201 Organic Smoothies and Juices for a Healthy Pregnancy: Nutrient-Rich Recipes for Your Pregnancy Diet (11 page)

Good for pregnancy cravings

The alcoholic Bloody Mary may be tempting, but this green version of the Bloody Mary has all of the necessary ingredients to help you and your baby feel great! If you’re craving an alcoholic beverage, serving this juice in a fancy glass could help you feel a part of the party. However, the watercress also will help prevent you from developing iron-deficiency anemia, which can be more common among pregnant women. It also assists in the process of carrying oxygen to other cells for you and your baby.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup watercress

2 tomatoes

2 stalks celery

¹
⁄
₂
lemon, peeled

1 tablespoon horseradish

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup purified water

1. Combine watercress, tomatoes, celery, lemon, horseradish, and cayenne with
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup purified water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup water while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

Good for your baby’s bones and development

Cabbage is one of those important veggies that makes an appearance only on special holidays, and then it’s usually not prepared or paired in the most nutritious ways. This recipe blends it with tasty green celery to provide a great source of folate that supports your baby’s development and nervous system and can prevent neurological birth defects. Cabbage also provides a good amount of vitamin C and calcium that support your baby’s bone growth.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup green cabbage

3 carrots, peeled

2 stalks celery

1" nodule ginger, peeled and sliced

2 cups purified water

1. Combine cabbage, carrots, celery, ginger, and 1 cup water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining 1 cup water while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

Helps boost energy levels

The vibrant colors of the peppers used in this recipe show their powerful vitamin-rich content, which makes for a delicious and nutritious treat. This smoothie’s mix of spicy arugula, peppers, and garlic combine for a savory treat you can enjoy anytime—especially if you’re looking for an energy boost throughout your pregnancy! The vitamin pack of A, C, K, B
₆
, plus the folate and calcium can certainly awaken your cells, leaving you feeling energized.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup arugula

1 red pepper, cored

1 green pepper, cored

1 yellow pepper, cored

1 clove garlic

2 cups purified water

1. Combine arugula, peppers, garlic, and 1 cup of water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining 1 cup water while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

Helps boosts energy levels

Garlic is the main attraction in this smoothie that could potentially reduce fatigue during pregnancy. Just one small clove of garlic helps promote a strong heart—which is needed when you’re pumping double the amount of blood—and makes almost anything taste absolutely delightful.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup spinach

1 stalk celery

1 tomato

3 cloves garlic

2 cups purified water

1. Combine spinach, celery, tomato, garlic, and 1 cup water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining 1 cup water, if needed, while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

Good for healthy skin and hair

This may surprise you, but celery is a powerful ingredient and skin-beautifying food that will have you feeling and looking fabulous during your pregnancy. Celery is rich in vitamin C, which is needed to make the collagen that helps keep your skin strong, and the mineral silica, an element that helps your skin return to its pre-pregnancy condition once you have the baby.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup watercress

3 stalks celery

1 cucumber, peeled

1 clove garlic

1 cup purified water

1. Combine watercress, celery, cucumber, garlic, and
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup water while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

When you take a look at the color of this smoothie, you’ll see the vibrant colors of the veggies, and thus their valuable nutrition. The bright-green spinach, yellow squash, and orange carrot combine for an aesthetic, palate-pleasing smoothie. There are many nutrients in this smoothie that will benefit you throughout your entire pregnancy, such as vitamins A and C, folate, and fiber. However, it will also help you get beautiful skin and hair with its abundance of vitamins A and C.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup spinach

¹
⁄
₂
butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and cubed

1 carrot, peeled

2 cloves garlic

2 cups purified water

1. Combine spinach, squash, carrot, garlic, and 1 cup of water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining 1 cup of water while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

Good for your baby’s nervous system

Rich in nutrition, the turnip—this rarely enjoyed root vegetable—is a great addition to any meal, especially when you think about its folate content. The daily requirement for pregnant women is 600mcg and this smoothie contains about 60mcg.

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup romaine lettuce

2 turnips, peeled and cut best for blender’s ability

2 carrots, peeled

2 stalks celery

2 cups purified water

1. Combine romaine, turnips, carrots, celery, and 1 cup water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining 1 cup of water while blending until desired texture is achieved.
   

Good for strengthening your immune system

Immunity and health are never as important as when you’re pregnant. And not only does the vitamin C found in this recipe make for an important addition to your diet for its strong immunity-building power, this vitamin also benefits you by providing optimal brain functioning. That means better mental clarity, improved focus, and an overall feeling of awareness that is far superior to the mental fuzziness commonly referred to as “pregnancy brain.”

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup watercress

2 tangerines, peeled

¹
⁄
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grapefruit, peeled

¹
⁄
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pineapple, peeled and cored

¹
⁄
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cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed

1 cup red raspberry tea

1. Combine watercress, tangerines, grapefruit, pineapple, and cantaloupe in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add tea as needed while blending until desired consistency is achieved.
   

Helps boost energy levels

Pregnant women require 27mg of iron per day (as opposed to 18mg when not pregnant) and, thanks to the broccoli in this recipe, this smoothie is full of it! Iron is responsible for making hemoglobin that carries oxygen to your cells. Because many women are iron deficient prior to becoming pregnant, their needs are even higher and the risks associated with iron deficiencies are more severe. Preterm delivery, low birth weight, infant mortality, and decreased energy levels are all risks of iron deficiencies in pregnancy. So skip the chips and drink down this savory, satisfying smoothie!

YIELDS: 3–4 CUPS

1 cup spinach

2 carrots, peeled

¹
⁄
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cup broccoli spears

¹
⁄
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cup asparagus spears

1 clove garlic

2 cups caffeine-free red raspberry tea

1. Combine spinach, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, garlic, and 1 cup of tea in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.
   
2. Add remaining 1 cup of tea as needed while blending until desired consistency is achieved.