Sardine, sweet potato and ugu bowl

Name: Sardine, sweet potato and ugu bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 portions

Tinned sardines with roasted sweet potato and lightly cooked ugu. Contains protein, omega-3 fats, selenium and vitamin A-rich vegetables. Provides nutrients that are important for normal reproductive health.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 40 min
Portions: 2

Easy
Trying to conceive
Preparing for pregnancy
Quick and easy
High-protein
Omega-3-containing
Store-cupboard
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.

Ingredient unavailable: use tinned mackerel instead of tinned sardines
Ingredient unavailable: use spinach or well-washed bitter leaf instead of ugu leaves

Ingredients

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

500 g sweet potato, washed, peeled and cubed
2 tins tinned sardines in oil or tomato, about 250 g in total, drained
200 g ugu leaves, washed and shredded
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
1 medium tomato, washed and chopped
1 tbsp groundnut oil
0.5 lime or lemon, juice only

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

Method

Step 1. Roast or boil the sweet potato cubes for 25–30 minutes until tender.
Step 2. Heat the oil and soften the onion and tomato for 5 minutes.
Step 3. Add the washed shredded ugu and cook for 3 minutes until just wilted.
Step 4. Divide the sweet potato and greens between bowls, flake the drained sardines over the top and finish with a squeeze of lime.
Step 5. Check tinned goods carry a clear NAFDAC number and an in-date best-before date before use.

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, 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.

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
Food safety and applied nutrition — National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), 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.