Healthy Snacks During Pregnancy – What Foods Should You Eat?

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healthy snacks during pregnancy

Once you are pregnant, you are not only living YOUR life. You are also responsible for another life. The life of your baby is totally dependent on you for food as well as protection. Pregnancy also makes your life susceptible to stress and infections and all the uncomfortable symptoms that it brings along. So having healthy snacks during pregnancy is important.

Criteria for healthy snacks during pregnancy

During pregnancy, you are not going on a special diet. Rather you just need to re-evaluate your daily dietary routine according to your needs. At this time you need a balanced diet that covers all the nutritional requirements without putting much burden on you.

Dietary requirements during pregnancy

As compared to a normal woman you require an additional 300 calories per day. Besides ensuring the proper development of the baby, you also need more vitamins and minerals. The important ones among them are:

  • Folic acid:    400 to 800 micrograms per day
  • Iron:    27 milligrams of iron per day
  • Calcium:       1,000 milligrams per day
  • Vitamin A:    770 micrograms per day
  • Vitamin B12: 6 micrograms per day

Also Read: Are You Taking These Tablets Before Pregnancy?

Healthy snacks for the first trimester

During the first trimester, the energy requirements are not that increased. However, it is the minerals and vitamins that are more important during this period. The important snacks to get these supplements are as follow:

Yogurt

Yogurt is a good source of probiotics as well as calcium and iodine. Probiotics help you in maintaining a healthy gut which in turn promotes your immune system. Besides, it provides loads of calcium and iodine for proper growth and development of the baby. It is also perfect for relieving bouts of morning sickness.

Eggs

Eggs whether they are fried, boiled, on a toast or even on their own, are a good source of iodine, iron, and vitamins especially A, D and B12. And if you are revolted from meat think of these as an alternative.

Fruits

Make fruits like apple, banana, avocado, and citrus fruits as an essential part of your first-trimester diet. They provide you tons of vitamins and minerals. They are also good for you to change of taste and still be healthy.

Healthy snacks for the second trimester

With the second trimester, your demands for vitamins, minerals, and calories increase rapidly. You should continue on your eating routine with the addition of the following:

Milk

Milk is a snack perfectly balanced for your body and the baby. It is rich in calcium and vitamin D with protein, fat, and carbohydrates in perfect proportion. It is also a readily available snack so you can have it whenever you feel hungry.

Vegetables

Fresh vegetables like potatoes, beans, and peas are not only a rich source of minerals but also keep you fresh. Green leafy vegetables especially spinach and broccoli are rich in iron that is important for the proper growth of your baby. These leafy vegetables will also provide you folic acid that can prevent spina bifida and other developmental disorders in your newborn.

Also Read: Is Eating Hot Dogs Safe In Pregnancy?

healthy snacks during pregnancy - foods to eat during pregnancy

Flower Seeds

Since your body is also supporting the baby for the metabolism so it is putting extra strain on your body. This strain is especially in the form of waste and toxic metabolites that can use up anti-oxidants present in your body. So you need a replacement source.  And these flower seeds can be a good source.

Sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds are also a source of omega 3. Omega 3 can help you in keeping your blood pressure checked and has a beneficial effect on your fast-beating heart.

Healthy snacks for the third trimester

The third trimester is the time when your baby is undergoing a growth spurt. This rapid growth requires much more calories and nutrients as compared to earlier. In the third trimester, you could need 500 extra calories as compared to your non-pregnant state.

Meat

You are going to need extra calories to support the growth of your baby. However, you should avoid too much or too frequent eating. For that, meat can be a good choice. It will also provide you protein required for yourself and your baby.

Cereal and bread

For carbohydrate requirements, cereal and bread should be chosen as they are rich in starch. They will provide you carbohydrates slowly and steadily and avoid spike rise in blood sugar level.

Tips for healthy snacking during pregnancy

If you have made up your mind for healthy snacks, here are a few tips from us:

Carry portable snacks

During pregnancy, you are going to experience unexpected hunger bouts. In some conditions, there might be no healthy snack available like on the bus. To relieve such unexpected bouts you need to develop a habit of carrying healthy snacks like fruits, juices, and milk with you. Before leaving the home, fill your handbag with them.

Time to time checking for availability of healthy snacks

You should also develop a habit of checking the availability of healthy snacks at home. During pregnancy life becomes hectic and there are mood swings so you can miss on it.

Variety of snacks

You should try to keep a variety of snacks available at all times. During pregnancy, you will feel craving for a specific variety whether sweet, salty, or sour. These cravings can develop even at midnight so having a variety of snacks will help you relieve your craving.

Proper cooking

During pregnancy, you should make sure food is properly cooked. A small amount of toxin or pathogen left in the food can prove harmful. Eggs should be properly cooked to prevent Listeria infection. Likewise, meat should also be properly cooked to avoid E. coli infection.

Also Read: Can You Eat Chinese Food During Pregnancy? Is It Safe?

Benefits of healthy snacks during pregnancy

Growth of baby and healthy snacks during pregnancy

Healthy snacking during pregnancy will ensure the proper growth of your baby both physically and mentally. At the time of birth, your baby will be of ideal height and weight.

Complications of pregnancy and healthy snacking

You can avoid a lot of complications simply by taking healthy snacks during pregnancy. These complications can either be involving you or your baby. Cut all the harmful snacks and start healthy snacks and you will easily sail through your pregnancy. Plus it ensures safe labor and the delivery of a healthy baby as well.

Healthy figure after pregnancy

Healthy snacking will not only help you during pregnancy but also helps you attain a healthy figure after birth. Since healthy snacks help you bear the stress and strain of pregnancy so there is less or little damage to your body. Thus you can get back in shape quite easily.

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