PREGNANCY RECIPE: berry blister smoothie

I woke up this morning feeling a bit moody and jaded. Was it worry about my impending labour? Angst that I haven't grouted the blackening bathroom tiles? Regrets about the colour of our Bugaboo covers? Eh, no, none of the above. The simple reason was, I was hungry.

Since becoming pregnant, I've noticed that my needs have been similar to that of a child - for food, rest and warmth. Invariably if I've been moody over the past nine and half months, it's because I'm hungry, tired or cold, simple as that. And of those three, hunger has been the biggest issue.

During my first trimester, I'd wake up ravenous, with my blood sugar level in my slippers. Toast was good, cereal was okay but repetitive (as this was only a pre-shower snack, I'd eat cereal again at work) so a smoothie seemed the best solution.

After trial and error, I came up with this berry blister or feed-me-now smoothie that takes only minutes to make. As well as milk, berries and banana, I added some linseeds (to, erhem, keep me regular), wheatgerm (for folic acid), grated fresh ginger (for immunity and nausea) and Manuka honey (for good digestion).

And sure enough, after a few gulps this morning, I was back on top pregnancy form. Hope it works for you...

Berry blister / feed-me-now smoothie
Vary the ingredients according to your taste and what you have in the fridge/freezer. Soya milk and yogurt both work well. I keep a large piece of peeled root ginger in the freezer and grate straight into the mixing jug.

Makes 1 highball glass
1 large handful frozen berries
1/2 glass milk
1 small banana or half a large banana, sliced
1 tbsp linseed and wheatgerm (I mix the two in a tupperware tub and use for smoothies and to top cereal)
2cm grated ginger
1 tsp honey

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor jug and blitz until smooth. Pour into a glass and drink up.

rosie eats tip 
A quick way to peel knobbly root ginger is with the back of a teaspoon.