then straining the broth.  To serve, I filled the bowl with the soup, added a poached egg from our hens, and then grated some Swiss cheese onto the soup.  My cheese sank into the soup and did not form a gorgeous topping as Julia Child's did, but it still tasted nice.

In addition to foods that are good for developing babies, there are also foods that can harm them and which should be avoided.  Things like caffeine, alcohol, sprouts, and shellfish to name a few.  My wife particularly enjoys tea: black, green, and herbal.  But while pregnant, she has been advised to avoid consuming any tea.  Here in Montana, the winters are long and cold, and a hot cup of tea not only tastes good, but it also soothes and warms the whole body.  So, on this snowy February afternoon, while the stock for the soup was simmering, I concocted a couple of healthy mixtures my wife can use to substitute for nice cup of tea.  

The jar on the left is a suspension of vanilla beans, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and ginger in honey.  The jar on the right is a suspension of a lemon and ginger in honey.  It will steep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and then it can be added by the spoonful to cups of hot water for "tea."

Honey, fresh ginger, and lemon slices can also be steeped in simmering water for about 10 minutes to make a satisfying tea substitute one cup at a time.  Ginger and lemon can help to ease nausea, which troubles some pregnant women.

I really like the idea that I can make the food that my wife will use to make our baby.  Our baby will be made of so much delicious food and love.  I'm excited to meet this little one and find out what his/her favorite foods will be.