Nutritions & Recipes
When people around you know about your pregnancy, the phrase ‘eating for two’ is always brought up in conversations. You also start to pay more attention to what you eat and what you don’t eat – and which nutrients you need to stock up on. Food and nutrition are important aspects of one’s daily life – and are even more important when you are pregnant. We know that you care about nutrition and we want to help you acquire more knowledge about it. In this section, you can find articles on nutrition – what to eat, what to eat more of, and what not to eat. Plus, we provide recipes – both for you and your baby – to experiment with!
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6 low-calorie confinement recipes every mum-to-be must know
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Easy recipe for mums: Fish & potato pie
This healthy and easy recipe is a great source of protein and Vitamin C, and helps to give that boost of energy to all mums-to-be. It was first featured in the Good Eats for Mums-to-be cookbook published by the KK Women's and Children's Hospital in Singapore.
A guide to baby led weaning
Find out all about baby led weaning and follow our top tips to get you started.
10 foods rich in folic acid
You should be taking folic acid daily when trying to conceive and during your pregnancy. You can give your diet a boost as well by choosing foods which are rich in folate. Here's ten ideas of how to incorporate the into your diet.
Ginger juice with milk custard recipe
This custard recipe works especially well for mums in their first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when fetal bone development is at its most crucial point.
What pregnancy supplements does my body need?
Is it important to supplement your nutrition during pregnancy? We asked the professionals at Raffles Hospital to tell us which pregnancy supplements we should take.
20 Chinese Herbs strictly prohibited during pregnancy
Some Chinese herbs and remedies can definitely be used by pregnant women. But when using Chinese herbal medicine for pregnancy, it is best to seek the advice of a TCM practitioner.
The facts about hidden toxins in a pregnancy diet
There are hidden toxins in our food which can be harmful to your unborn baby, but considered okay to eat when you are not pregnant. Find out more about which foods to avoid during pregnancy.
Detox juice ideas for a healthier pregnancy
If you have been feeling down in the dumps or lethargic lately, it could be more than just hormones playing a part. Your diet affects your mood just as much. Here's some great ideas for a much needed detox!
5 baby weaning recipes using breastmilk
Your baby will still need to nurse up to six times a day when you begin to wean at 6 months or older. And there's no need to stop giving your baby all the goodness of breastmilk when you start giving them solids. Try out these 5 baby weaning recipes that all use breastmilk!
5 better breakfast options for mummies-to-be!
A healthy breakfast is key to relieving some unpleasant pregnancy symptoms and for getting the energy boost you need at the start of the day. Here are five quick and simple breakfast options, deliciously nutritious for you and your baby.
Boost lactation with Mo' Milk Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Step away from the TV set and into the kitchen for an afternoon of baking up these melt-in-your-mouth Mo' Milk Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies that will promote lactation!
10 cancer causing foods that we don't suspect
During pregnancy women become more conscious about eating healthy foods. Many ingredients in our everyday foods can be toxic and have potential carcinogens. Find out which foods you need to avoid during pregnancy.
Could you be too skinny to conceive?
A new study shows that some women might be too skinny to get pregnant. We look at what exactly is too skinny and offer tips to help you gain weight healthily.
10 most unhealthy processed foods to avoid
Processed foods are becoming a staple food of modern society. Our fast paced society has invented a way to save us time from cooking. But is it costing us our health? Most likely yes, as many of the processed foods sold in supermarkets are packed with harmful ingredients.
Healthy recipes for mums! Stuffed tomatoes with beef and corn
Check out our series of healthy recipes for mums. Impress your family and friends with our stuffed tomatoes recipe with beef and corn. Delicious and easy to make.
10 quick and simple first baby foods
Experts recommend you wait until your baby is at least six months old before starting solids. If you and your baby are ready, here are ten yummy and exciting ways to introduce your baby to taste and texture.
Feeding time - Is organic baby food better?
Organic baby food may be more expensive but does this mean that it is better for baby? Is it better to cook your baby's meals from scratch so you know what has gone in? We take a look at studies on this topic.
Confinement recipe: Mutton Soup with Dang Gui
If you are going through your confinement period, try this mutton soup wit Dang Gui recipe - it's rich in iron and promotes the regenration of red blood cells.
Lean pork soup with Tian Ma and Gou Teng recipe
This traditional Chinese recipe for lean pork soup with tian ma and gou teng is believed to cure the dizziness some women may experience during pregnancy. TCM specialists say herbs like tian ma and gou teng promote blood circulation, something especially necessary for expectant mummies reaching the end of their second trimester.
