Natural Woman
Eating (Healthy) For Two
By: CB Staff Writer
The most delicious and nutritious snacks to nosh while pregnant.
When you’re expecting, there seems to be a million things you can do to give your child a head start before he’s born—like playing him music while in utero, reading to your belly, and doing prenatal yoga. But the absolute best thing you can do to prepare your little one for a bright and healthy future is to eat well during pregnancy. In order to get all of the nutrients your body and your baby need, it’s important to nosh on a variety of foods. Too bad a general lack of time (most women continue to work before baby, plus there’s all the work of preparing for baby), extreme exhaustion and the occasional bout of nausea can make that nearly impossible.
Before you turn to take out or packaged foods, which are usually high in sodium and fat, you should know that eating healthy snacks throughout the day can go a long way in upping your intake of key vitamins and nutrients. We turned to the experts at Healthy World Healthy Child for some snack suggestions. There’s one to satisfy every craving (sweet, salty, meaty, spicy and thirst-quenching), so find one that suits your tastes then indulge!
Sweet: Whipping up a fruit parfait with ingredients like fresh berries, yogurt and granola is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and boost your body’s stores of key nutrients at the same time. The yogurt provides a dose of calcium to help baby’s developing bones and teeth as well as plenty of protein. Just be sure you choose organic berries, as the conventionally grown kind sit near the top of the list of fruits and veggies that are most contaminated with pesticides.
Salty: Raw veggies dunked in a salty, herbal dip are a much healthier substitute for greasy potato chips. Look for a dip recipe that’s made with yogurt for added calcium and pair it with crunchy vegetables like broccoli (a great source of folic acid) and carrots (high in vitamin C and antioxidants).
Meaty: For a low-calorie snack that’s loaded with zinc (to keep your immune system in shape), try shrimp. You can buy frozen shrimp that’s already peeled, de-veined and cooked, so all you have to do is defrost and enjoy. For a protein-rich dip, whip up a creamy peanut butter, low-sodium soy sauce and lime juice sauce.
Spicy: Brown up some ground bison meat mixed with taco seasoning for a simple and spicy taco salad. Bison is naturally lean and it’s a great source of iron and protein, which are both essential for a healthy pregnancy. Grab a tortilla and wrap up some cooked bison, romaine lettuce, salsa, shredded cheese, and diced avocado.
Thirst-Quenching: Orange juice combined with seltzer water is a tasty way to get your daily dose of folate. OJ is loaded with the stuff, which is important for the proper development of your baby’s neural tubes. Another option: Cubed watermelon, which as the name implies is very hydrating and rich in lycopene, an antioxidant which may help moms avoid preelampsia.
