Yeaaaa, I know, I know… it’s been a while. It would have been hard to blog about cheese and the assortment of gluten-free crackers that were the cornerstone of my diet for the first few months with a baby on board.
Now that I’m able to stomach anything and everything again (and a whole lot of it!), I’ve been making a concerted effort to include nutrient-rich foods in my diet on a daily basis.
Having a balanced gluten-free diet is hard enough when eating for just one. But, when you have a whole list of extra nutrients to squeeze into your prenatal diet, as well as the occasional wonky cravings, you’ve got quite the job on your hands. As if making a human wasn’t hard enough!
I’m finding iron to be the hardest nutrient to get into my diet right now. Pregnant women require 27 milligrams of iron per day, compared to the 18 milligrams for non-pregnant women.
There are lots of iron-enriched grains on the shelves of the grocery store, but most of them aren’t gluten-free. Some iron-rich foods that I’ve been focussing on are: beef, dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), beans, lentils, edamame, and chick peas.
I’ve been getting my fair share of spinach, so to switch it up, I’ve been having some fun with Kale. Here’s a recipe that gives baby and I some of the iron we need, and satisfies my endless cravings for cheese 🙂 The inspiration comes from the caesar salad at Una Pizza & Wine in Calgary
Gluten-Free Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
1 bunch of Kale
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Ground Pepper
Directions
Roughly tear the kale in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and fresh ground pepper.
Toss the kale and dressing together and serve!
Optional add on: If having this as a main, add some protein by boiling an egg and slice it on top of the salad.
EZ G-Free 