Needless to say, food cravings are natural during pregnancy. But as you get started to ‘eat for two’, remember to make smart food choices so that you get all the nutrition required to support your baby’s development. To keep nutrition levels high, there are various easy and healthy snacks for pregnant women that are worth trying.
Best Snacks for Pregnant Women
Listed below are some of the healthiest snacks that you can add to your diet during pregnancy:
1. Trail Mix
Amongst the good snacks for pregnant women, trail mix is quite flavourful and filling. One can get a pack from a nearby grocery store or make it at home using ingredients of personal preferences. A healthy trail mix must contain nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and granola. These ingredients make it rich in proteins, healthy fats, and fibre which are vital for pregnancy.
How to make Trail Mix:
Take 1- ½ cup of nuts including almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc. Add 1 cup of raw seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. Add ½ cup of fun stuff like chopped dark chocolate, popped popcorns, or pretzels. Spice it up with sea salt as per taste, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg and you are ready to go. Limit your portion to ½ cup per snacktime, storing the remaining in a ziplock pack.
2. Mexican Dosa
Healthy morning or evening snacks for pregnant ladies can include a Mexican dosa. Instead of the traditional potato filling in a dosa which is too high in carbohydrates, a Mexican dosa can be the perfect alternative, providing the required nutrition and perfect taste.
How to make Mexican Dosa:
You will need 1-1/2 cups of dosa batter with about 6 teaspoons of cooking oil. To make the dosa filling, mix 1 cup of baked beans with finely chopped spring onions, capsicum, chilli powder, tomato ketchup, red chilli sauce, jeera powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix them well and keep them aside.
Prepare a dosa on a flat tawa. Place a portion of stuffing in the centre and sprinkle cheese evenly over it. Fold the sides over. Your Mexican Dosa is ready!
3. Jowar, Apple, and Walnut Pancakes
The ingredients make these pancakes ultra-rich in iron, making it a perfect snack for pregnant women. It is extremely helpful in satisfying the sweet craving during pregnancy.
How to make Jowar, Apple, and Walnut Pancakes:
Take a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup jowar flour, ½ cup unpeeled grated apples, finely chopped walnuts, and almonds. Add ¾ cup of milk and 3 tablespoons of grated jaggery. Mix the ingredients well and keep them aside. Heat a non-stick uttapam pan, grease it well, and pour the mixture into each mould. Cook till both sides turn golden brown.
4. Oats Methi Multiflour Khakhra
Khakhra, a Gujarati cuisine, is crispy, tasty, and full of iron. It is one of the best snacks for pregnant women that they can binge upon without any guilt. You can bite upon it with a cup of tea or simply grab one when hunger strikes.
How to make Oats Methi Multiflour Khakhra:
Take all ingredients in a deep bowl – ½ cup oats, ½ cup methi leaves finely chopped, ¼ cup jowar flour, ¼ cup ragi flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour. Add spices to taste – Haldi, green chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste. Add 1 teaspoon of oil. Knead the mixture into a soft dough using water. Divide the dough into small portions. Roll out each portion into small rotis and cook them on low flame till crispy.
5. Fruit Yoghurt
Good snacks for pregnant women must include all seasonal fruits with high amounts of proteins and calcium, as they are crucial in baby’s development. A smoothie made from yoghurt and fruits provides just that. Furthermore, its probiotic properties are easy on the stomach and improve gut bacteria.
How to make Fruit Yoghurt:
Take 1 cup of yoghurt (flavoured or plain). Add fruit puree or freshly cut fruits berries, chopped mango, ripe banana, diced apple, or peaches. Sprinkle a few nuts and raisins for fibre. Add honey or sugar to make it sweet. Else, squeeze lemon juice to make it tangy. Give it a nice toss and sit down to enjoy one of the best snacks for pregnant women.
6. Sprouts Bhel
The streetside tangy bhel may not be too hygienic during pregnancy. But how about settling your food craving in a nutritious way? Try Sprouts Bhel. Specially curated for expecting mothers, it is one of those snacks for pregnant ladies no one would want to miss.
