Christmas Menus for Pregnant Women: Delicious and Safe Recipes

The Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to indulge in culinary delights. For pregnant women, the motto is: enjoy, but be safe! Many traditional Christmas dishes contain raw eggs, raw meat, or high-fat foods, which are best avoided during pregnancy. Don’t worry—there are plenty of alternatives that are just as festive and delicious.

Starter: Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 500 g Hokkaido pumpkin
• 2 apples
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 100 ml cream
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg
• A little oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Wash, core, and dice the pumpkin. Peel and dice the apples.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté in oil until translucent.
3. Add the pumpkin and apple cubes and sauté briefly.
4. Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for about 20 minutes until everything is soft.
5. Purée the soup, stir in the cream and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
6. 💡 Tip: Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds or a dollop of crème fraîche.

Main Course: Festive Salmon with Oven-Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 600 g fresh salmon fillet (cooked through, not raw)
• 1 sweet potato
• 2 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper, rosemary
• Juice of half a lemon

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 392°F.
2. Wash and peel the vegetables and cut them into even pieces.
3. Mix the vegetables with oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and place them on a baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the salmon fillet with lemon juice, season with salt, and place it on top of the vegetables.
5. Bake everything for about 20–25 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.

💡 Tip: Serve with a light herb quark or yogurt dip.

Dessert: Baked Apple with Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 large apples
• 4 tsp honey or brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 50 g chopped almonds
• 200 ml milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Wash the apples, remove the cores, and fill with honey/sugar, cinnamon, and almonds.
2. Bake in the oven at 356°F. for about 20 minutes.
3. For the vanilla sauce, heat the milk, mix the egg yolk and vanilla extract, add to the milk while stirring, and heat briefly until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Serve the baked apples warm with the vanilla sauce.
5. 💡 Tip: If you like, you can add a little cinnamon or nutmeg to the vanilla sauce – this enhances the Christmas flavor.

Starter: Winter Lamb’s Lettuce Salad with Oranges and Walnuts

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 150 g lamb’s lettuce
• 2 oranges
• 50 g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 50 g feta cheese (pasteurized)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash the lamb’s lettuce and spin dry.
2. Peel and fillet the oranges and add them to the salad together with the walnuts.
3. Crumble the feta and sprinkle over the salad.
4. Mix the oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to make a dressing and pour over the salad.
5. 💡 Tip: For a special touch, add a few pomegranate seeds.

Main course: Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Vegetables

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 large red peppers
• 150 g quinoa
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1 small onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt, pepper, fresh herbs (e.g., parsley, thyme)
• 50 g grated cheese (pasteurized)

Preparation:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
2. Dice the zucchini, carrot, and onion into small pieces and sauté in oil.
3. Mix the cooked quinoa with the vegetables and season with paprika, salt, pepper, and herbs.
4. Hollow out the bell peppers, fill with the quinoa and vegetable mixture, and place in a baking dish.
5. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 356°F. for approx. 25–30 minutes until the bell peppers are soft and the cheese is golden brown.
6. 💡 Tip: If desired, serve with a tomato or yogurt dressing.

Dessert: Gingerbread Panna Cotta

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 400 ml cream
• 50 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 sheets gelatin
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice
• Optional: caramel sauce or crumbled gingerbread for garnish

Preparation:

• Soak the gelatin in cold water.
• Bring the cream, sugar, vanilla, and gingerbread spice to a boil.
• Remove from heat, squeeze out the gelatin, and stir in.
• Pour into glasses and chill for at least 3 hours.
• Garnish with caramel sauce or gingerbread crumbs before serving.
• 💡 Tip: If you like, you can serve a few fresh berries with it – it looks festive and adds color to the plate.

Conclusion

Be sure to wash salads, fruits, and vegetables thoroughly, cook meat and fish well, and choose fresh foods. Alcohol is absolutely taboo at dinner. Instead, winter teas, hot chocolate, and non-alcoholic beverages such as mocktails are ideal.