The Baked Salmon That Builds Your Baby's Brain and Eyes
DHA, the main omega-3 fat in fatty fish, is what your baby's brain, eyes, and nervous system are quite literally built from during pregnancy. The recommendation is at least 300mg of DHA a day while pregnant or breastfeeding, and research has consistently linked adequate DHA intake to better visual and cognitive development in babies, plus a possible reduced risk of allergies. A 100g serving of salmon gets you well past that number in one meal.
What you'll need
- 1 salmon fillet (about 150g)
- Sea salt, pepper
- Half a lemon
- A handful of chopped dill or parsley
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Pat the salmon dry, rub with sea salt and pepper, and place on a lined tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque all the way through, no translucent centre. Squeeze lemon over the top and scatter with herbs before serving.
A safety note on fish choices, not just this one
Salmon is one of the good ones. Singapore Food Agency specifically advises pregnant women to keep eating fish for the nutrition, but to skip the predatory species that accumulate more mercury: swordfish, shark, king mackerel (batang), tilefish, and bigeye tuna. Regular mackerel, salmon, sardines, and anchovies are all fine and are actually some of the best DHA sources going. Separately, and importantly, SFA advises pregnant women avoid raw fish altogether, sushi and sashimi included, so this is a bake-it-properly kind of dish, not a save-it-for-later-raw one.
One fillet, real nutrition, no guesswork about which fish is safe.