In pregnancy, a mother carries one or more offspring in her womb for about nine months. This is also the time when the mother experiences hormonal changes and encounters numerous physical changes in order to adapt to the living fetus inside her. Good adjustment to the fetus needs good nutrition. So, what are the healthy snacks for pregnant women that can be taken in case hunger strikes without prior notice?
In today’s world, convenience foods are the ones that are easily chosen when one gets hungry. They are not just delicious but also easy to prepare. One downside of convenience foods is its high preservative content which is not good for any of us, but especially not good for pregnant women.
Pregnant women actually need to consume more calories than they usually would when they were not pregnant. One reason for this is that the fetus inside their womb needs the extra calories the mother ingests in order to grow health and normally. But the extra calories need to be from healthy foods, not non-healthy foods such as junk food, fatty, oily, and sweet foods.
Studies reveal that pregnant women need an extra 300 calories per day. Exceeding this requirement could cause obesity in pregnant women which predisposes her to problems such as pregnancy induced hypertension or gestational diabetes mellitus. In addition, babies can grow big and weigh more than what is desired inside the womb thus making it hard for the mother during labor and delivery, and in some cases, a cesarean delivery may be required.
Healthy snacks for pregnant women:
1. Fruits
Pregnant women can grab a piece of apple, orange, pear, or papaya during snack time. The fruits can provide them the fiber they need in order to alleviate constipation, which is a common problem during pregnancy, and at the same time give them vitamins and minerals which can help their fetus grow healthy. Handy fruits cups which come in 4 ounces can also be opted as long as the fruits are packed and soaked in their own juice and not in sugary syrup.
2. Yogurt
This healthy snack does not just provide you with probiotics, which aids in digestion and protects your digestive tract, but also takes 25% of your daily calcium needs.
3. Raisins
Raisins are very handy and could surely satisfy your sweet tooth. It is rich in fiber, potassium and iron thus making it an ideal emergency snack during hunger attack.
These are some of the healthy snacks that pregnant women can enjoy without feeling bad once the hunger center in the brain is satisfied.
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