Healthy snacks? « Back to Group Discussions

[aphel]

So I gained a ton with DD. I mean, a ton. I'd like to not have as much to lose after this one, but that gnawing and insatiable hunger has already set in.   I'm in kind of a rut, and can't seem to think of any low cal but nutritious snacks to keep the hunger and queasiness at bay, so I thought it might be nice to get a list going for inspiration.

So far, I've been munching on:

Carrots with sea salt (weird, I know)

Plain popcorn

Cherry tomatoes

String cheese

What about everyone else?

[thecoffeebean]

Thanks for this thread! I, too, gained a lot with my first. Being pregnant on & off 4 times this past year hasn't really helped my weight, either. *eyeroll*

I like the popcorn idea. I need to pull out our Whirley Pop because it makes GREAT popcorn.
To add to the list:

Smoothies
Lara bars (I make them myself in the food processor- half dried fruit and half nuts)
Greek yogurt with fruit & a drizzle of honey
Dry roasted & salted nuts

[autumngrey]

I don't purposefully eat them as a snack, just steal some when I get ready vegetables for the grill in the summer, but I like carrots with Lawry's seasoned salt too. 

String cheese (or cheese in general) and yogurt are primary snack staples for me. The big blast of protein is a good filler. I get flavored Greek yogurt these days to up the protein factor.

I like to snack on dry cereal too. Wheaties and Cheerios are my favorites to eat dry. Frosted mini squares (whatever the Malt-o-Meal name for them) are also good if you need a sweet snack. Just put some in a cup if you want to avoid eating the whole box/bag!

Eggs! I like to hard boil several and keep them in the fridge for a snack.

Strawberry and other fruit leathers from Target. The Archer Farms brand has 25 to a box, at which point they become almost economical, especially if they're on sale.

Peanut butter + butter on bread. Sometimes like a sandwich, sometimes just one slice. I know some mamas are nervous about consuming nut products during pregnancy, but I like PB too much to say no.

Lots of fresh fruit. I keep bananas and apples around usually. And unsweetened applesauce. I get other fruits (pineapples, strawberries, raspberries, grapes) but generally only if they're on sale. Fruits are also great for when you're craving something sweet. Raisins and other dried fruits are OK, but be careful because it's easier to overeat them than fresh fruit. Or canned fruit but try to look for light syrup to reduce the unnecessary sugar/calories. I keep the individual serving fruit cups in the cupboard ... sorry, Environment.

I'm one of those "sick" people who likes to snack on vegetables, so I keep frozen peas, carrots, and mixed veggies in the freezer and heat some up in a coffee mug in the microwave when I want a snack. Not as nutritious as fresh, but tasty to me. Carrots if you like them--but skip the ranch dressing! 

[kristenburgess]

I am also finding the string cheese a very easy snack right now!

I try and focus on protein snacks, and I try and eat every 2 hours because that helps keep the all-day-sickness at bay.  It's working now but my nausea tends to get worse mid-first tri, so we'll see.  I decided to get some Seabands this time around, hehe... anything to help keep it quelled while trying to move.

Anyways, snacks!

String cheese

Nuts

Nut butters

Roast beef

Smoked salmon (this is one of my fav foods during pregnancy)

Yogurt (I eat full-fat Greek yogurt) with some frozen strawberries on top

Hard-boiled eggs

Smoothies made w/ yogurt, banana, and other fruits

If I'm having a hard time eating I'll get sourdough bread to eat with nut butters, but we're generally wheat free in the house for DH and some of the kiddos.  It's better for me to eat that, though, than nothing!  Usually if it gets really bad all I can eat are sandwiches, yogurt, and milk.  But that's better than nothing!

[2sweetgrrls]

Roasted chickpeas! I've been eating them like crazy the past week--just mix a bunch with olive oil, sea salt and paprika, spread on a baking sheet, bake. They're so good!
 

[seaheroine]

MMMMM string cheese!  I'm eating lots of cucumbers dipped in either ginger dressing or ranch...toast and butter.  I'm looking forward to the tomatoes in the garden being ready, too -- a cup of sliced grape tomatoes on top of cottage cheese is delicious.  With DD1, I ate a lot of steamed edamame and rice, too.  The frozen edamame is so easy to heat up in the steamer, and so good with sea salt.

You have to love being preggo in the summer, all that fresh stuff from the garden or farmer's market to grill and eat raw.  :) 

One of my daughters was born in December and the other in January, and at the end with both I had an insatiable craving for cutie clementines.  I ate those things by the pound!  Already looking forward to the same before this one arrives...they are the best part of winter!
 

[aphel]

Grape tomatoes on cottage cheese sounds delicious! And I happen to have both in my fridge right now.
 

[TeamViddy]

I've been eating cucumbers every afternoon at work :).

When I want beer or wine in the evening I've been taking a little grape juice and mixing it with a can of sparkling water. It really hits the spot.
 

[aphel]

2sweetgrrls, how long do you roast the chickpeas?

Also, I have just rediscovered Grape Nuts and unweetened almond milk. Yum.

