Healthy Snack Alternatives For Pregnancy Cravings
Meg Hughes
Sun, Nov 22, 2015
If you’ve never experienced and given into a food craving, either you possess the discipline of a monk or you’ve never been pregnant.
Okay, that’s just speculation, but if you’re reading this then chance are you can identify with experiencing those spontaneous urges to consume food in a somewhat uncharacteristic manner….
Snack Attack!
Whether it’s ice cream with smashed-potato-chip topping or peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, quick hits of salty, sugary or nutritionally unbalanced snacks aren’t always ideal when it comes to both your health and that of your darling mini-me-to-be.
If you’re having a hard time steering clear of the junk food while your little bundle of joy happily gestates, then you’re certainly not alone.
The good news is there’s an endless variety of healthy and satisfying foods to help settle those crave tantrums - it might just take a little thinking outside the box to get you there in style. Thankfully all the hard work’s been done thanks to an amazing array of Australian Food Blogs and their talented been-there-before writers.
Coping with Sweet Cravings
Feeling tired during pregnancy can often leave you feeling the need for an energy boost in the form of something sweet. Substituting for foods richer in slow-release carbohydrates like granola or high-energy trail mixes should keep you satisfied for longer and help squeeze a few extra goodies in alongside that sweetness. As well as aiding digestion, eating snacks with plenty of fibre, nuts and seeds helps to avoid spikes in your blood sugar levels and hands both you and baby a decent dose of antioxidants at the same time. There are also varieties of trail mix that include ingredients with natural sugars such as raisins and other dried fruits to help tend to your sweet tooth. Smaller, more portable fruits such as berries or apple slices are as always an excellent go-to for natural sugar.
Try: Mixed Maple Nut Granola, a Peanut Butter and Banana Granola or Nibble Mix
Handling Savoury Cravings
Sometimes your cravings can be signs of something other than hunger. Cravings for extremely salty foods for example, can be an indicator of a drop in sodium levels. Over-indulging in salty foods could unknowingly lead to unsafe levels of sodium intake however, so take it steady. Instead of heading straight for that jar of pickles or bag of salty potato chips, try switching out for a serving of lightly salted or dry roasted nuts. Again nuts are high in the “good” fats and omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for heart health. Rice cakes or popcorn are also great alternatives as healthier and quick outlets for salty cravings. These are light, flavoursome and low in both sodium and fat.
Try: Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Popcorn, some Curry Roasted Cashews or Chunky Three Bean Dip.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s probably best to work with the urges than against when it comes to pregnancy cravings. Resisting the temptation to snack can lead to later binges - besides which, as baby get bigger there’s a lot less space for meals! Being prepared with healthy and satisfying alternatives to junk food and snacking (in moderation) regularly should keep both you and baby’s cravings on the happy and healthy side.