Eating good food is one of the most important things in pregnancy. It makes us feel good, and energetic, which is much required in pregnancy. Many people say, that a woman has to eat for two during pregnancy. But apart from eating for two, the next important thing is eating healthy and nutritious. Healthy snacks in Pregnancy doesn’t have to be tasteless, but nutritious packed.
Choosing what to eat and what not to eat is one tuff task with all the morning sickness and pregnancy mood swings.
We have made a list of healthy snacks with different nutrients which are totally safe during pregnancy.
Healthy pregnancy snack rich in Vitamins
There are different types of Vitamins like Vitamin C, B6, and A. All types of Vitamins are necessary for the pregnant mom.
Sweet Potatoes-
Sweet potatoes are a perfect source of Vitamin A.
How to consume-
You can easily make sweet potato into a sweet or savory snack. Just boil the potatoes and add some dry fruits on it, to make it more delicious.
Bananas-
Bananas are rich in Vitamin B6, they contain around 20% of the recommended value of Vitamin B6.
How to consume-
If you are bored of just eating a simple banana. Try rolling Banana with dates and almonds. You can also bake banana and oatmeal together in a cup.
Broccoli-
Broccoli is very healthy for pregnant women. It contains 220% of Vitamin C.
How to consume-
You can have Baked Broccoli Tots. You can also try something new that is spreading broccoli on toast.
Healthy pregnancy snack rich in Iron
Iron is very important in pregnancy. It makes the mom’s hair good, helps in the production of hemoglobin, prevents anemia, and also avoids premature delivery. Snacks rich in Iron are-
Soybeans-
Soybeans are rich in Iron and they can fulfill around 40% of the Iron value in your body.
How to consume-
You can try making Soyabean Hummus, which will help you in providing other nutrients also.
Spinach-
Spinach is fully packed with Iron. It contains 36% of the recommended value and also Iron is very beneficial for our health.
How to consume-
Try spinach juice, it will be both fillings and packed with nutrients.
Quinoa-
Quinoa has 15% of the recommended value of Iron.
How to consume-
You can make Quinoa a super-easy way, use it as a healthy salad topping or a side dish.
Healthy pregnancy snacks rich in Protein
Proteins are the building block of the body. They make essential amino acids and also help to repair the damaged cells. Foods rich in Protein are-
Cottage Cheese-
Who doesn’t love cheese? The cheese contains 28 grams of protein per serving.
How to consume-
You can spread cheese on the toast or you can also add cheese in your morning oatmeal snacks.
Lentils-
Lentils have always proven its worth, whenever it comes to healthy food. Lentils are super rich in proteins. They contain around 9 grams of protein per serving.
How to consume-
You can enjoy lentil soups or can bake it into crisp snacks too.
Boneless and skinless Chicken Breasts-
Boneless skinless chicken breasts contain 26 grams of proteins per servings.
How to consume-
You can cut chicken breasts into cubes and add some ingredients like sunflower seeds, orange segments to make it into easy chicken salad.
Peanuts and Peanut butter-
Around 90% of the people love peanut butter. It contains 7 grams of protein per serving.
How to consume-
You can either spread it on the toast or use it as a dip with different carrot sticks.
Healthy pregnancy snacks rich in Vitamin D
Getting plenty of Vitamin D during pregnancy helps in the proper growth of the baby. Though the best source of Vitamin D is the sun, apart from that one can have Vitamin D from the following sources-
Eggs-
Eggs contain 55 units of Vitamin D per serving.
How to consume-
You can make it as a healthy egg muffin. You can try eating a boiled egg and you can also use it with Greek yogurt.
Mushrooms-
Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin D with 5 international units of servings.
How to consume –
You can make stuffed mushrooms.
Healthy snacks In Pregnancy rich in Calcium
We all know calcium is needed to make bones and teeth healthy. It promotes the healthy functioning of muscles and nerves. You can eat the following items to fulfill calcium-
Yogurt-
Yogurt is rich n calcium. And one serving per day is enough to have proper calcium for the body.
How to consume-
You can choose any type of yogurt- Sweetened yogurt, unsweetened yogurt, and also flavored yogurt.
Cheese-
Cheese is a snack that makes every other snack delicious. It contains 222 milligrams of calcium in one serving.
How to consume-
You can eat cheese slice with apple, tomato, or also with a toast.
Collard greens-
Collard green is another good choice for calcium filling.
How to consume-
You can switch your tortillas with Collard green.
Healthy pregnancy snacks rich in Folate
A folate is a form of Vitamin B, which avoids the birth defects in babies. Most women do not get sufficient folate they need. The snacks rich in Folate are-
Spinach-
They contain 131 micrograms of folate per serving.
How to consume:
You can make Spinach chips or Spinach balls (made from cheese, eggs, and spinach) to try something different, apart from eating spinach as a vegetable.
Beans-
Beans contain 90 micrograms of folate per serving.
How to consume:
You can make Chickpea Black Bean Snack Mix.
Asparagus-
They contain 89 micrograms of folate
How to consume:
Consume them as Roasted Asparagus.
Oranges-
Oranges are rich in 29 micrograms of folate per serving.
How to consume:
You can eat raw oranges or can make a strawberry and orange salad with fresh min
Snacks to Avoid During Pregnancy
After we have learned about what all nutrients are necessary and what healthy snacks we can eat in Pregnancy. Now, we should also be aware of the snacks, which should be avoided throughout pregnancy.
- Sugary Treats: Eating lots of sugar cookies and candy bars, can make a drop in blood sugar level. It is bad for you and baby both. Eating of excess sugar can lead to larger babies making the delivery difficult.
- Fried Foods: We all love fried foods, but consuming them during pregnancy can make you feel bloated, sluggish, and greasy.
- Soda and Juice: Soda is never considered good no matter you are pregnant or not. It is filled with chemicals and also has many harmful effects. And packed juices contain lots of sugar and not many nutrients. So, it is better to avoid soda and juices.
Healthy Snack for First Trimester
The above nutrient value is for the overall pregnancy. Eating good food during the First trimester is difficult and important both. Due to all the morning sickness, it gets difficult with the choice of food. Still it is necessary to eat healthy during this time too.
Some of the foods which you can eat are-
- Whole grain toast with nut butter.
- Pretzels with nut butter.
- Whole grain toast with scrambled eggs
- Whole-grain crackers with jam
- Bagel and cream cheese
- Avocado toast
- Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
- Chia pudding with granola
Bonus Tips To Remember during pregnancy
Apart from the above nutrients filled snack choice. There is something that you can change in your diet on a daily basis.
- Add a side salad or fruit salad, instead of fried food or soda.
- Chose whole grain food with lots of fiber.
- Eat food only how much you want. Do not eat for two. Stop as soon as you feel you are full.
- Try to add some fats like avocado, and dairy products. Rather than just eating carbs.
- Drink a lot of water.
- Try consuming herbal tea once in a day.
I hope you have enjoyed “healthy snacks in pregnancy”. So, above are some of the choices of healthy snack which you can eat during pregnancy. Just remember to eat only when you are hungry, and eating for two is not necessary rather eating healthy is necessary.
Enjoy your pregnancy!