[2sweetgrrls]

aphel, I usually roast them for about 40 minutes, closer to 50 for a little crispier. :)

[Mammajamma]

cheese in pretty much any form

raw veggies ( carrots, red and orange peppers, celery)

apples with sunflower seed butter

strawberries

and drinking lots of water with lemon!
 

[hotsauce]

whole grain toast with mashed avocado and nutritional yeast/salt on top.

popcorn with nutritional yeast, lime juice, coconut oil

watermelon!!

raw veggies with bleu cheese dressing (ok, that part isn't 'healthy')

salmon and egg salad with lemon, flax oil, mustard, pickles, celery and onion wrapped in lettuce leaves

dried figs, prunes, and apricots

string cheese

cottage cheese mixed with diced tomato, bell pepper, chive (mom made this when I was little, still love it!)

homemade spring rolls 

cinnamon mochi stuffed with mashed banana, coconut, raisin

fresh fruit kabobs with coconut cream  

Steamed and braised brussels sprouts with toasted almonds and dates.  

I could do this all day.  I'm a foodie and I love to cook.  Another thing I've been making weekly that disappears in my house is 'white soup'.  Steam a couple heads of cauliflower, puree with milk, olive oil or butter, salt and pepper.  My five year old son thinks it's potato soup and honestly wouldn't touch cauliflower any other way.  So simple and surprisingly good.

[rebeccajm]

yogurt

cheese cubes and grapes

some kind of protein bar

smoothies

None of this sounds good to me right now, but I was trying to think of stuff with protein.  I want to throw up all day long, but so far I haven't.  when food starts tasting decent again, I plan to eat healthier.  With DS # 1, I ate okay, but I ate super healthy with DS # 2.  DH thinks this one is a girl, because I feel so crappy.

[PatchChild]

I need to take notes on this thread.  My sweet tooth is completely gone and all I want are savory snacks, fruits, and veggies.  Trail mix, just nuts and fruit, has been good.  I'm making lots of muffins although mine are white whole wheat and applesauce rather than oil.  Cheese and crackers taste fantastic.  The watermelon around here has been great.  Popcorn...why didn't I think of that?  I'm also finding myself going through 2 or 3 apples a day.

[lulu27]

This thread is so helpful. I need to take notes too! I"m gluten and casein-free, so no dairy or processed soy either. Been stocking up on Kind granola bars and snacking on those, plus Glutino table crackers and peanut butter (yum!), and loving fresh salad with avocodo right now (avocodo rocks). Otherwise, finding that my tastes are changing every single day and definitely need to find more easy-to-grab snacks to pack to work to keep the nauseau and exhaustion at bay!! Loving potatoes and anything carb-y really, mangoes, and coconut milk yogurt with berries and nuts and seeds...

[hotsauce]

Lately for me it's been anything fresh, lots of fruit and salads topped with grilled wild salmon.  Vegetarian taco salad with black beans, corn, tomato, onion, cilantro, red bell pepper and chunks of avocado served over lettuce with a bit of cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, limes and salsa on the side.  Bean, egg and cheese breakfast tacos, carrot-coconut-curry soup, broccoli and tofu stir fry over brown rice with a mango-sesame sauce.  Not snacks, really, just things I've been cooking this week that have really hit the spot.  Also have been making smoothies with frozen banana, mango/cherry/strawberry, skim milk, flax seed oil, and a powdered green blend.  I've also been considering busting out the juicer and making some fruit/veg blends like pineapple/beet, apple/lemon/kale, etc. and freezing them into healthy homemade Popsicles.  Much better than grabbing the ice cream when it's miserable outside!

[rebeccajm]

Originally Posted by hotsauce 

Lately for me it's been anything fresh, lots of fruit and salads topped with grilled wild salmon.  Vegetarian taco salad with black beans, corn, tomato, onion, cilantro, red bell pepper and chunks of avocado served over lettuce with a bit of cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, limes and salsa on the side.  Bean, egg and cheese breakfast tacos, carrot-coconut-curry soup, broccoli and tofu stir fry over brown rice with a mango-sesame sauce.  Not snacks, really, just things I've been cooking this week that have really hit the spot.  Also have been making smoothies with frozen banana, mango/cherry/strawberry, skim milk, flax seed oil, and a powdered green blend.  I've also been considering busting out the juicer and making some fruit/veg blends like pineapple/beet, apple/lemon/kale, etc. and freezing them into healthy homemade Popsicles.  Much better than grabbing the ice cream when it's miserable outside!

Oh, the fruit/veggie juice pops sound great!

[sapientia]

oatmeal with fruit 

cheese and crackers

eggs

fruit

[umbrelladaisy]

organic kiwi

cherries

organic blue corn chips with salsa

organic steamed broccoli and yellow squash

saltine crackers or peanut granola bar when at work

organic cheddar cheese slices

organic whole grain seed bread toast with soy-free earth balance butter

organic orange slices

organic sliced tomatoes with Newman's Own Ranch Dressing

guacamole!

love organic greek yogurt with granola!

craving watermelon! gotta get some!

really craving gummy fruit snacks or gummy bears but holding off so far