Healthy Snacks for Pregnancy

Apple slices with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter and a glass of skim milk, sliced pears with wheat germ (lots of vitamins, folic acid, and fiber) sprinkled on top, whole wheat english muffin with a tblsp or 2 of peanut butter, cottage cheese and pineapple or strawberries, grapes and a couple of wedges of laughing cow cheese, almonds, pita pizzas topped with veggies and low-fat cheese, low-fat/fat-free vanilla yogurt with frozen blueberries or other fresh fruit mixed in and topped with low-fat granola and wheat germ. Those were some of my easy go to snacks when pregnant.

They key, is to eat filling snacks! Avocados are a wonderful snack. They have good fats (GREAT for the baby and you!!). I cut one in half and spread it over toast with a little olive oil, or just scoop it straight from the peel. Hummus and veggies, apple slices and sunflower butter. I also kept pasta salad in the fridge, at all times. I would mix whole wheat pasta, artichoke hearts, chunks of cheddar cheese and whatever else I felt like with just a little Italian salad dressing. It was a great filling snack ready to eat.

I liked to get dried cherries and cranberries. Easy to carry around and snack on. I kept them in my desk at work.

With my daughter, I craved donuts! Instead of eating that, I ate a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and low sugar jam. Yum!

I also loved bananas with PB - eat with fork.
Yogurt, cheese sticks, jerky,

I used to buy BIG bags of veg, get out a BIG container and wash and cut up a huge amount of veggies. Then when I was hungry I'd help myself to a big plate of them with some dip and munch on!

Another trick is, have open faced sandwiches. In Norway we only have them that way, they're called brødskivers (literally means bread slices). You take one slice of bread, put a thin slice of cheese on it (butter it first if you want but we don't care for it much on our brødskivers. So after cheese put sliced cucumber, tomato and or peppers. Also try a slice of turkey or other meat or hardboiled egg.

http://sannasverden.sprayblogg.no/291206225804_og_p_menye...

Here's a few home made granola bar recipes. I like to cook a batch then keep them in the fridge or freezer (except for the stuffed apple lol).

Apple Breakfast Bars
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded
Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake at 375? until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast or snack **Freezes Well**

STUFFED APPLES
1 large or medium apple - cored but not peeled
Stuff apple with peanut butter, raisins, wheat germ and drizzle with honey, top with coconut or crushed granola
Dig in with a spoon or have fun trying to eat with your hands!
You may wish to microwave the empty cored apple for a few seconds to allow it to soften a bit.

YOGURT CEREAL BARS
2 cups corn flakes - 3/4 flour - 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - 1/2cup butter or margarine
1 cup flavoured yogurt (banana/strawberry etc..) - 1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 350F

Combine cereal, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Cut in butter or margarine until coarse crumbs form.
Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8inch square pan.
Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons flour in another small bowl.
Spread over cereal mixture in pan and then sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture on top
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled

ENERGY BALLS
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup rolled oats or Granola*
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon honey
3 Tablespoons peanut butter
Mix and roll into balls