Picture this: A month into your first trimester, you wake up in the middle of the night, absolutely craving a…. pickle ice cream sundae? Sometimes the best pregnancy snacks are the ones that satisfy a pregnant woman’s food cravings.
If you’re searching for a snack that is easier to source but just as delicious, we’ve got you covered. Discover nine healthy pregnancy snacks and how to make them below.
What Are the Best Morning Snacks for Pregnancy?
1. Yogurt and Berries
Speaking of antioxidants, try throwing a handful of berries or another fresh fruit onto some Greek yogurt for a tasty and healthy snack. Yogurt is loaded with probiotics, protein, and calcium, and adding berries can take this snack up to the next level.
If yogurt isn’t your thing, try swapping it out for cottage cheese instead. The flavor combination of dairy and berries is a classic. Adding this healthy option to your snack lineup will be as easy as slipping into your softest maternity PJs. Plus, you can transform this snack into a full-on meal by adding some granola, banana slices, or cereal.
Versatile, healthy, and delicious? Um, yes, please!
2. Green Smoothie
It can be hard to make yourself eat a whole meal first thing in the AM, especially when you’re dealing with morning sickness. For a tasty and filling morning snack, try a smoothie instead. Our favorite smoothies are healthy sources of complex carbohydrates and no added sugar.
The recipe is as follows:
- Half of an avocado (don’t worry, you’re not making a guacamole smoothie)
- One whole banana (packed with potassium, carbs, and vitamin C to support a growing baby)
- One cup of frozen spinach or kale (both fantastic sources of B vitamins and magnesium)
- One cup of frozen fruit of your choice (we love blueberries because they’re low in carbs and high in fiber)
- A handful of ice cubes
- Coconut water to taste
This smoothie has the right amount of sweet and savory to fill you up and satisfy your taste buds. Try it in the morning to start your day off strong, or use it as a pinch-hitter to keep you full between meals.
The wonderful thing about smoothies is that you can easily fiddle around with the recipe to match your tastes.
Try swapping out the coconut water for orange juice or cranberry juice or adding fiber-rich rolled oats or chia seeds. A little experimenting, and you’ll have the perfect pregnancy snack with the press of a blender button.
3. Avocado Toast
We’re basically obsessed with whole-grain toast with avocado. Healthy fats, folate, fiber… When it comes to nutrients, avocado toast is just like your favorite pregnancy jumper: it pretty much has it all.
Mash up the avocado with a fork and drizzle it with everything seasoning and lemon juice. Then, pile on the toppings, such as feta or goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, fried eggs, arugula or spinach, cherry tomatoes, and honey. It’s entirely up to you how complicated you want to make your whole-wheat avocado toast. The only thing that matters is that you like it!
Like a smoothie, avocado toast can make an excellent breakfast or a filling and healthy snack between meals. If you’re new to the avocado toast scene, experiment with the many options.
For example, try slicing the avocado rather than mashing it. Taste-test different types of bread until you find the perfect pairing for your preferred toppings.
Avocado toast is perhaps one of the most popular snacks; give it a try, and you might just find your new must-have snack for the next nine months (and beyond).
What Are the Best Evening Snacks for Pregnancy?
1. Roasted Veggies
Meal prepping is all the rage these days, and for a good reason. There’s nothing better than not planning what to have for dinner: your meals are already planned.
One of the simplest ways to meal prep is by roasting a big sheet of veggies at the beginning of the week and adding them to your meals. But roasted veggies don’t just have to be for dinner; they can make fabulous snacks, too.
Try cutting up a bunch of your go-to veggies and tossing them with seasoning and olive oil, then roasting them in the oven.
We like to cook a mix of roasted chickpeas, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and broccoli with paprika, salt and pepper at 425 for 15-20 minutes. However, the combination of veggies and seasoning is totally up to you.
If you like your vegetables on the crispier side, keep them in the oven for up to 25 minutes. Then let them cool for at least five to ten minutes, and voila — a healthy and delicious snack!
2. Eggs
One of our favorite pregnancy snacks is also the simplest: the humble egg. Whether you like your eggs fried, poached, scrambled, or hardboiled, it doesn’t matter; the nutritional facts remain equally impressive. Eggs are high in grams of protein and healthy nutrients, including vitamin D and choline, meaning they’re awesome at keeping you full between meals.
Eggs are also incredibly versatile. Try them scrambled with cheese and toast, or add a hardboiled egg to your salad or bowl of ramen noodles. Eggs also make a great addition to many sandwiches and stir-fries.
Whether we’re talking price point or nutritional profile, you can’t get much more bang for your buck than by making eggs a regular part of your diet.
3. Clementines or Orange Slices
When they’re in season, clementines and orange slices can be the ultimate snack option while pregnant or breastfeeding.
