The key to building healthy snacks during pregnancy and beyond is including protein or fat with each snack. While choosing whole/natural foods as often as possible. It is perfectly fine to include carbohydrates however we want to avoid eating carbohydrates (especially processed carbohydrates) alone. Eating a protein or fat with carbohydrates slows the blood sugar rise and decline. So that you can have an elongated blood sugar curve. This allows your snack to provide you with steady energy, mood, and mental clarity and reduces nausea associated with blood sugar variances.
Here is a short example of whole carbohydrates and processed carbohydrates.
whole carbohydrates:
celery, cucumbers, apples, bananas, oranges, quinoa, rice, oats
processed carbohydrates:
crackers, bread, pasta, chips, cookies, cakes, granola bars
Here are some healthy snack examples that include a carbohydrate with a protein or fat.
celery with peanut butter
apple slices with almond butter and cinnamon
green apple and string cheese
banana and peanut butter
berries with Greek yogurt
granola with Greek yogurt
pineapple or peaches with cottage cheese
tomatoes with cottage cheese and black pepper
whole grain crackers with cheese slices, peanut butter, or sardines
Trail mix with mixed nuts and a small amount of dried fruit
quesadilla with corn tortilla and melted cheese with avocado and/or salsa
carrots ‘chips’ or cucumber with guacamole
hummus with sliced fresh veggies
jicama and green olives
whole grain crackers with avocado sliced topped with lemon or sea salt
Choosing whole foods for snacks may require a little more effort and preparation. When I was working out of the home during pregnancy with my first child I took 15 minutes on a Sunday to prepare my snacks for the week. I washed and chopped veggies, made a trail mix with mixed nuts and dried fruit, and organized my fridge with the foods I wanted to have as my grab-and-go snacks. It took a small commitment to myslef once a week but it has a huge benefit with keeping my blood sugar management and metabolism healthy.