Second Pregnancy - Woodridge,IL

Hi L.,

Congratulations! :) A couple of things that helped me were:
-bananas/apples with peanut butter/soynut butter/almond butter
-trail mix - nuts, dried fruit and a little chocolate :)
-dry cereal like cinnamon Puffins
-almonds/walnuts
-hard boiled eggs (I also love to take the egg whites and put on a toasted english muffin with american cheese)
-omelettes with cheese and lots of veggies (mushrooms, spinach and tomato were my favorite)
-crackers and cheese
-beans (I love white beans with olive oil and salt/pepper)

The key is lots of protein and water packed veggies/fruit. :)

I also found that as difficult as it was on some days that exercise was soooo important for me to maintain a healthy weight gain as well as keep me mentally sane. :)Plus it really helped both my delivery and recovery go speedy. :)

Good luck and enjoy. :)
K.

Hi there,

I was also constantly ravenous during my first trimester. I will second what one of the other posters stated as far as the sugars in fruit.

The only thing I craved and had to have at all costs during my entire pregnancy was fruit. It was VERY difficult for me to eat anything except fruit and I didn't gain any weight at all until my 6th month- then it piled on quickly. My doctor actually told me to absolutely stop eating fruit and to try to eat other things such as lean meats and healthy carbs and veggies.

In an effort to try to do that I started buying the little single packs of peanut butter (to eat with my fruit of course). Anyway, the peanut butter was easy to take along and it was really easy to make a PB sandwich (bread or crackers),or eat with celery and/or carrots. It was really versatile and it really helped with the blood sugar spikes from the fruit.

Hope this helps some. Best of luck in finding something that works for you!

Protein and fiber will help you feel more full (plus it won't give you those weird blood sugar spikes). Try to get 5 - 8 grams of fiber in each meal (3 meals) and at least 3 in your snacks (2 or 3 snacks). A protein with each meal or snack is a must! I survived on almonds and hummus. : )

Congratulations and best wishes for a happy, healthy pregnancy.

Hi L. - I know what you mean about being hungry all the time - I was too. What I do now is eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can because those are so good for us. I found a product called Juice Plus which is concentrated fruit and vegetable powders in a capsule that were also part of two pregnancy studies in which the moms taking Juice Plus and their prenatals had zero preclamsia, zero early deliveries, and zero cesarriens! They have a shake product called Complete, which is in Chocolate and Vanilla and it tastes great! This has been my salvation. One shake will hold me for 3-4 hours. I put other fruits in them, organic peanut butter, etc. I have a website which can give you more info on Juice Plus - it's darlenesbesthealth.com. I have my whole family taking Juice Plus now to keep us healthy during this flu season - sounds like a great idea to me! Call if you have any questions - ###-###-####. Thanks - D. Fenwick

I would stick to foods that are good for you and the baby.. yougurt, cottage cheese, and fruits and veggies... I am pregnant with my second too and have 11 month old twins so i am always looking for quick easy snacks because I can't always get a good meal. I also have been eating alot of soup, the progresso light ones, they are really good and fill me up! As long as it is high calcium and protein you are good to go!

Try to focus on foods that are high in Protein but low in fat. Fruit is also a good snack, but it won't keep you full for very long. Protein will help you to stay full longer.

Eat 3 high protein, high fiber meals a day, drink a lot of water & only eat fresh fruits & veggies as snacks. Try & get a lot of variety in your fruits & veggies. Don't just buy the same old ones all the time or you'll get bored. A good breakfast is steel oats oatmeal with skim milk & some berries. For a mid-morning snack have a bannana with a table spoon of almond butter or a handful of almonds. For lunch have a mixed green salad with grilled chicken breast & a vinegar & olive oil dressing. For a mid-afternoon snack eat some raw sugar snap peas dipped in hummus. For dinner have a whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce & lean ground turkey & a green veggie of your choice. For an evening snack eat a handful of almonds or a small bowl of whole grain cereal & a fresh sweet fruit (pineapple, mango, any kind of berry). Other good lean sources of protein are beans (kidney, lentil, pinto, black, soy), quinoa (it's a grain loaded with protein), wheat berries (also a whole grain) & brown rice. Try to only use skim milk & products made with skim milk. When you go grocery shopping try and buy most of your things in the fresh foods sections. Read the labels of all boxed & canned foods & make sure they are made with whole grain (should be the first ingredient) & don't buy anything that has high fructose corn syrup. If you eat yogurt, buy the low fat plain yogurt & add fruit, honey or nuts. The yogurt with fruit already in them have way to much sugar or artificial sweeteners. Drinking green tea can also help curb your hunger. A little known fact is that when most people feel hungry they are usually just dehydrated, so drink a lot of water (not juice or pop or coffee) & try to walk 30+ minutes or do prenatal yoga (you can buy a video & do it at home) 4-5 days a week. Congrats.

L. Try eating lot of fruit and vegetables. Stay away from junk and get plenty of exercise.

I second what the other mom posted. Just wanted to add that my doc warned me about eating too much fruit, it's loaded with sugars. Focus on eating for nutrition, lots of green salads (my mantra with my last pregnancy was a salad a day keeps birth defects at bay!). It worked! Fiber & lean proteins, carry nuts with you for when the snack attacks happen! Protein sticks with you longer than empty carbs, and they offer you way more benefits. I lived on peanut butter toast my first trimester as it stayed down!

Keep walking through your pregnancy, that will help a whole lot for delivery & beyond.
Good luck & congrats!!
D.

Hi L.,

I too experienced the urge to want to eat like crazy in my first trimester. I always had a ton a fruit available for me to snack on such as apple, oranges, grapes and pears. I would eat steel cut oatmeal and a apple in the morning and that would hold me over for a while. And it helps make sure you're regular!

good quality yogurt with fresh fruit is always a good snack.

I often would buy a roasted chicken and big bags of spinach or mix greens and have huge salad with all kinds of veggies and a light salad dressing that I would make and keep in the fridge.

I often craved grilled cheese and things like that so if I really wanted it I would make sure the bread I used had at least 4g of fiber and a lower fat cheese, and have tomato soup.

Drinking a lot of water helps too, I figured if I was up and ready to use the bathroom so many times a day anyway I should just keep hydrated.

Hope that helps, and wishing you a healthy pregnancy!