Nigerian spinach stew with fish

Name: Nigerian spinach stew with fish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 portions

Efo riro style spinach or ugu stew with fish — a vegetable-rich main that provides iron, protein and folate.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
Portions: 4

Moderate
Trying to conceive
Preparing for pregnancy
High-protein
Iron-containing
Folate-containing
Gluten-free

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 leave out instead of crayfish
Ingredient unavailable: use well-cooked chicken or firm beans instead of fresh fish

Ingredients

For 4 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

500 g spinach or ugu leaves, washed well and shredded
500 g fresh fish (tilapia, croaker or mackerel), cut into pieces
3 medium tomatoes, washed
2 medium tatashe (red bell pepper)
1 medium onion, peeled
2 tbsp palm oil
2 tbsp crayfish, ground, optional

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

Method

Step 1. Blend the tomatoes, pepper and half the onion.
Step 2. Heat the oil, fry the remaining sliced onion, then add the blended base and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 3. Add the fish pieces and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.
Step 4. Stir in the washed shredded greens and crayfish and cook for a further 3–4 minutes only, so the vegetables keep their colour.
Step 5. Serve with boiled yam, sweet potato or brown rice.

Allergens for your selection

Contains: Fish
Contains: Crustaceans

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.
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.
Wash leafy vegetables in several changes of clean water, as sand and soil are easily trapped in the leaves.

Allergens

Contains: Fish
Contains: Crustaceans

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

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.