My Favorite Pregnancy Snacks

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My Favorite Pregnancy Snacks!

It's hard to know what to snack on when you're pregnant. Diet and exercise are SO IMPORTANT during this time when your body is forming a baby, so there seems to be a lot of pressure to eat healthy... while trying to balance some pretty wild cravings. I don't like using the fact that I'm pregnant as an excuse for things, but I will admit that there have been some moments when I was craving something and I just HAD TO HAVE IT. Like a really good deli sandwich. Don't judge me. Here are a few snacks/light meals that I have found to be incredibly satisfying without being all that "bad" for you. Snack away, ladies!

1. Grapefruit

- Since the first week I found out I was pregnant, I have wanted citrus. Lemons, limes and especially grapefruit have been a huge staple of my pregnancy diet. Just slice it in half, and eat it ice-cold - mmm SO YUMMY.

2. Green Juice

- I've share my green juice recipe with you before, but I have to tout its benefits again. It is so energizing! Just a wonderful mix of spinach, kale, carrots, an apple, lemon, ginger & mint. Voila! Stevie keeps trying to make me drink this instead of coffee in the morning... good luck with that, bud.

3. Popcorn

- I only make my popcorn on the stove, in a bit of oil, with a pinch of sea salt. Just like my mom makes it. Of course, it's really fun to add sugar to make kettle corn or to add butter and pretend like you're at the movies. But mostly I've just snacked on it simply, with sea salt and a side of La Croix :)

4. Yogurt, Granola & Berries

- Yum, this is a fun one. It can be eaten as a hearty dessert, too! Just top some low-fat plain yogurt with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and granola (I also add a bit of honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon) and you have yourself a sweet, satisfying treat! For some strange reason, Greek yogurt has really bothered my stomach during this pregnancy, so I've taken some time off from it. But if you like Greek yogurt, there are even more benefits! 

5. Peanut Butter & Banana on Ezekiel Toast

- I switched from whole-grain wheat bread to Ezekiel Bread when I really started gaining weight during this pregnancy - the numbers on the scale started to freak me out! Ezekiel bread is an excellent bread substitute because its made from a sprouted grain instead of flour and refined sugars. It is a complete source of protein, and is packed with fiber, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Talk about a super food. Lately, I've been toasting it, then topping with crunchy organic peanut butter and a half (or whole!) banana. It's super filling and energizing.

6. Vita Coconut Water with Lemon slices

- While I would prefer a poolside cocktail, this has been what I've been guzzling since summer has hit its heat peak. I prefer the plain flavor of Vita Coco and then squeeze about a half a lemon into a tall glass of ice. It's tart, sweet (but not too sweet) and super refreshing. It's also really helpful with all the muscle cramps (especially the crazy calf spasms!) because this beverage is loaded with potassium. Yes please.

7. Avocado Ezekiel Toast

- Avocado toast is so trendy these days. Just type it in on Pinterest and you'll see. As much as I hate following trends, this is a pretty delicious one. I like to use toasted Ezekiel bread, smear it with a bit of Veganaise, sprinkle some paprika and load up 1/2 a sliced avocado on top. It's really good because it's savory and filling, the perfect 3pm snack :)

8. Wholly Guacamole

- I actually make a really mean homemade guacamole... but you wouldn't know it since I got preggo! I'm a lazy cook these days. Wholly Guacamole is SO delicious, and just the easiest thing to spread on pretty much everything. Blue corn chips, whole wheat tortillas, burgers, my morning eggs... the list just goes on and on. It's worth the purchase price.

9. Strawberry-Nutella Crepes

- OMG Nutella. I could cry just thinking about it. Why is it tasting so good lately?! Yes, it's wondrous on crepes (or a heated whole-wheat tortilla!), but don't let me fool you. There have been many an evening when I have found myself sauntering into the kitchen at midnight and scooped out spoonfuls of Nutella, along with some strawberries and blueberries. I didn't say everything on this list was healthy. I just said they were my favorites. 

10. Chicken & Whole Grain Mustard Pinwheels

- This is a brilliant Giada concoction. Also an excellent, quirky lunch option. I swapped out honey mustard for whole-grain. You can make the chicken salad ahead of time, refrigerate and then eat it for lunch for a few days in a row!

11. Terra Chips

- Hahhhaaha what can I say. Yeah, they're pretty much potato chips. Freakin' awesome ones.

12. Mini Eggplant Pizza

- I really love these, but my husband does not. However, I still stand by the fact that this is a healthier way to get that pizza craving satisfied. I personally like this recipe.

Things I've been snacking on that aren't pictured? Kind Bars, eggs (scrambled with cheese or over easy), peaches & nectarines, oatmeal, black beans, orange juice & mozzarella cheese slices. Any suggestions on other healthy snack choices? For all you pregnant ladies out there, what has been your favorite pregnancy snack so far?

1st Trimester Must Haves

1st Trimester Must Haves by oykristen // 1. Amazon The Baby Name Wizard // 2. Origins Gloomaway Body Wash // 3. The Honest Company Belly Balm // 4. Barnes & Noble The Hobbit // 5. Mmm bacon // 6. Lacroix Lime Sparkling Water // 7. Rainbow Light Prenatal One Vitamin // 8. Lululemon Skinny Will Pant // 9. Green Juice // 10. Krispy Kreme Original Glazed // 11. Netflix Instant Streaming //  

1st Tri.

