Frequent snacking can help you meet all your nutritional needs without feeling too full. Here are some key nutrients you need more of during pregnancy.
1. Protein: Protein is very important for the baby’s growth throughout pregnancy. While you are pregnant, you will need 46 grammes of protein per day during your first trimester, while in the second and third trimesters, you will need 71 grammes per day.
2. Fibre: A high-fibre diet can help you a lot during pregnancy by preventing constipation, and lowering the risk of preeclampsia and glucose intolerance. A pregnant woman should get 28 grammes of dietary fibre per day.
3. Healthy fats: Healthy fats are important for the baby’s growth and development. These include unsaturated fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
4. Vitamins and Minerals: While you are pregnant, you need more nutrients like folate, calcium, iron, and vitamin D, among many others. These help with the baby’s development and also in keeping you healthy.
How You Should Choose Snacks When You Are Pregnant?
While you are pregnant, you should choose snacks from different food groups to help you get a mix of nutrients and keep you feeling full. Avoid snacks that have too much sugar and unhealthy fats. Also, make sure you control your portions and avoid overeating.Here are some good healthy snack options for pregnant women:
1. Fruits and vegetables:
- Fresh Fruit Slices: Fresh fruit slices like apples, pears, and oranges can help you with your sugar cravings while also providing you with fibre and vitamins. Make sure you are consuming fruits like oranges that are high in vitamin C.
- Raw vegetables with hummus: This is a very healthy snack option as it offers the added benefits of chickpeas, which are a good source of protein and fibre.
2. Protein-Rich Snacks:
- Greek Yoghurt with toppings: Add toppings like fresh nuts and berries to your Greek yoghurt for a nutrient-rich snacking option. Greek yoghurt provides you with proteins, and calcium and keeps your gut healthy, while berries and nuts keep you full for longer and provide vitamins and fibre.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Eggs are a very good choice for a pregnant woman as they provide a lot of nutrients for a healthy baby. Eggs are rich in choline, iodine, folate, and iron, as well as omega-3 healthy fats and antioxidants. Choline is especially important for the development of a baby’s brain and spinal cord.
- Plant-based protein sources: If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can add nuts like almonds, roasted tofu, and pumpkin seeds to your diet. Salads with grilled chicken/tofu or paneer are a great option as well. You can also have a 50g slice of grilled paneer as a protein-rich snack option.
3. Whole grain snacks:
- Whole grain crackers with spreads like cheese: Whole grain crackers are a great option for pregnancy as they are easy to digest and help avoid constipation due to their fibre content.
- Oatmeal with fruits: Oatmeal is another great option as it provides you with energy, keeps you full and is easy on the stomach. It has a high fibre content, making it especially great for women going through constipation during pregnancy. Whole grains like oats can provide you with energy for longer, thereby preventing unnecessarily snacking on unhealthy foods with artificial sugars, which increase the risk of gestational diabetes.
- Whole wheat bread: You can have sandwiches made of whole wheat bread filled with paneer bhurji or omelette to up the nutritional value. This will also keep you full for longer.
4. Healthy Fats:
- Avocado on toast: Avocados are a good source of healthy fats and help build the baby’s skin, hair, and nails. Avocados also contain folate, potassium, and fibre.
- Nut butters with whole grain bread: Nut butters provide you with good, healthy fats. They are safe to consume as long as you choose butters that are not processed.
5. Nuts and Seeds:
Nuts like walnuts and seeds like flax seeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for developing the baby’s brain. Include a fist full of mixed nuts and seeds daily. This mix can be added as a topping to a fruit bowl or carried as an on-the-go snack option. Chia seeds can be added to a water bottle or other liquids for easy consumption.Snacks You Should Avoid While You Are Pregnant:
While you are pregnant, there are a lot of foods you need to avoid. Here are some things you should avoid while considering your snack options.- Foods that have a high sugar content, like candies and cakes. These foods have a high amount of artificial sweeteners, an excess of which could put you at risk of gestational diabetes.
- Processed food that has a high amount of unhealthy fats, like chips and other fried food
- Unpasteurised milk products that could cause infections
- Processed, packaged meat products could again put you at risk of infections
Some additional tips for healthy snacking habits:
- Plan your meals and snack times beforehand so you have every item and ingredient ready.
- Mindfully buy only healthy snacks
- While snacking, keep yourself hydrated. Drink a lot of water or homemade juice. Avoid packaged juices as they are processed and have much more sugar than is healthy for anyone.
- Eat anytime you become hungry; pay attention to your body.
- Practice food safety by washing all your fruits and vegetables before consuming them. Bacteria in unwashed food can cause a lot of issues, which may later lead to birth problems.
- Control portions, as even eating healthy snacks in excess can cause weight gain during pregnancy
- Eat mindfully and avoid distractions while snacking, as it can cause issues like choking
- You might also want to carry healthy snacks with you in small containers so you can eat anytime you feel hungry while you are working or running errands.
Medically approved by Susmita N, Clinical Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru