It’s a huge misconception that people think women can pig out when they’re pregnant. Just because our mid-area is growing does not mean our stomach has to.
Though you do need some extra calories, “the average pregnant woman only needs about 300 healthy calories more a day than she did before she was pregnant,” that’s according to WebMD.
This is my third pregnancy and of all of them I haven’t really had specific cravings. Usually, when I get hungry and want something specific, that’s what I’ll eat. But, it’s never “Oh, I need to have pickles right now!” I actually eat one a day anyway! I love them and ate them all the time before pregnancy.
With this pregnancy and my last one I’ve been wanting cold fruit as a snack. I’ve been freezing certain fruit as it satisfies my sweet tooth and makes the snacking take a little longer. 🙂
Here are some healthy snack ideas to help with those “extra” calories:
1. One tablespoon of creamy peanut butter (100 calories) – This could be spread on toast, a cracker, apples or celery.
2. One part-skim cheese stick (80 calories) – My daughter eats one a day, and so do I!
3. One cup of frozen grapes (110 calories) – These are my favorite. They are so sweet and tasty!
5. One cup of mango cubes (100 calories) – My 1-year-old is obsessed with mangoes, so I just eat some when he does for a snack. It’s been convenient.
6. 1/2 banana (80 calories) – I like to slice the banana and freeze these too.
7. One single serving of plain Greek yogurt (100 calories) – My favorite is FAGE. It’s a 0% Greek yogurt that is so thick and creamy. The flavor I love is Strawberry-Goji which comes in at 120 calories. There’s also 13 grams of protein!
8. Hummus (90+ calories) –Â This is a staple in our house, as both kids will eat it thankfully! I’ll usually eat mine with some whole wheat pita bread or reduced-fat Wheat Thins. What’s great about hummus is that you can dip anything in it, from celery to tomatoes to carrots.
9. 1/4 cup mixed nuts, low salt or salt-free (200 calories) – Unfortunately, I have a nut allergy. But many women enjoy having these on hand for a snack. Nuts are great proteins which include heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, minerals and fiber. This is a good go-to if you have trouble getting some protein in your diet.
10. Hard-boiled eggs (72 calories) – Another easy way to sneak in some protein. While this does require refrigeration, they certainly are very portable. *Tip* Make a bunch of eggs one time for the week so you just grab and go in the morning.
When you were pregnant, what did you like to snack on?
Great tips. Great list! Believe it or not, I craved eggplant when I was pregnant all those decades ago. I still have the little paperback cookbook I bought with lots of “pregnancy” recipes – one being the eggplant recipe I still use today! Wishing you a beautiful journey with your new little miracle and lots of good eating!
Sharon – MomGenerations.com recently posted…Ziploc Fresh 180 Challenge: Fitting Back into my Skinny Jeans
Thanks so much Sharon! Would love to see that eggplant recipe.
Great tips! I was so sick with both pregnancies, I had to eat whatever I could keep down and agree with me, which wasn’t much of anything! Toward the end of both I was a little more stable and had random cravings- Spicy Indian food for my first pregnancy, and endless amounts tomato soup for the second! SO weird! haha!
What a helpful list, Courtney. I’ll refer to this great list of healthy snacks even though I’m NOT pregnant. Thank you!
Jackie, good point! 🙂
Great list! I pinned it for future use!
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide recently posted…Marvelous Monday
Thanks so much Chelley!