Black Bean Soup with Pork Ribs recipe
If you've just delivered your little one, congratulations! You're bound to have lost a considerable amount of blood during delivery and would likely be feeling all the effects of anaemia coming in, such as dizziness or shortness of breath.
This recipe for black bean soup with pork ribs is a breeze to prepare, with just three basic ingredients. Apart from replenishing your blood cells, it will give you an overall boost of energy. Black beans and peanuts…
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Steamed tofu with egg and minced chicken
This recipe is tasty, nutritious and quick to prepare, taking only 20 minutes tops. Eggs and tofu are rich in protein, which is necessary if you want to boost your breastmilk supply, while minced chicken promotes blood circulation. We reckon this should be every mummy's recipe of choice to increase breastmilk.
Recipe adapted from Successful Breastfeeding: A Practical Guide, by Kang Phaik Gaik
Ingredients
1 block of soft tofu
1 egg
200g minced chicken, defrosted
salt or soya sauce (optional)
Preparation
1. Mash…
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Pumpkin and spinach lasagna recipe
Crunchy pistachios nestled within lasagna layers serve as pleasant surprises in unconventional recipes, while accompanying fresh ricotta and natural yogurt provide needed protein. Packed with creamy spinach, Italian-inspired concoctions collaborate with naturally sweet pumpkin and melted Parmesan cheese to create comforting dishes.
Try this delicious pumpkin and spinach lasagna recipe at home, which serves 2 to 3 people and is a good source of antioxidants, carotenes and vitamins.
Ingredients for Pumpkin and spinach lasagna recipe
1 tablespoon olive…
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Fish tail and papaya soup recipe
Believed to increase milk supply, fish tail and papaya soup is often suggested to breastfeeding mothers in confinement. The crunchy peanuts in this soup will offer textural surprise, while soft papayas and fish will work together to offer various antioxidants and cell-building protein. Tangerine peels and ginger add zesty tinges to already flavourful broths, and remaining portions can be kept in the slow cooker for multiple servings.
Ingredients
1 kg fish meat
100g raw peanuts
1 half-ripe papaya (cut…
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Oven-baked boneless chicken leg recipe
Showcasing simplicity at its best, this recipe utilises a juicy boneless chicken leg for strong protein punches, while traditional soy seasoning provides savoury flavours. Honey balances meaty dishes with naturally beneficial sweetness, before sprinkles of pepper will tease your tongue with dashes of spice. Check out Lily Chua's delicious boneless chicken leg recipe tonight!
Ingredients for Boneless Chicken Leg Recipe
1 pc boneless chicken leg with skin
1 tomato — sliced
2 pcs of garlic — chopped
3 tablespoons of honey
2…
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Recovery period: Your diet after miscarriage
While you may feel disappointed in your own body, now is the time to be gentle with it. The right diet after miscarriage to speed up the recovery process, so be sure no nourish your body with plenty of healthy foods. This diet is not restrictive – just a few small lifestyle changes is all you need.
Is it ok to eat hawker food as part of your pregnancy diet?
After a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is to cook dinner and your husband is terrible in the kitchen. So you usually end up eating at the hawker center or food court, or getting takeout from the neighbourhood kopitiam. The only thing is: Is it really healthy for your body during pregnancy? We take a closer look at eating out as part of a pregnancy diet.
What a healthy pregnancy…
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Basic bottle-feeding 101
Many mums want to breastfeed, but in some cases, it just isn’t an option. Alternatively, you might simply want to wean your baby from the breast, but whatever your motivation, these tips for bottle feeding will be useful to you.
Managing weight gain with multiple babies
Watching your weight gain during pregnancy can be difficult, but when you are carrying multiple babies it is even more important. Gaining too much weight while you are pregnant with multiple babies can cause harm to both you and your babies. Do not worry though, there are easy things you can do that will help.
Chinese fried rice with ginger
Fried rice is a staple at tze char stalls but now mothers can also enjoy a healthier version of fried rice in the comfort of their own homes! Ginger is used in this dish and it is known for purging “wind” so that the body will not be “cold.” Ginger can also promote blood circulation, which helps to “warm up” one’s weak body after delivery. French beans and carrots, which are rich in dietary fibre…
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Turtle soup with longan and wolfberries
Turtle soup is known to help mothers recovering in confinement to purge of “coldness” and it has many healing benefits for conditions such as asthma and urinary tract infection. Longan, wolfberries and red dates are added to give sweetness to the turtle soup.
