I am currently 14 weeks pregnant, and my appetite has skyrocketed over the last few weeks. I am ALWAYS hungry. If my blood sugar is in range, I try to eat something with few or no carbs, but am finding that those options don't keep me very full until the next meal. Trying to choose something healthy for baby is a challenge also. (I just ate cookies for a snack and realized I needed to consult others!)
Does anyone have good recommendations of between meal or bedtime snacks that they ate throughout pregnancy?
Hi! You’ll probably find that you need protein and lots of it while pregnant When I was higher than I wanted to be and was super hungry, I typically ate some cheese just to get me through until I dropped. If I was in a good range, I tried to eat around 15-20 carbs, so here are some snacks that worked for me…
Apple with peanut butter
THINK brand bars (they’re pretty much pure nuts, so they’re high in good fats…essential for baby’s growth…and they’re very slow absorbing/low GI)
cheese and crackers
low carb pita bread with peanut butter
salad with cottage cheese
soups…I’m a health nut so I always chose organic brands like Amy’s Kitchen, Horizon, etc.
greek yogurt topped with nuts (greek yogurt is much higher in protein!)
Hope these ideas help! I don’t use artificial sweeteners, etc. and tend to eat whole/real/unprocessed foods so I tend to go more for fiber rich, slower absorbing foods versus the real low carb stuff. Others will probably have more ideas for you…
Warm Wishes and Congratulations! Let me know if I can help with anything else!
Pam
T1 for 30 years, diagnosed at age 3
Proud Mama to a 2 1/2 year old daughter and 9 month old identical twin sons
Protein for sure. Nuts. Just don’t go overboard on them. Stick to the right portion for that nut. Peanut butter, cheese, tofu even. Tofu is really high in protein.
Yes! Tofu! And because you can’t eat deli type meats when pregnant, I ate soy “deli meats” quite a bit.
My last pregnancy was a twin pregnancy and I had to eat a crazy amount of protein for the babies. The twin pregnancy was a whole different game (in terms of the type 1 and insulin needs as well as how much the babies needed nutritionally) from when I was pregnant with my daughter.
Definitely consult with a nutritionist, if you haven’t already, Melissa. They will be able to tell you how much protein, fat, carbs, calories, etc. you can/should eat. And they should be able to give you some snack and meal ideas too…
I ate constantly from week 5 through delivery. LOL. I really struggled because my active insulin time was 3.5 hours, but I needed to eat every 2 hours. So I just always stacked boluses and ate what I needed to eat. I ate those little 20g mini-bagels for second breakfast (9am-ish) and for my 11pm-sies with a shmear of low fat cream cheese almost every day. Whole grain, reasonable carbs, low fat. I’d save a granola bar out of my lunch for 2pm-ish. At 4pm, I’d eat some chicken nuggets… I just tried to keep from binging. Snacking often helped keep my nausea at bay. I always felt better with a full tummy. I usually kept each snack to 25g or less of carb.
my dr. has told me that my snacks should be 15-20g carbs. trying to fit something filling in this has been tough, but some of my favorite snacks have been mini whole wheat pita breads with hummus, or a string cheese stick with a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit.
For fast snacks that you can keep in your purse, the pregnancy diabetes councillor suggested South Beach protien bars.
She said that she doesn’t usually recommend any processed stuff, but these have like the ideal protein to carbs ratio and were good for needing to grab something fast for heading out the door, or to keep in your purse in case you get stuck in traffic or something.
I eat plain greek yogurt with a teaspoon of (high quality) cocoa powder and a small amount of Splenda – I call it my chocolate pudding! It really satisfies my (almost constant) chocolate cravings.
Thanks so much for all the great suggestions! I did meet with a dietitian a while back, but have burnt out on many of the snacks she suggested already. These are all great new ideas. I’m making my grocery list now!
Thanks again guys!
Thanks for starting this post, Melissa! I’m always looking for new, healthy, filling snacks, too.
I eat a lot of salad with cottage cheese, whole wheat english muffins w/peanut butter, Lara Bars and Balance Bars. I’m especially obsessed with Balance Bars (Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter - yum). They have about 22g carbs and tons of protein.
One of my favorite snacks is to open a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinse them and give them time to dry. Then put them in a bowl and toss with a little bit (like 1tsp max, or it’s too greasy) of olive oil and salt and any seasoning you like (curry powder, dried oregano, chipotle chili, whatever you’re in the mood for.)
Spread out on a baking sheet so none are touching each other and back at 350 until they are browned. 20 mins or so I think?
Then eat them! It’s a healthy crunchy snack that has good carbs, lots of fiber and protein.
I don’t use artificial sweeteners, etc. and tend to eat whole/real/unprocessed foods so I tend to go more for fiber rich, slower absorbing foods versus the real low carb stuff. Others will probably have more ideas for you…