By Bellybelly.com.au

Mocktail Recipes – Yummy, Alcohol-Free Mocktails For Pregnancy

Under current health guidelines, pregnant women are advised to avoid alcohol for the duration of the pregnancy.

That means, for all the parties, barbecues and weddings you aren’t too tired to attend in the next nine months, you’ll be staying away from your favorite tipple.

It doesn’t mean, however, that you have to sit politely sipping on tap water while the rest of the party gets tipsy around you. Far from it. In fact, you can spend your evenings knocking back mocktails like there’s no tomorrow.

Now you can enjoy cocktail nights with the girls again, just make sure yours is a virgin.

Here are some delicious mocktail recipes to try:

#1: The Mama Sunrise

Orange juice (or mango if you fancy)
2 dashes grenadine
Crushed ice

Take a highball glass, and half fill it with cracked ice. Add the orange juice to the top of the glass, and then carefully pour the grenadine onto the surface of the drink. The grenadine will slowly sink to the bottom, giving you that beautiful sunrise effect.

#2: The Ginger Spritzer

Non alcoholic sparkling wine soda
Gingerale
1 lime

Many women swear by ginger as a cure for morning sickness, so this mocktail could be your lifesaver in those early months. Half fill a large wine glass with the non alcoholic sparkling wine soda, and top up with the gingerale. Add a splash of fresh lime juice, and garnish with a round of lime.

#3: The Banana Mamma

3 bananas
2 cups crushed ice
1 cup lemon sherbet
3 cups grapefruit juice
Sliced lemon or grapefruit to garnish

This is a great way to get fruit into your diet, although we can’t claim it’s totally healthy because of the lemon sherbet. Blend the bananas, lemon sherbet and grapefruit juice together. Prepare a pitcher with crushed ice, and then pour in the mocktail to chill. Serve in tall glasses, garnished with a slice of lemon or grapefruit – or both.

#4: The Strawberry Surprise

2 cups lemonade
1 ½ cups crushed ice
½ cup frozen strawberries
Fresh strawberry to garnish

This is another deliciously fruity mocktail for you to enjoy. Blend together all the ingredients, and serve in tall glasses with a fresh strawberry as garnish.

#5: The Fruity Sangria

1 pomegranate juice
1 cup mango juice
1 orange, sliced
1 pear, sliced

This is the perfect mocktail for hot days spent relaxing by the pool. Mix together the pomegranate juice and mango juice in a large jug. Add the sliced orange and pear. Leave to chill in the fridge, or serve immediately with ice. Serve in a lowball glass, and garnish with an orange slice.

#5: The Nojito

4 sprigs fresh mint
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp caster sugar
1 cup soda water
Sliced lime and sprigs of mint to garnish

The mojito is a popular cocktail across the globe. To make a pregnancy-friendly mocktail version, simply mix the ingredients together in a large jug. Serve in a highball glass, and garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.

#6: The Virgin Mary

Sea salt
Fresh lime juice
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp hot sauce
½ cup tomato juice
Crushed ice
Lemon wedge and rosemary sprig to garnish

Place the rim of a tall glass in fresh lime juice, and then dip into sea salt. Fill the glass with cracked ice and add the lemon juice, hot sauce and tomato juice. Stir and garnish with a lemon wedge and a rosemary sprig.

#7: The Virgin Pinacolada

1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup coconut syrup
1 cup crushed ice
Pineapple chunks to garnish

Mix the pineapple juice and coconut syrup together in a jug of crushed ice. Serve in a lowball glass with a chunk of pineapple to garnish. Since it’s a pinacolada, you should probably have a little cocktail umbrella in there too.

#8: The Mulled Mamma

1l pomegranate juice
Mulled wine spices

If you’re pregnant over winter, you might long for a mulled wine – especially if the smell is wafting from the kitchen. This great non-alcoholic version tastes so much like the original, that you won’t feel like you’re missing out. Simply heat the pomegranate juice, and add the mulling spices are normal. If you can’t find mulling spices, simply add some whole cloves, orange zest and a cinnamon stick. Don’t forget to remove the spices before serving.

#9: The Special Treat

1 scoop of mint chocolate ice cream
2 tbsp coconut cream
1 cup crushed ice
3 tbsp milk
Chocolate syrup

You’re going to struggle to argue that this mocktail is healthy – it’s about as decadent as they come. This is a mocktail you should save for very special occasions – like birthdays – so you don’t have to feel too guilty. To try and make this drink a little healthier, you could substitute the milk and ice cream for soya alternatives. Take a low glass, dip the rim in chocolate syrup and fill with crushed ice. Blend together the mint chocolate ice cream, coconut cream and milk, and pour into the glass.