Healthy snacks during pregnancy
.
.
Eating healthy is tantamount to a healthy pregnancy and a safe birth. A healthy diet is also the best way to promote your ow child's health later in life. Kids that are used to eating healthy meals at home are less prone to obesity or diabetes later in life.
When I was pregnant, I would eat a lot more often during the day and sometimes during the night. Litlle Liam was asking for his share of goodies!
The trick was not to indulge in things like cookies, muffins and doughnuts all day... Pretty hard when I had a lovely cookie shop just below my office and a Tim Horton's in the building...
So instead, I rediscovered nuts, seeds and dry fruit. Packed with vitamins, fibre and essential nutrients, they were a great way to satisfy my need for snacks during the day and to pack some healthy things into the placenta on the way! Another great thing about dried fruit such as plums or figs is that they help your digestive system. Along with lots of water they are a good way to avoid bloating and constipation that sometimes occur during pregnancy. Another great way to promote easy digestion and pack some nutrients is to add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your smoothies, yogurts or vegetables.
Pumpkin seeds are full of iron. Iron is the one thing women truly need to have in their bodies both during pregnancy and after birth. Iron allows for a quicker recovery and boosts your energy. Sadly it's the one thing a lot of women lack, either because we don't metabolize it properly or because our diet isn't great. A lot of the iron supplements don't agree well with women's metabolism so getting an extra source from seeds, nuts and dark green veggies is a great way to make sure you've got all you need!
A lot of mamas find it hard to cook healthy home-made meals. Pregnancy is the time to rediscover the pleasures of cooking simple, healthy meals. You really don't need to be a chef or know how to use fancy spices to make great meals and often it doesn't take more time that preparing a processed-food meal.
Take a look at Jamie Oliver's TED talk: it sure makes you think twice about what and how you eat! Remember, healthy can be simple and cheap too!
