The Ultimate List of Healthy Pregnancy Snacks: Over 50 Healthy Snack Ideas for Moms to Be


This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Quidsi. All opinions are entirely my own.

50+ Easy, Healthy, and Satisfying Pregnancy SnacksHealthy snacking during pregnancy is absolutely essential, for several reasons.

First, it’s a simple way to get the extra calories your body needs to support your growing babyโ€”without relying on extra servings of cookies or French fries. (There’s a time and a place for junk food, of course, but moderation is just as important in pregnancy as it is at any other time, if not more so!)

Second, as your baby gets bigger and takes up more and more space, you’re likely to feel full more quickly than usual, which makes eating large meals next to impossible. A mixture of small meals and lots of snacks is much more doable.

Similarly, being pregnant makes you more prone to bloating, gas, and constipation (lovely!), which are all made worse by eating big meals. Snacking frequently throughout the day can help ease your digestive symptoms.

Tiny Prints Cyber Monday

What Makes a Healthy Pregnancy Snack?

The best snacks are ones that are both nutritious and satisfying. They should leave you feeling comfortably full but not stuffed, and they should contribute to your overall pregnancy dietary needs.

Most of the snacks here feature some kind of protein because during pregnancy you need significantly more grams of protein per day than when your belly isn’t expanding (about 75-100 grams total!).

All that added protein not only helps the little one grow, but also helps mama increase her blood supply. Starting each meal or snack with a solid protein source is a great way to meet that requirement.

Additionally, most of these snacks offer some other kind of nutritional value that’s especially vital for pregnant womenโ€”be it calcium, fiber, iron, or folate. 

Finally, pregnant women should try to choose snacks that are relatively unprocessed and don’t have a lot of added sugar.

Of course, all of your choices should be also be delicious; you’re more likely to eat healthy if your snacks also taste good!

And don’t forget that in addition to eating a healthy diet, you should also be taking one of the best prenatal vitamins daily. It’s essential for your health and that of your little one!

The Ultimate List of Healthy Pregnancy Snacks: 50+ Healthy Snacks for Moms to Be 

1. Apple slices dipped in peanut butter.

2. Homemade trail mix using your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and some dark chocolate chips.

3. String cheese plus a clementine or orange.

4. KIND bar. (This Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate flavor with added protein is a great choice.)

5. Fresh raw veggies (baby carrots, cucumber slices, red pepper strips, snap peas, celery, broccoli, cauliflower) dipped in hummus or Greek yogurt dip.

6. Pear slices with almond butter.

7. One or two hardboiled eggs with a piece of fresh fruit.

8. A pickle spear wrapped in a slice of Swiss cheese. (This is a standard pregnant lady favorite!)

9. Whole wheat toast with a smear of peanut butter and banana. (You can wrap up the banana to make a “peanut butter and banana hot dog.”)

10. Greek yogurt topped with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of granola.

11. Cottage cheese mixed with fresh berries or pineapple chunks.

12. Edamame and fresh or dried fruit.

13. Quick veggie wrap made by rolling roasted veggies and low-fat cheese in a wholegrain tortilla.

14. LARA bar. (Here’s a great LARA bar variety pack if you don’t yet know your favorite flavor.)

15. Smoothie made with milk or yogurt, frozen fruit (banana, berries), and some whey protein powder if you like itโ€”bonus if you throw in some spinach and make it a green smoothie!

16. Small bowl of oatmeal topped with nuts and raisins.

17. Roasted chickpeas.

18. Baked tortilla chips dipped in fresh salsa or guacamole.

19. Half of a wholegrain bagel with peanut butter and a drizzle of honey.

20. Cup of unsweetened applesauce with a handful of almonds.

21. Grapes and cheddar cheese cubes.

22. Mixture of pumpkin seeds and dried apricots.

23. Wholegrain tortilla with peanut butter and raisins.

24. Low-fat frozen yogurt topped with fresh berries and chopped nuts.

25. Homemade no-bake energy bites.

26. Baked sweet potato chips (store-bought or homemade).

27. Wholegrain toast topped with mashed avocado, a slice of tomato, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

28. Graham crackers topped with a mixture of cream cheese and fruit preserves. (Apricot is really good!)

29. Glass of chocolate milk. (Add your own cocoa powder to low-fat milk so that you can control the amount of added sugar.)