RELATED: How to make traditional confinement tea
Ingredients:
1 soft shell turtle
1 handful of dried longans
1 handful of wolfberries
1 handful of red dates
Few pieces of crunchy herb
2 slices of ginger
1 litre of water
1 tbsp sesame oil
RELATED: Confinement…
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Yummy stir-fried kai lan with pork and ginger
Kai lan is rich in iron, antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It contains beta-carotene, Vitamin K, and calcium, which is great for bones. It is a great vegetable for ladies who have just given birth because it can help replenish iron and calcium loss. If you want a simple meal that has both vegetables and meat, this stir-fried kai lan with pork dish paired with rice is perfect for you.
RELATED: Broccoli and mushroom soup recipe
INGREDIENTS:
100g minced…
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Black date soup with black beans
Try a sweet soup that's especially great for mummies who are anemic because dates are rich in iron content. They also contain a lot of dietary fiber, protein and various B vitamins. Black beans promote bowel movement and are a fantastic source of antioxidants. Add rock sugar to sweeten up this black date soup.
RELATED: Confinement dish: Stir-fried beef with garlic and ginger
INGREDIENTS:
200g black dates
100g black beans
Sliced ginger (amount is up to own preference)
2 litres of water
Rock…
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10 safe herbal pregnancy remedies for relief
Using herbal pregnancy remedies has been around for thousands of years. Different cultures use all types of plants to treat pregnancy ailments. We look at some simple herbal infusions that you can prepare at home.
Yi mu cao drink with wood ear fungus
Yi mu cao, also known as Chinese motherwort, helps invigorate blood by promoting circulation and clearing blood clots in the body. On the other hand, wood ear fungus (hei mu er) prevents blood clotting. This yi mu cao drink with wood ear fungus is fantastic for mothers who are recovering in confinement.
RELATED: Make dang shen tea with a twist
INGREDIENTS:
15g wood ear fungus
50g Chinese motherwort
Sliced ginger (amount up to own preference)
Brown sugar (to taste)
2 eggs
1000ml of water
RELATED: How…
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Lotus roots soup with papaya
Lotus roots soup with pork ribs is a soup that many Chinese Singaporeans have grown up eating. This version of the herbal soup includes papaya for a sweeter taste and to aid milk production for mothers who are breastfeeding. Have it on its own or over plain rice for a delicious lunch or dinner!
Ingredients for lotus roots soup with papaya:
300g pork ribs
200g peanuts
300g papaya
3 lotus roots
2 litres of water
2 garlic cloves (pounded)
2 tbsp light soya…
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Confinement recipe: Honey drink with snow fungus
Tired of red date drinks during confinement? This refreshing beverage is an excellent alternative for mummies in confinement. The main ingredient, snow fungus, is known for its medicinal properties and rich in iron, phosphorous, calcium and Vitamin C. Paired with dried longan and ginger juice, this honey drink confinement recipe helps mothers to purge the “wind” and sleep better at night.
Ingredients:
15g snow fungus
Dried longans (amount is up to personal preference)
2 tbsp honey (you can add…
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Pork trotters in black rice vinegar
This is a well-known confinement dish that involves quite a few steps but nourishing and provides several health benefits when done well. It is effective in purging “wind” and replenishing the body with iron and calcium. Plus, you just can't go wrong with pork trotters!
INGREDIENTS:
500g pork trotters (sectioned)
1 litre sweet vinegar
500ml black rice vinegar
Hard boiled eggs (depending on how many you want)
10 large pieces of old ginger
RELATED: Thomson Medical Center's famous fish head and green papaya…
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Chicken soup with vegetables and tofu
Like most meats, chicken provides lots of protein to mothers during confinement. This recipe also uses tomatoes, which are high in antioxidants and help to lower hypertension. Combined with ginger and tofu, this delicious chicken soup is a simple dish that mommies can cook for themselves during confinement.
INGREDIENTS:
1 chicken
2 large onions
3 tomatoes
1 soup tofu (cut into 4 large cubes)
3-4 slices of ginger
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 litre water
RELATED: Simply delicious cream of tomato soup
PREPARATION:
Remove any feathers…
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Ginger and garlic beef stir fry
Beef is an excellent source of iron, great for staying strong during your pregnancy and replenishing blood loss after your delivery. Beef is also good for mothers who are lactating because it can help restore iron deficiency. When combined with ginger, this easy-to-make beef stir fry offers great texture and delicious flavor to your taste buds for a yummy meal any time.
