Healthy Pregnancy Snacks For Every Trimester
October 23, 2023
Looking for pregnancy snack ideas that are simple to make and healthy? You’ve come to the right place! Keep reading for easy pregnancy snacks you can whip together in a few minutes, pregnancy snacks for nausea, and snacks that will provide you and your baby with the vitamins you need in a delicious way!
Pregnancy Snacks For the First Trimester
The start of pregnancy comes with a host of symptoms, morning sickness being one of the worst and most common. With nausea and vomiting, your appetite may have shifted somewhat and you may struggle to keep food down. However, it’s essential that you still get the nutrients you and your developing baby need.
From how many meals to eat to which foods to skip, this guide’s got proven tips, helpful recommendations, and mama-approved suggestions to help ease your nausea when “morning sickness” strikes.
A peek inside:
- The best way to start your day off to avoid nausea
- Recommendations for ways to split up your meals
- Tricks for staying hydrated
- Foods to skip and ingredients to indulge in to fight off nausea
- Mama-approved suggestions that help with morning sickness and make life easier
Snappy Peas with Orange-Sesame Butter
One of the biggest issues with morning sickness is that it can leave you dehydrated. Increasing your water and herbal tea intake as well as opting for hydrating foods is key.
Not only are these snap peas easy on the stomach, but they’re hydrating, too!
You’ll also get protein from the peas as well as magnesium from the sesame seeds (a vitamin that can help combat morning sickness). The orange that this recipe calls for is rich in folate—an essential first-trimester vitamin to reduce neural tube defects—and vitamin C.
Get the full recipe here.
Radical Romesco
Bell peppers are packed with vitamin C! This vitamin is responsible for tissue repair and immune function, and it is linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and hypertension.Along with bell peppers and cauliflower, this dip also needs almonds. Not only are nuts a healthy source of fats, but they’re also high in fiber and iodine. While fiber is important for healthy digestion, iodine, “…is crucial for the development of baby’s brain, and skeletal and central nervous system,” explains What To Expect.
Get the full recipe here.
Tip: Coming up with a meal plan that incorporates all the vitamins and minerals you and your baby need can be daunting! But, it doesn’t have to be with Pregnant and Hungry. Subscribe to gain access to a vault of healthy pregnancy recipes for every stage of pregnancy. We also have specific recipes for women struggling with heartburn, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension, as well as recipes that will satisfy sweet, salty, sour, or spicy cravings. Subscribe now!
Pregnancy Snacks For the Second Trimester
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it’s during the second trimester that your baby’s brain will undergo its most important period of growth. Including omega-3 fatty acids in your diet is a great way to support your baby’s brain development.
Quickie… Pickled Shrimp!
Shrimp is rich in omega-3 fatty acids! What makes this ingredient even better is its niacin content—this vitamin also plays an important role in brain development.Get the full recipe here.
¡Green Gazpacho!
Looking for healthy pregnancy snacks for gestational diabetes? You’ve got to give this gazpacho a try!
Thanks to the cucumbers, this snack is super hydrating; it’s also high in vitamin C from the tomatoes and bell peppers. These ingredients are also rich in fiber which is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy diet, especially if you have gestational diabetes. “Because the body is unable to absorb and break down fiber, it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar the way other carbohydrates can. This can help keep your blood sugar in your target range,” explains the CDC.
Get the full recipe here.
Pregnancy Snacks For the Third Trimester
The final stage of pregnancy may be exciting since you’re close to meeting your little one, but it can also be uncomfortable! Heartburn is something that many pregnant women suffer from. Luckily, some food choices can provide some relief.
Get That Milk Flowin’ Spiced Banana Oat Chia Muffins
Because of their natural pH and their ability to settle stomachs, bananas are great to put in your grocery cart if you’re experiencing heartburn.
These muffins combine the benefits of bananas with high-fiber oats and chia seeds. Chia seeds are also high in calcium, an essential nutrient for mamas to prevent osteoporosis later in life.
Tip: These muffins are perfect pregnancy snacks on the go, so bake a bunch to freeze so you always have on hand.
Get the full recipe here.
Oh-So-Good Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Fats are also an essential part of a healthy third-trimester diet, and the main ingredient of this green dressing is a fantastic source!
Avocado is a source of monounsaturated fat which can help, “…improve heart health, regulate blood sugar levels, and help keep you full in between meals,” says Healthline.Pour this dressing over a salad, or use it as a dip for carrots, celery, and cucumbers.
Get the full recipe here.
Pregnancy Snacks For the Fourth Trimester
The postpartum period—also known as the fourth trimester—is a time for healing! A nutrient-dense diet that includes easy-to-make snacks can go a long way to help you recover and maintain energy for breastfeeding and looking after your newborn.
Egg-traordinary Deviled Eggs with Peas
Protein is a vital part of a pregnancy diet, but your need for protein doesn’t change after you give birth! Your postpartum body needs protein to heal.This is the perfect postpartum snack as it’s high in protein from the eggs. It’s also going to help you with any constipation you may be experiencing (super common after having a baby!) due to the fiber in the peas.
Get the full recipe here.
Everything’s Peachy Granola
You may be breastfeeding, so focusing on foods that promote lactation is beneficial. One incredible ingredient for breastfeeding mamas is oats! They’re packed with fiber, magnesium, as well as vitamins B6 and B12 (B vitamins help with exhaustion and stress).
“There are plant estrogens in oats: Foods that contain plant estrogens are associated with the stimulation of the milk glands and greater production of breast milk,” says Verywell Family.
The Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding
Lactation-Inducing Ingredients To Boost Your Milk Supply
Get the GuideIf you’re looking to make more milk by eating powerful superfoods, you’ve come to the perfect page. This guide includes a list of what to eat, drink, and savor for mamas wanting to encourage lactation!
A peek inside:
- The best fruits and veggies for increasing breastmilk supply
- Breastfeeding superfoods: nuts, herbs, seeds, and grains
- Lactogenic legumes
- Dairy (that’s right: milk intake = milk output)
This granola recipe also includes walnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds to boost nutrition.
Get the full recipe here.
Mama, it’s perfectly okay to snack while pregnant—in fact, it’s encouraged to get the nutrients that you and your baby need! Give the above healthy pregnancy snack recipes a try to up your vitamin and mineral intake as well as satisfy your cravings.