30. Whole wheat pretzels with mustard (honey, dijon, or regular) for dipping.

31. One-ingredient banana ice cream. (You can make it two ingredients and mix in some peanut butter if you like!) 

32. Luna bar. (Check out this Luna bar sampler pack so you can try all the great flavors.)

33. Ants on a log! Celery sticks topped with peanut butter and raisins.

34. Half of a wholegrain bagel topped with cream cheese and blueberries.

35. Mini bean & cheese quesadilla. (Wrap black beans, salsa, and some shredded cheese in a small tortilla, then cook in a dry, nonstick pan until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly browned.)

36. Healthy low-fat muffins (carrot, zucchini, blueberry, bran, etc.).

37. Toasted whole wheat pita chips sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

38. Tropical fruit salad. (Mix fresh kiwi, pineapple chunks, cubed mango, banana slices, and grapes, then add a squirt of lime juice, a drizzle of honey, and some coconut flakes.)

39. Small bowl of high-fiber, low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk and fresh berries.

40. Baked cinnamon apple chips (store-bought or homemade).

41. Small serving of tuna fish eaten on Triscuits. (The Olive Oil and Rosemary flavor of Triscuits is especially yummy here.)

42. Whole grain English muffin topped with cottage cheese and a dollop of apple butter or fruit preserves.

43. Pitted dates stuffed with any kind of nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.).

44. Mini cucumber sandwiches (just like you’re at high tea!) with mini rye or pumpernickel bread topped with cream cheese, thinly sliced cucumber, and a sprinkle of lemon pepper or fresh dill.

45. Frozen grapes (so refreshing!) plus a string cheese.

46. Breakfast cookies. (These are also a must-have for working moms!)

47. Whole grain pita chips dipped in hummus.

48. Homemade tropical popsicles. (Blend a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple with 1 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup ice, and 1/2 cup pineapple juice, then freeze into pops.)

49. Crispy kale chips topped with grated parmesan.

50. Carrot sticks dipped in peanut sauce.

51. Halved cherry tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.

52. Mini pizzas made by topping a whole grain English muffin or bagel with tomato sauce, low-fat cheese, and your favorite finely chopped veggies, then broiled until the cheese is melted.

53. No-bake fruit crisp made by topping blackberries or sliced apples with your favorite granola and microwaving until warm.

Now get snackin’!


Pregnant or not: What’s your favorite healthy snack? 

,

30 responses to “The Ultimate List of Healthy Pregnancy Snacks: Over 50 Healthy Snack Ideas for Moms to Be”

  1. I remember trying REALLY hard to still get some nutrients in the first tri, but all the stuff I normally liked – veg and protein – was supremely repulsive to me. I settled for lots of fruit. To balance out the ice cream.

    Fortunately, I was able to return to my normal eating by the second trimester, when I finally stopped dry heaving day and night.

  2. Apples, carrots, almonds, dried cherries (unless raw are available), and rice are my go tos for snacks.

    I find that that prepping them in advance and making them easy to get to means I eat them more, and so does our toddler. Yet, she’ll just take an apple out the fridge and eat it or ask for PB.

  3. These are great for anyone, and I already eat a lot of these, but a few I’ve not thought of. The no bake fruit crisp is such a great idea. And ants on a log! I’ll make mine red ants with cranberries.

  4. This list looks so good! But i have a few questions – is pineapple safe to eat during pregnancy? Triscuit/ Larabar/other crackers and cookies – don’t they have a lot of salt/sugar ? I used to binge on Triscuit and potato chips a LOT before I got pregnant.. I would love to indulge once in a while now that i am pregnant.

    • I generally tried to emphasize naturally-occurring sugars, so I was OK with Larabars since the sugar is coming from dates. But it is still a lot of concentrated sugar, yes. I guess my line of thinking was that these treats were OK in moderation! Regarding the pineapple: I was under the impression it was an old wives tale that eating it would induce labor. But if you have concerns, ask your doc!

  5. I recently read an article that said that grapes were a no no during pregnancy due to toxicity from resveratrol and that the grape juice also turns to alcohol once it hits your stomach. I guess you can find contradicting articles about almost everything on the internet though.

  6. Grapes, Pineapple and Watermelon and certain berries are on the No list during pregnancy and especially cinnamon! It can cause a miscarriage. Google these items.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.