'Fresh' tasting meal ideas

[Jojobump1986]

I'm pregnant & have gone off the vast majority of our usual meals. I keep complaining that the food just doesn't taste 'fresh' enough - even when it's things like baked fish! I don't really know what I mean by that which makes finding alternative things more than a bit tricky! Any suggestions? I really want to be able to enjoy eating again!

If you are after fresh, how about a big salad with fruit (melon / mango / grapes / orange), and veg like raw mange tout for a bit of crunch? You can add meat or fish for protein, and perhaps some cooked pasta for carbs.

During my second pregnancy craved fruit such as peaches or apricots - I just felt they would get rid of the strange metallic taste in my mouth.

I do pasta with chopped in half cherry tomatoes, lots and lots of torn up basil and some creme freche stired through. It tastes very fresh.

Sorbet?
Fresh salsa on the side of qaesadillas or baked potatoes?

Eg: with a baked sweet potato try some chopped red onion and red pepper, squeeze of lime or lemon juice, fresh parsley or coriander and some feta.

Another - halved cherry tomatoes, red onion, red pepper, lime juice, red chilli, coriander

Another - like the above but with fresh mango instead of the tomatoes

Greek salad

Stir fry

Lemon juice is a great "lifter" for many dishes - salads, fish, curries, cooked veg, Chinese/Thai-style dishes, even pasta... Add just before serving, not during cooking, as it can become bitter during cooking.

Mind you, when PG with DS I couldn't face fruit, veg (other than potatoes), fish or anything spiced. I basically lasted 8 months on cheese sandwiches, Marmite toast, roast chicken, mash and plain pasta.

What are your tastes? Do you like spicy food? Maybe your tastbuds have changed with pregnancy? Sounds like it?

Tonight I made something I've been doing lately. We had roast beef on Sunday, always lots left. Some eaten yesterday and enough left today for dp and I to have beef, veg and noodles. I cook noodles/or tagliatelle. Meanwhile stir fry sliced veg, onion, pepper, carrot, mushroom (added last) or whatever you fancy. The beef is coated in flour, I use gram flour, some seasonings too. I use five spice, chilli powder and black pepper. Use whatever. Once veg are cooked I add some soy sauce mixed with honey and lime juice and garlic/ginger, plus chopped chilli. Or omit chilli. add to veg to bubble up. Place this in warmed tin/dish put in oven for a minute whilst I flash fry cooked and coated beef. Then I plate up noodles then veg then beef and top with chopped corriander. It's really easy to do as you just wing it, do it however you prefer. Plus any meat or even prawns would suit. You can put crushed peanuts on the top too but obviously not if pg.

tastebuds*

The suggestions from Remus are really good. I love fresh salsa with fish.

My ideal 'fresh' meal would be:
Simple white fish cooked quickly in a pan
Crunchy crisp salad of iceberg with finely julienned carrots
Salsa of chopped mango/cantaloupe, red onion, squeeze of lime juice

I also make a fresh and zingy coleslaw which is nothing like the heavy shop-bought version. Finely chopped cabbage, grated carrots, and red onion, with a dressing of white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, French mustard, and olive oil. Serve with other salads or barbecued chicken.

Nicoise salad is always good.

Avocado and bacon salad dressed only with s&p and a very generosity squeeze of lemon juice.

I was like this when pg and ate lots of salads, raw vegetables and yoghurt (which I normally hate and haven't eaten since.) I added seeds to salads and baked tortillas as a serving bowl. I dipped raw veg into philadelphia and hummus and ate granola, fruit and yoghurt. Ice cold water always did the trick too.

Just remembered that I used to freeze fresh orange juice in ice cube trays to suck on too - good for nasty metallic mouths!

Do you like Thai food? This hot/spicy/fresh/meaty salad was my all time favourite when I was pg: tastespice.co.uk/blog/weeping-tiger-thai-beef-salad/

Do you like Thai food? This hot/spicy/fresh/meaty salad was my all time favourite when I was pg: tastespice.co.uk/blog/weeping-tiger-thai-beef-salad/

Do you like Thai food? This hot/spicy/fresh/meaty salad was my all time favourite when I was pg: [http://tastespice.co.uk/blog/weeping-tiger-thai-beef-salad/]

sorry, my keyboard has peanut butter stuck in it, and it acts up sometimes.

but it's a really really GOOD salad!!