Snacks Done Right

Satisfying Pregnancy Cravings in a Healthy Way

By Lisa A. Goldstein

The experts agree that it's best to eat to offset hunger. Almost any food can work as a snack, so any nutritious food can be a nutritious snack. "A slice of leftover pizza can be a nutritious snack – add a glass of milk and you're there," says Procter. "Celery with peanut butter and raisins, a tortilla with bean dip and shredded cheese, leftover pasta and sauce, leftover bean or veggie soup, salsa and baked tortilla chips, a fruit smoothie made with yogurt – I have to stop; I'm getting hungry!"

Procter says many of her thoughts on nutritious snacks for pregnancy are identical to what she would recommend to non-pregnant people of all ages (while modifying foods that could be a choking hazard for very young children).

"Pregnancy is a time when a woman's food choices may have a further reach or deeper effect than at other times in her life, but it isn't a time to get upset or worried about nutrition," says Procter. "Many women choose to make better food choices during pregnancy, and this seems to set the stage well for becoming the parental role model in feeding an infant and young child."

Healthy snack and meal choices are just part of the many choices a mom-to-be makes. "They are important choices, and they are the means to the end – healthy baby, healthy mom," says Procter.