RELATED: Indulge in deep fried beef lungs and chili
INGREDIENTS:
80g shredded ginger
100g tenderloin beef (sliced thinly)
1…
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Broccoli and mushroom soup recipe
Broccoli is one of the most attractive-looking veggetables in the supermarket — you can't help but be drawn to its bright green colour! Plus it's packed with nutrients such as a high fiber content — which helps with digestion, Vitamin C and K, as well as calcium and beta-carotene. Even better — it's delicious boiled, steamed, or fried! We love pairing broccoli with mushrooms, which also contains beneficial nutrients such as Vitamin D and potassium,…
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Easy butter fried rice with broccoli and carrot
Rice is one of the staples of the Southeast Asian diet, and it's easy to see why: It's easy to cook and can be eaten on its own, with another dish, or as a side dish! Rice is also a great source of carbohydrates as well as amino acids which promotes healthy muscles and muscle growth, which are especially important while pregnant. Adding vegetables to a rice dish is a great way to get other…
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Simple steamed chicken with spices
Chicken remains as one of the most common meat eaten in Asia as it can be cooked in so many ways and still be delicious. One way to enjoy chicken is to steam it and let it cook in its own juices. Although simple the taste and smell will remind one of your childhood, as many Asians have grown up with simple fares such as steamed chicken — plus it's healthier than cooking it in…
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Fish head and green papaya soup recipe (TMC)
Below is Thomson Medical Centre's recipe for their famous fish head and green papaya soup. Light and nourishing, this clear broth combines the nutrients of soft papaya and flavourful fish head for a satisfying meal. Believed to improve milk flow and lactation, this soup is often given to mothers in confinement but is suitable for finicky children as well as elderly members of the family. This recipe serves 3 - 4 people.
Radish congee with huai shan and Job’s tears
Job’s tears (also known as Coix) is a barley-like kernel which aids in eliminating phlegm and reducing swelling in joints and sinews. This warm and easily prepared radish congee may reduce the impact of certain factors which contribute to infertility, while folic acid from the radish helps in preventing anemia in expectant mothers. Try this comforting and nutritious at home!
Ingredients
250g radish
30g Job’s Tears (Coix)
20g Huai Shan (Chinese Burdock or Dried Chinese Yam)
50g long-grain rice
Preparation
Rinse all ingredients
Peel…
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Velvety cream of tomato soup recipe
Soothe your tired bodies, mums, with scents of steamy goodness from a smooth and rich tomato soup. Topped with a dollop of cream, cheese and oregano, nutritious bright red soups administer various vitamins while fighting off cancer, heart disease, and other unwanted illnesses. Try our simple to make cream of tomato soup recipe and unwind.
RELATED: Steamed tofu with egg and minced chicken recipe
Ingredients
2 cans Campbell's tomato soup
1 can Nestlé cream
1 can water
1 slice Kraft cheese
1/2 cup…
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Deep fried beef lungs with chilli recipe
Uncommon dishes of beef lung offer up culinary challenges and heaps of healthy benefits, like high protein contents that aid in muscle growth and promote overall well-being. Testing the tolerance of Asian taste buds, spicy marinades with turmeric bases coat thinly sliced meat in this beef lungs and chilli recipe, before it's fried up into crispy goodness. You can't go wrong with this for dinner tonight!
Why not try this for dessert?
RELATED: More recipes: Ginger juice…
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Aromatic spicy baked chicken recipe
Although commonly cooked, baked chicken remains one of the most popular meats during meal times around the world. A fusion of Asian flavours culminates in this aromatic baked chicken dish, with marinaded tender fillets in various sauces for tastes that include salty, sweet, and spicy sensations.
RELATED: Oven baked chicken recipe
A simple side dish of vegetables can be added to fulfil daily fibre quotas, as well as lend support to this zesty main meal. Cook up this spicy…
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Confinement recipe: Red and black dates tea
Red and black dates tea is a staple in traditional Chinese confinement, offering gooey sweetness and natural benefits to postpartum mothers. Known to improve qi and boost blood circulation, this warm red and black dates tea is suitable for daily consumption and is easily prepared with the help of a slow cooker.
Time required: 20 mins
Serving: 1 person
Ingredients for red and black dates tea
3/4 bowl of red dates
15 pieces of black dates
50 grams of Bei Qi
50 grams…
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