Let's talk about folate. Folate is important in your first trimester of pregnancy because it plays a major role in early fetal skeletal and neural development. And to support that development, your body needs more folate during pregnancy than ever before, especially early on in your pregnancy. While it's crucial to add folate supplements to your daily routine at this time, it's also helpful to add folate-rich foods to your day-to-day, like leafy green vegetables, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas and kidney beans.
To help with your meal prep, we tapped holistic nutritionist and health coach, Kelly LeVeque of Be Well by Kelly, to share a folate-rich recipe you can easily add to your grocery list.
The Recipe: Pesto Spinach Turkey Burgers with Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Burger
- 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
- 3-4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Pink Himalayan or sea salt
- 1/2 cup flax meal
Sauce
- 1/2 cup whole natural almonds (about 3 ounces), toasted
- 1 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar or freshly roasted
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Chopped Mini Heirloom Tomatoes (or Cherry)
Directions
Burger
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
- Mix together ground turkey, pesto, garlic, flax meal and spinach in a bowl until evenly blended. Form into 4 patties.
- Grill pesto burgers for about 5 minutes per side to make sure they are no longer pink in the middle.
- Add 1/2 cup feta to burger mix (optional).
Sauce
- Very finely chop almonds in processor. Add roasted peppers, vinegar, and garlic; process to coarse puree.
- With machine running, pour olive oil through feed tube and process until puree thickens slightly. Move sauce to a bowl and salt to taste.
- Plate burger on a bed or arugula or mixed greens and top with red pepper sauce and tomatoes.
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This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and we recommend that you always consult with your healthcare provider. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Perelel.