After all, it doesn’t get much easier than grabbing a clementine (or several) and taking them on the road! Experts say that oranges are rich in essential nutrients, and they can also satisfy your sweet tooth.
Unlike many other fruits, oranges and clementines tend to be in season during the winter — meaning if you’re craving a fruit of some sort during the cold months, these will be your best bet. If you’re not feeling like citrus fruit, apple slices will do the trick, too.
What Are the Best In-Betweem Snacks for Pregnancy?
1. Sliced Veggies and Hummus
As far as healthy and delicious snacks go, it doesn’t get much easier than chopping up some veggies and dipping them in hummus.
We love this snack because there’s a hummus for every taste bud, no matter what food aversions you might be experiencing. Roasted red pepper, garlic, everything seasoning, plain, and even chocolate hummus can be found in many supermarket aisles these days.
For a low-fat satisfying crunch, pair your hummus with sliced bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, and celery. Hummus is packed with nutrients and plant protein, making this a filling snack when you’re on the go or between meals.
And since this snack is so easy to prepare, all you have to do is throw on your coziest maternity jacket, grab a Tupperware of hummus and veggies out of the fridge, and head out the door. You’ll be ready to tackle whatever the day has to offer.
2. Rice Cakes and Your Nut Butter of Choice
One of our favorite ways to satisfy that pregnancy sweet tooth is with yummy nut butter, whether it be peanut butter, almond butter, or Nutella. Try spreading some nut butter on a whole-grain rice cake and pairing it with fiber-rich banana slices for a delicious and nutritious snack.
Or, if you’re craving additional sweetness, you can try drizzling honey on top or sprinkling it with antioxidant-rich dark chocolate chips. If you’re allergic to nuts, perhaps try sunflower butter instead.
The best part about this snack is that you can get creative with itDon’t be afraid to get creative with this snack. During pregnancy, your taste buds might go haywire. Flavor combinations you ordinarily may not be a fan of might just become your newest obsession.
3. Yogurt and Berries
Speaking of antioxidants, try throwing a handful of berries or another fresh fruit onto some Greek yogurt for a tasty and healthy snack. Yogurt is loaded with probiotics, protein, and calcium, and adding berries can take this snack up to the next level.
If yogurt isn’t your thing, try swapping it out for cottage cheese instead. The flavor combination of dairy and berries is a classic. Adding this healthy option to your snack lineup will be as easy as slipping into your softest maternity PJs. Plus, you can transform this snack into a full-on meal by adding some granola, banana slices, or cereal.
Versatile, healthy, and delicious? Um, yes, please!
3. Cheese and Nut Snack Pack
According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, nuts are packed with heart-healthy nutrients like healthy fats, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids —–- and we couldn’t recommend them more as a filling and tasty snack during pregnancy.
Nuts pair well with cheese, so for a convenient snack for those crazy busy days, try creating a snack pack of nuts and some pregnancy-safe string cheese (made from hard cheese).
We love a good trail mix variety of almonds, peanuts, and cashews, but you can include any nuts you enjoy or even add in some other trail mix staples like raisins. Nuts pack a ton of protein, so don’t be surprised if this snack tides you over until dinner!
5. Try a Pregnancy Smoothie
It can be hard to make yourself eat a whole meal first thing in the AM, especially when you’re dealing with morning sickness. For a tasty and filling morning snack, try a smoothie instead. Our favorite smoothies are healthy sources of complex carbohydrates and no added sugar.
The recipe is as follows:
- Half of an avocado (don’t worry, you’re not making a guacamole smoothie)
- One whole banana (packed with potassium, carbs, and vitamin C to support a growing baby)
- One cup of frozen spinach or kale (both fantastic sources of B vitamins and magnesium)
- One cup of frozen fruit of your choice (we love blueberries because they’re low in carbs and high in fiber)
- A handful of ice cubes
- Coconut water to taste
This smoothie has the right amount of sweet and savory to fill you up and satisfy your taste buds. Try it in the morning to start your day off strong, or use it as a pinch-hitter to keep you full between meals.
The wonderful thing about smoothies is that you can easily fiddle around with the recipe to match your tastes.
Try swapping out the coconut water for orange juice or cranberry juice or adding fiber-rich rolled oats or chia seeds. A little experimenting, and you’ll have the perfect pregnancy snack with the press of a blender button.
Mama’s Gotta Eat
It can be hard to find a snack that fits into your hectic schedule and taste preferences during normal times in life, let alone during pregnancy when many women experience surprising food cravings and aversions. But whether you’re looking for something savory, sweet, filling, or on the lighter side, there’s a snack out there for you!
Give these nine snacks a try. You’ll find your next favorite snack, and — unlike your newfound pickle obsession — this one is sure to stick after your baby is born.
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