Since week six of my pregnancy I have brought a bag of snacks with me everywhere I go. I have never been a big eater but obviously it is important to eat more when you are pregnant. In general my appetite is higher than before, and there are also days where I just can’t seem to eat enough. My midwife says this is OK because my weight gain has been minimal thus far (four pounds at week 18). Let me say that I probably don’t eat as well as I should, but I have been more conscious of getting more fruit and vegetables in my diet.
Basically, I’ve added a higher calorie breakfast and one to three daily snacks to my diet. I’ve been drinking mostly water with Cellfood, but I do allow myself caffeine and drink pop about once a week (it would be more often but we’ve stopped buying it at the grocery store).
BREAKFAST
- 4 Hostess Donettes (in the 1st trimester I lost my appetite and had to make each meal as exciting as possible)
- 1 pouch of blueberry Hostess Mini Muffins (2nd trimester)
- Glass of water
MID-MORNING SNACK (1st Trimester)
In the 1st trimester I typically ate a mid-morning snack to ward off nausea. I haven’t seemed to need this snack during the 2nd trimester.
- A couple graham crackers
- Saltines
- Raisins
LUNCH
See all of our sack lunch rotations here. This is what it’s been as of late:
- Kraft macaroni and cheese cup (or chicken noodle soup)
- At least one fruit, maybe two: cherry tomatoes, honey crisp apple and/or raspberries
- Chips
- Water
SNACK
I splurge a bit more in my afternoon snack…
- Cookies
- Chips
- Pita chips
- Candy bar
DINNER
- I’m eating more in general during dinner, and every once in a while I get really hungry and eat twice as much as I usually do (which is kind of fun!).
SNACK
Sometimes I also need a bedtime snack, or nightie lunch, as I like to call it. I usually reach for:
- A huge pickle (or two!)
- Ice cream
PRENATAL VITAMINS
- I’ve found that taking my prenatal vitamins before I go to bed allows me to wake up and get ready before needing breakfast (I eat on my way to work). I take a general prenatal vitamin and a calcium supplement (both gummies). Did you know that if you don’t get enough calcium while pregnant that your baby takes calcium from your own bones? And then later in life you have to deal with the effects? No one wants that!
CRAVINGS
- Chocolate milk!
- Pickles
- Cheese! Mostly in the form of queso.
I’m ashamed to say I was a bottomless pit while pregnant. I could eat an entire large pizza by myself and I did a few times. I also craved Graeters Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream constantly. I would cry if my husband brought home the Kroger Brand. (Incidently it was our daughters favorite flavor for quite awhile.) I tried to at least make pretty healthy choices but I was ALWAYS hungry. I never had morning sickness either so I gained from the very beginning
Hi! I have studied nutrition quite a bit, and for the best for you and your baby, I suggest adding more nutrition to your diet. Whole grains, more veggies (especially dark green ones–spinach, broccoli–and carrots, nuts, and beans could be great additions. You’d feel fuller and know that you were taking really good care of both you and your precious babies’ bodies. Just a few suggestions. Let me know if you have any questions
First time commenting, but I’ve been reading for a while and I just love your family blog!! If you crave chips as a snack food, a healthy replacement I’ve found is kale chips. They taste great, and this way you are getting a dark green veggie and the chip crunch. They’re so easy to make too (and kale is only around 2 bucks for a bushel), here’s a recipe. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baked-kale-chips/detail.aspx
P.S. So excited for you to announce if you’re having a boy or girl
This kind of blows my mind … even though I have never been pregnant, it seems to me that if there is one time in your life that you should be eating naturally and with a health focus, it is when you’re pregnant.
If the examples you posted are truly what you’re eating each day, then you shouldn’t wonder why you’re tired or never feeling full – these things you mentioned have very little nutritional value. Where is your protein? Where are the whole carbs, such as fruit (yes, I know you mentioned eating some fruit every day), whole wheat and whole grains? And where are the veggies? Not only are these things SO good for you (and are very efficient fuel for your body), but they are bound to be better for your baby’s growth and development than candy bars.