People, the first trimester of pregnancy is a really interesting time. A really interesting, odd kind of time. I didn't really experience the whole "wow, life is growing inside of me, this is AMAZING"-feeling, but I didn't feel angry/pissed/annoyed by the pregnancy either. I fell somewhere in the middle. And coming from a family of women who ADORE pregnancy and all things baby-licious, I sort of expected to feel, you know, all prance-y and glowy. Unfortunately, the whole pregnancy glow thing is actually just sweat. It's sweat and getting ridiculously out of breath walking up the stairs. But thankfully, these are the few things that made my early pregnancy a lot more comforting: 

1. Amazon The Baby Name Wizard

- My sweet sis lent me her copy of this unique baby book. I've really enjoyed it because it gives you a strategy for how to name your child; it's not just a list of names. It provides a ton of insight behind why you prefer certain sounds/combinations and it teaches you how to choose a name for your child that is meaningful, teasing-free and completely one-of-a-kind. Now if only we can decide on something.

2. Origins Gloomaway Body Wash

- Last year my bff Trish gave me this lotion as a gift. It is so peppy and joyful smelling, I decided to splurge and get the body wash, too. It makes a world of difference in my morning mood. If I wake up and wash with this, the whole day has a better outlook. It may seem simple, but you will grasp for anything comforting during those first few unknown months of early pregnancy. I've learned that a tiny little bit of pampering can really go a long way!

3. The Honest Company Belly Balm

- I immediately ordered this when I found out I was expecting. I got my first stretch marks at 12 years old (and they have never disappeared!), so I didn't want to wait and "chance it" with this whole pregnancy thing. They say stretch marks can't be avoided, but I'm going to try my darndest to prevent any more from plaguing my body! And for those of you ladies who have told me you've never had them in your life... I just can't imagine. For those of you who understand the concept of thunder thighs - I have yet to obtain any new stretch marks with this balm. Fingers crossed!

4. Barnes & Noble The Hobbit

- This is an old favorite, and this particular copy is so so beautiful. My dad got it for me a few years ago, and I love to crack it open every once in a while and re-read this fanciful story. Believe me, the 1st tri has you laying around A LOT. So reading... yeah, it's a good break from all the Netflix you watch. Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself...

5. Mmm bacon

- I craved bacon with a passion during weeks 6-10 of my pregnancy. I couldn't get enough. That was around Thanksgiving/Christmastime, which is when I was with my Georgian family, and let me just say... my mom was kind enough to make it for me almost everyday. I know, it can't possibly be healthy to eat bacon that often, but what can I say? My body yearned for it. It yearned, people. I guess this child is a protein lover.

6. Lacroix Lime Sparkling Water

- This isn't the first time I've sung the praises of delicious Lacroix water, but now more than ever I have been gulping it down! Especially this lime flavor... yum, it is the perfect thirst quencher! Especially since pregnancy makes you crazy thirsty and you can never get enough water to feel satisfied.

7. Rainbow Light Prenatal One Vitamin

- I don't know a lot about prenatals, let me just clearly state that. But this particular vitamin has been a great choice for me - no upset stomach, no burping up weirdness, and super easy to digest. Just a really well rounded food-based pill that is chock-full of hearty vitamins for mama and baby.

8. Lululemon Skinny Will Pant

- This pant. Is a dream. Stevie was sweet enough to take me into Lululemon when I couldn't fit into any of my leggings anymore (they were so tight and the waistband was cutting into my stomach and KILLING me). I tried on several pairs of their plain black leggings, and finally landed on this Skinny Will pant. It has a great tummy section that you can adjust and fold down under your belly (comfortably!) or you can pull up over your stomach and it smooths out your belly underneath your shirt, exactly like a belly band. They are a bit pricey if you're just purchasing them for yoga pants, but I have literally worn these every single day for the past month. And no, I'm not exaggerating. You can wear them just like any other leggings, with tall socks and boots or with your comfy Toms or, obviously, to the gym for yoga! This is my favorite (and most used!) pregnancy purchase so far.

9. Green Juice

- Eating is a bit of a pain during the first trimester. When your tummy is always grumbly and nauseous, the last thing you want to eat is healthy food (AKA salads or vegetables). However, I found that I could get in some good nutrients by throwing them into a smoothie or juice. I snacked on lots of crackers and toast and other forms of carbs during the 1st tri, but if I could sneak in a smoothie or juice everyday, at least I knew I was getting some good nutrition in the midst of feeling crappy. This isn't just for pregnant ladies! My hubby loves this Green Juice recipe as much as me!

10. Krispy Kreme Original Glazed

- Okay okay I know what you're thinking. Crazy munching pregnant lady! But actually, I've been eating less sugar since I got pregnant because I don't really crave it. With the exception of these delicious "hot now" treats, of course. I just can't help it. I've limited myself to purchasing these only once during my pregnancy (so far), because I don't want to loose all control, but oh... don't they just look delicious? PS I never craved donuts pre-pregnancy. Like EVER. Did too many donut-related fundraisers in middle and high school. Somehow my brain has recently experienced amnesia from hating donuts from way back then. If you've known me for long enough, I probably sold you a box of these as an 8th grader.

11. Netflix Instant Streaming

- Um, how do people live without Netflix? This delicious application made my 3 months of horizontal life so much more pleasant. I blazed through episodes of White Collar, Burn Notice and How I Met Your Mother, along with some good old favorite viewings of Emma and You've Got Mail. It helped me laugh when I felt like nothing was funny AT ALL.

I know a LOT of ladies out there that are pregnant right now. What were your 1st Tri must haves? Leave it in the comments below!