How to make Sprouts Bhel:
Take a large bowl and add 2 cups of puffed rice, 1 cup sprouted beans, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped tomato, and 1 finely diced boiled potato, add a few peanuts, 1 finely chopped green chilly, and finely chopped coriander leaves. Add salt to taste. Toss it nicely in tamarind and mint chutneys. Garnish it with sev and chaat masala.
7. Masala Fruit Chaat
Fruit chaat is one of the conventionally proven healthy snacks for pregnant women. It provides the opportunity to add different fruit varieties in a single bowl, providing the highest nutritional value and associated pregnancy benefits.
How to make Masala Fruit Chaat:
Take a large mixing bowl. Add a sliced banana, chopped apple, 1 chopped pear, 1 chopped orange mandarin, 4-5 chopped strawberries, ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, salt to taste, ¼ teaspoon roasted jeera powder, 4-5 finely chopped mint leaves, and juice of 1 lemon. Mix the ingredients well without mashing them. Serve cold.
8. Chana Chaat
Chana chaat; made with white chana (chickpeas) with a handful of freshly chopped vegetables, spices, and herbs; is quite a delectable snack. It is nutritionally rich – high in proteins, iron, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids, making it one of the best snacks for pregnant women.
How to make Chana Chaat:
Soak a cup of white chanas overnight. Boil and strain then. Take a large mixing bowl, add boiled chanas, freshly chopped vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, onions, capsicum, and broccoli. Add finely chopped green chillies, and coriander. Add chaat masala, salt, and amchur to taste. Mix it well and serve.
9. Whole Wheat Sandwich
Vegetable sandwiches prepared in whole wheat bread can be sumptuous and nourishing. Non-vegetarians can add diced and cooked chicken. Customise it to taste for a filling evening snack for pregnant ladies. While bread provides the required carbohydrates, vegetables add fibre, vitamins and minerals to the diet.
How to make Whole Wheat Sandwich:
Take slices of fresh whole wheat bread. Apply a thin layer of mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, and mint chutney. Put layers of thinly sliced tomato, cucumber, and lettuce. Sprinkle salt to taste. You can grill it, toast it, or have it plain.
10. Sweet Potato Chips
Crunchy and crispy sweet potato chips make up for a great evening snack for pregnant women. Unlike regular potato chips, sweet potato chips have higher nutritional content, making them an ideal inclusion in pregnancy diets.
How to make Sweet Potato Chips:
Cut sweet potatoes into thin slices. Sprinkle salt, black salt, red chilli powder, cinnamon, and sugar on it and keep it aside for an hour. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Slightly grease the baking tray and arrange the cut and marinated sweet potatoes and bake them. Keep checking them at regular intervals. Bake until crispy and golden brown.
11. Masala Sweet Corn
The seasonal corn cob is an excellent source of vitamin B6 and fibre. Easy to cook, yummy to taste, with high nutritional value, and easy on the stomach, it is one of the best snacks for pregnant women. You can have it boiled or roasted. Adding masalas can make it more flavourful, ideal for satiating food cravings during pregnancy.
How to make Masala Sweet Corn:
Take a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of steamed corn kernels. Add ½ teaspoon of melted butter, salt to taste, chaat masala, black pepper powder, and juice of one lemon. Mix it well and it’s ready to be served.
12. Vegetable Suji Idli
The versatile idli is not just a popular South Indian cuisine but also a healthy snack for pregnant women. Unlike the regular idlis made from rice, the suji idlis have no preparation time, therefore, are quick to make. Adding vegetables to it makes it crunchy and nutritious.
How to make Vegetable Suji Idli:
Take a cup of suji and mix it with curd and water to make a thick batter. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, add finely grated carrots, beans, curry leaves, and coriander leaves. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Grease an idli maker and fill up each mould. Cook until done. Enjoy hot idlis with coconut chutney or coriander and mint chutney.
Conclusion
Snacking during pregnancy can be helpful. Healthy snacks for pregnant women help perk up their energy levels and provide the additional calories and nutrition required for the baby’s development. Follow these recipes of some of the healthiest options in snacks and bid adieu to your cravings during pregnancy.
