Read on to learn why vitamin A is so crucial during pregnancy and lactation, how the recommendations are far below what is likely the more appropriate levels, especially during the third trimester. If you want a baby or toddler who has a healthy immune system then vitamin A is as crucial as vitamin C.
If you are pregnant or lactating, this recipe is perfect for the snacks you need to have on hand to maintain your blood sugar, and to have something to eat when nursing and you cannot cook because of a needy baby or housework. If you have young ones in the household you can feel 100% good about giving this recipe. This recipe is perfect for babies over 8 months of age because it is easily digestible and has a wide range of nutrients they need. The dough provides ALL the essential amino acids. To read more about why this dough is a far cry from traditional empanadas, check out the post:
Double Recipe. It will take 30-40 minutes to roll all these out and fill. Give yourself 2 hours for the entire recipe…if you have a toddler helping you. That is a long time…but you will have many meals and snacks with no work, and no cleanup. They can be eaten cold, or warmed in a (toaster) oven to eat. This is an excellent toddler food. The empanadas are ready instantly with no cooking, are easily digestible, palatable, and healthy. If your baby tends to colic, leave out the guar gum and instead use arrowroot starch if you have it, or leave it out completely. The filling recipe gives double what you need. Bake the extra in a mason pan and have an instant side dish for dinner. You can get away with using whisky or a malt liquor along with apple cider vinegar instead of the expensive sherry.
2 c Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 t guar gum
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 T whiskey
1 T apple cider vinegar
4 T olive oil
2 T cold water
Steps:
- Blend the dry ingredients in your mixer.
- Add the egg and turn mixer on low as you add the other ingredients, except water.
- Evaluate your dough and if it does not completely come together in a moist dough, add water 1 T at a time until you reach a moist ball.
- Let sit one hour at room temperature. If you need more time place in the fridge in a sealed container. Do not wrap in Saran Wrap or plastic wrap or foil. Rather place in a silicone bag (still not the best but better than plastic wrap), or place in a glass or stainless covered container.
- Bake at 350 F for 25 to 35 minutes depending on the size of your empanada, the filling moisture content, your ambient temperature/humidity, and your oven.
Sweet Potato and Squash Filling
What I love about this filling is it provides beta carotene and nutrients to your child, but in such a light way that even the pickiest eaters will be pleased. Bake the sweet potato and pumpkin first thing when you wake up in the morning….then they will be cool for later in the day. Alternatively, bake the day before and put in the fridge for up to 2 days until you are ready to use.
1 large sweet potato
2 lbs of any winter squash or pumpkin (use a pie pumpkin, not the big ones)
Bake both in their skin until soft with a fork. Let cool until you can handle. Remove the skin from the squash and sweet potato. Put the filling in your mixer and whip until soft and light. You can add an additional 1 T of tapioca flour and 2 T of honey if you want to sweeten the filling up, the extra tapioca starch will be needed because honey can be runny. You can also add 2 T of sugar without the additional tapioca starch.
Read on to learn how most women are deficient in vitamin A:
Ensuring a sufficient daily intake of vitamin A is crucial, as studies reveal that deficiency is a prevalent concern in both Eastern and Western countries. In developed countries, approximately 40% of women of reproductive age who do not supplement their diets are deficient in vitamin A, with 33% of pregnant women who do supplement still falling short of the recommended levels <{Adams, 2021 #584}>. Other European studies show that at birth one third of pregnant women are borderline deficient in vitamin A with blood levels around 1.4 µmol/l {Strobel, 2007 #670}. The gravity of these deficiency statistics is underscored by the fact that 4.4% of pregnant women experience night blindness, a classic symptom of vitamin A deficiency, as reported by the World Health Organization {Adams, 2021 #584}. This situation is made more serious by the fact that when women give birth in a deficient state they cannot make this up to their baby later. It is not only the time in utero that is lost for the baby developing in a state of vitamin A deficiency, but a mother needs to build up her stores of vitamin A before lactation in order to provide her baby with the most optimal levels of vitamin A.
Pregnant women often experience a decline in their blood levels of vitamin A, despite similar dietary intake or supplementation compared to non-pregnant women {Adams, 2021 #584}. This decrease can persist throughout gestation, highlighting the need for additional vitamin A or beta-carotene intake, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy to compensate for reduced maternal blood levels.
Vitamin A Needs for the Third Trimester and Fourth trimester
It’s noteworthy that colostral milk, the initial milk produced after childbirth, contains ten times the vitamin A content of mature milk or transitional milk (which is produced in the first 7-21 days). Therefore, focusing on vitamin A-rich foods during the last month of pregnancy, and the first weeks after birth, or the fourth trimester, can ensure an ample supply for the newborn.
Interestingly, the fetus and newborn have their own mechanisms to maintain their required vitamin A intake, making maternal intake more crucial for the mother’s vitamin A needs during pregnancy. After birth, however, breastfeeding babies solely rely on the mother’s intake for their vitamin A needs, highlighting the significance of including vitamin A-rich foods in the maternal diet during lactation.
References
Adams, J. B., et al. (2021). “Evidence-based recommendations for an optimal prenatal supplement for women in the US, part two: Minerals.” Nutrients 13(6): 1849.
Strobel, M., et al. (2007). “The importance of β-carotene as a source of vitamin A with special regard to pregnant and breastfeeding women.” European Journal of Nutrition 46: 1-20.
