Satisfying Pregnancy Snacks

We can all agree that pregnancy comes with a craving. Eating is not always about quantity when you’re munching for two. Quality over quantity is what you should be looking for. 

Snacks are essential for pregnant moms for satisfying their sudden cravings. These need to be filled with nutrients, not just fats, and calories. Snacks help you get the necessary amount of protein and energy to keep you going the whole day.

Here are our top ten picks for moms-to-be. They all contain nutrients your body needs during pregnancy, are easy to prepare, and tasty, too!

Banana and Peanut Butter 

Nuts and bananas make for one of the easiest and most satisfying pregnancy snacks around – they’re sweet, they’re satisfying, and they provide servings of potassium and protein in each bite. 

Typical 100 grams of banana have 89 calories. For peanut butter, try an unsweetened, cholesterol-free one for lesser calorie gain.

 

Trail Mix 

You’ll stay satiated for hours on end with this nut, seed, and dried fruit combo. Try to stick with trail mixes that contain one fun ingredient (dark chocolate chips are good) and limit portions to 1/2 cup each.

A 1/4 cup of trail mix contains 175 calories

 

Fresh fruits and cottage cheese

According to the USDA, pregnant women should consume 3 cups of cottage cheese a day, or other dairy foods, depending upon their daily calorie needs. They give you the right amount of protein and calcium in each serving. Make sure to buy the one made from pasteurized milk only. You can add some or several fruits as per your choice to enhance the sweetness. 

Cottage cheese has a calorie serving of 270 per 1 and 1/2 cup. Fruit calories can range anywhere from 20 calories to 320 depending on what you choose. 

 

Avocado Toast

Avocados work well for pregnancy snacks, too. Mash half an avocado (aka your dose of healthy fats), spread on whole-grain toast, and finish with some lemon juice and honey, if you are in the mood.

Avocado contains 114 calories, toast has an extra 75 calories and lemon is free from that. For honey, an extra 64 calories in 1 tbsp.

 

Oatmeal

Fiber! Fiber! Fiber! Oats are packed with fibers. In addition to that, they’re gluten-free whole grains and are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. The digestive system will thank you and you will feel full longer than if you ate a bag of Potato chips.

160 calories on oatmeal if you skip the added sugar. You can add raisins and walnuts for an extra 42 calories in 1 miniature box and 131 calories in 5 Walnuts.

 

Multi Flour Idli

Unlike traditional idli, multi-flour idli is more nutritious since parboiled rice is not used in the recipe. Instead, rice is replaced by urad dal, bajra flour, whole wheat flour, ragi flour, and jowar flour. Healthy multigrain idlis are easy to make and have a delicious taste and texture that you will enjoy at any stage in pregnancy

Single idli can have about 40 calories.

 

Dhokla

Dhoklas are a high-calorie snack with a high taste. The probiotics found in fermented foods like dhokla aid the digestive process. You can also add several veggies like carrots or corn to add more nutrients to it. 

It’s great to have dhoklas, especially in hot weather as you can have them straight out of the refrigerator. 

One dhokla contains approximately 150 calories.

 

Garden Sandwich

A wholesome sandwich made from fresh veggies from the garden or market like tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, lettuce, onion, or olives can prove to be an awesome combination to aid your craving. 

You can add shredded chicken or chicken ham if you are a non-vegetarian.  When you have morning sickness, you might find that a sandwich is easy to swallow and can be refreshing especially during the summer season since it is cold and light.

A typical veggie sandwich can range from 200-350 calories depending on what you choose to add to it.

 

Smoothie

There are a lot of smoothies you can make and try during your pregnancy. Nearly everyone around you recommends fruit smoothies for pregnant women, including doctors, nurses, relatives, and friends as they carry the importance of a well-rounded nutritional diet and the focus on ensuring the mother’s intake of vitamins and minerals remains balanced. 

You can prepare one with basic ingredients like bananas, flax seeds, orange juice, coconut milk, yogurt, and more.

Homemade smoothie-like cranberry juice has 56 calories. If you’re thinking about a strawberry oat smoothie, it has 280 calories.

 

Pancakes

It is safe to eat pancakes while pregnant – as long as the eggs are cooked correctly and the milk is pasteurized. They are made from a simple mixture of flour, eggs, and milk. 

Look out for trans fat in pancakes. A lot of readymade pancake mixtures have added trans fat to increase fluffiness and texture. So, it’s best to prepare it at home. 

There are 89 calories found in an average pancake.