Healthy Snacks for Pregnancy

According to March of Dimes, a pregnant woman needs to consume only 300 additional calories each day to provide adequate nutrition for her unborn baby. Although you are technically eating for two, knowing which foods provide healthy snacks for pregnancy allows you to choose nutritious snack foods that won’t pack on unnecessary pounds that you’ll need to lose after your little one’s birth.

 

Dairy Snacks

Foods from the dairy group, particularly cheese and yogurt, provide snacks that are excellent sources of calcium, which you and your baby both need throughout pregnancy in order to maintain strong, healthy bone development and growth.

 

Fruit Snacks

Fresh, frozen and canned fruit, as well as 100 percent fruit juice, from fruits like cantaloupe, bananas and oranges give your pregnant body important vitamins and nutrients, such as vitamin C, while helping you meet your minimum daily requirement of 1-1/2 to 2 cups of fruit per day.

 

 

Vegetables

Eating raw or cooked vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and celery as snacks gives you an easy way to provide your body and your baby’s body with needed potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

 

Nuts

An excellent source of protein and vitamin E, nuts such as sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts and peanut butter provide nutritional snacks during pregnancy. This is given you don’t have any sensitivities to nuts.

 

Snacks to Avoid

Avoid sugary snacks like chocolate, soft drinks, and cookies. Additionally avoid those high in fat like chips and doughnuts. These foods don’t provide the nutrients and long-term energy you and your growing baby require.

 

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