Healthy Ways to Snack While Pregnant

There’s this general knowledge that people have of pregnant women, how they begin to crave some unbelievable things and in another moment it`s something else without them even missing a beat. Or that they just find themselves always hungry, funnily.

Pregnant women should ensure they follow a healthy nutrition plan as this is vital to the development of their unborn baby. Pregnant women, at times, find it difficult to motivate themselves to cook because they are weary and nauseous around colors, textures, and smells.

It is advisable that pregnant should aim to eat three meals a day and a snack or two. As they do, they should consume foods that contain an optimal amount of energy including macro and micronutrients. When pregnant, you require a healthy and balanced diet due to the physiological changes occurring within you and your unborn baby.

So it`s okay to crave, however, ensure you consume food and snacks high in folate, protein, iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, and B12 that are nutritious to your body. Ensuring this is in place will help you gain weight healthily and also help avoid situations like pre-term birth and low birth weight.

Feeling too lazy to cook? We’ve got you covered with some snacks that you don’t have to cook before eating. Check the list below and snack on!

13 Healthy Snacks or Pregnant Women

Hummus and Sliced Vegetables

Cucumbers, peppers, radishes, carrots, and celery are vegetables packed with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that help promote health during pregnancy. Hummus is high in fiber, so are veggies, and they promote digestive health.

Cheese and Crackers

Cheese is high in fat and protein content that will help keep you stay gratified between meals. They are also a great source of zinc, phosphorus, and calcium. Just add any kind of crackers you have to it and you are on your way to being full.

Yogurt and Fruits

Yogurt is a component of protein, calcium, and probiotics, making them a healthy choice. For pregnant women, unsweetened yogurt will be best as it has high levels of protein. Mix your yogurt in fruits and unsweetened various flavor options.

Peanut Butter and Pears

With one refrigerated pear, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and a tablespoon of chia seeds, you`re good to go. It is packed with fiber which is essential for healthy blood pressure, prevents constipation, ensures nerve function, and enriches the body with magnesium. To prepare, cut your pear in half and core each half, then spoon the peanut butter into each half and sprinkle chia seeds to finish.

Berries and Frozen Grapes

Vitamins C and K in grapes and berries are great for pregnant women. These fruits are also high in antioxidants. When paired with a source of protein and healthy fat like almonds, they make satisfying snacks.

Snacks for Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes

If you have gestational diabetes and you are pregnant, you need to be extra careful of foods that optimize your blood sugar control. Gestational diabetes is a lump of defined high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy. Take foods that will help you regulate your blood sugar and snacks that are high in fiber and protein. Foods and snacks like these help you maintain your blood sugar levels. You should by all means avoid foods and beverages that have sugar.

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Take Fresh fruit and Tuna-stuffed avocado and make a good snack out of it. If you can, roast some crunchy chickpeas. To make Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas, you’ll need:

• 1 15-oz. can of chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander

Snacks for Pregnant Women with Heartburn

Roasted Edamame or Sunflower Seeds

If you get heartburn and want to take snacks to alleviate it in your pregnancy, you should stay away from spicy, fatty, acidic, and fried food.

Consume roasted edamame or sunflower seeds which are a great source of soy protein, vitamin E – an antioxidant that helps soothe heartburn —, and vitamin K.

Smoothie

Smoothies will do a lot of good for your health during pregnancy. Fruits high in protein offer a solid nutritional boost and keep your heart healthy.

Now let’s discuss snacks that may take a longer time to prepare.

Veggies and Sauce or Dip

You should try these healthy veggies with a blend of avocado, beans, yogurt, or more for great savor.

• Cucumber
• Sliced peppers
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Blanched asparagus
• Cherry tomatoes
• Snow peas

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Do you desire a quick and rich snack in healthy fats, vitamins D, B6, and B12? Eggs are your go-to food. They`re rich sources of protein, selenium, and minerals such as zinc, iron, and selenium.

Snacks for Pregnant Women Who Feel Nauseous

Some pregnant women deal with morning sickness, and as a result, struggle to find foods or snacks that are appetizing. It is advised that they eat in small amounts frequently and drink enough water to stay hydrated as it may help relieve nausea. These are snacks that may help your nauseous status:

Protein-Rich Snacks

Bland, protein-rich foods help when you are nausea in pregnancy. You could choose to make something out of eggs and chicken breast when nauseous.

Ginger

Add some ginger to whatever snacks you eat, as ginger has long been used for the treatment of nausea.

Carving snacks late at night or not having enough sleep? Then watermelon may just be the fruit for you.

Watermelon

Powerful antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene, as well as vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and potassium, are in abundance in watermelon. Don’t just eat, blend watermelon with a squish of lime and freeze it, or you could just make it a smoothie.

Pregnancy Facts you Should Know

• When women are about four months pregnant, the expected baby begins to urinate inside of them.
• Because of water weight and other extra fluid, the feet of pregnant women swell.
• A baby has all of its fingerprints by 9-12 weeks in the womb.
• Pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell to enable them to steer clear of foods they shouldn’t eat because of their growing baby.
• Three out of four women develop a linea nigra during pregnancy. The linea nigra is a dark, vertical line that runs down the abdomen. It may or may not vanish after birth.
• Pregnant women`s forgetfulness is largely due to have less oxygen in their blood.
• A number of women experience a change in skin tone during pregnancy.
• The heart grows during pregnancy, as it works harder and pumps more blood for the growing baby.
• Some pregnant women lactate in late pregnancy at the sound of someone else’s baby crying.
• Humans are the only mammals who do not ingest their placenta after birth.

Now that you Know…

Your body needs to be enriched with the key nutrients at all times, as it is necessary for your baby`s development. You should also ensure that you take snacks that enrich you and your baby. These nutrients will keep you fueled for long, stave off headaches, irritability, queasiness, and also prevent preterm or premature births. Enjoy your pregnancy journey: snack smart and eat healthily.