Boiled plantain with mackerel tomato sauce

Name: Boiled plantain with mackerel tomato sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 portions

Boiled plantain served with a light mackerel and tomato sauce. Contains protein, omega-3 fats, potassium and vitamin C-containing vegetables, and is quick to put together.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Portions: 2

Easy
Trying to conceive
Preparing for fertility treatment
Quick and easy
High-protein
Omega-3-containing
Budget-friendly

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Lower-cost alternative: use tinned sardines instead of mackerel
Ingredient unavailable: use boiled yam or sweet potato instead of plantain

Ingredients

For 2 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

2 medium plantain, peeled and cut into thick slices
350 g fresh mackerel, cleaned and cut into steaks
3 medium tomatoes, washed and blended
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
1 fresh pepper, to taste
1 tbsp groundnut oil
100 g ugu or spinach, washed and shredded

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Boil the plantain in lightly salted water for 12–15 minutes until tender.
Step 2. Heat the oil and cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the blended tomato and pepper and cook for 8 minutes.
Step 3. Lay the mackerel into the sauce and simmer for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until the fish flakes easily and is opaque throughout.
Step 4. Stir the shredded greens through for the final minute.
Step 5. Serve the sauce over the boiled plantain.

Allergens for your selection

Contains: Fish

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash fruit, vegetables and leafy greens in clean water before cooking or eating raw.
Cook eggs, chicken, turkey, meat and fish thoroughly, and keep raw and cooked foods on separate boards and plates.
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate where you have reliable power, and reheat once until piping hot throughout. If refrigeration is unreliable, cook only what you will eat.
Anyone planning a pregnancy is generally advised to take a daily folic acid supplement before conception — ask your doctor, pharmacist or fertility clinic what is right for you.
Commonly eaten fish such as tilapia, croaker, mackerel and sardines are the everyday choices here. Large predatory fish such as shark, swordfish and marlin are best limited, as they may contain higher levels of mercury.
Easy to prepare, a balanced source of protein and carbohydrate, and suitable when appetite is reduced during treatment weeks. It can be cooked in advance. No food can be said to affect egg collection, embryo quality, transfer or IVF pregnancy rates.

Allergens

Contains: Fish

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Supplements and drinks

The Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization advise a daily folic acid supplement (usually 400 micrograms) before conception and through early pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects. Folate-rich foods such as ugu, soko and beans do not replace the supplement. Buy supplements that carry a valid NAFDAC registration number from a registered pharmacy, and ask your doctor whether you need a higher dose.
Iron and folic acid supplementation is routinely recommended in pregnancy in Nigeria, and anaemia is common. Ask your doctor or antenatal clinic which supplements you need rather than buying combinations yourself, and check that any product is NAFDAC-registered.
There is no known safe level of alcohol in pregnancy, and locally brewed drinks vary widely in strength, so the safest course when trying to conceive is none. Keep caffeine moderate — around 200 mg a day, roughly two mugs of instant coffee. Recipes here contain no alcohol.

Sources

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
Healthy diet — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026
Five keys to safer food — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026

Important information

Antega's Trying to Conceive Recipes are for general information and meal inspiration for anyone hoping to conceive, including partners. They are not a personalised diet plan, they are not fertility treatment, and no food or recipe can be said to improve fertility or guarantee conception. They do not replace advice from your doctor, gynaecologist, fertility clinic or a registered dietitian. Speak to a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes, particularly if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, PCOS, food allergies or any other condition.

If you have PCOS, endometriosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, a thyroid condition or any other condition, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian how these meal ideas fit your own care plan.