Control Your Pregnancy Cravings with Some Healthy and Tasty Options

You’ve sailed through your first trimester battling with morning sickness, fatigue, breast soreness, etc. Once the fog of the early stages of pregnancy has passed, and you’ve entered the second and third phases, the shift in the pregnancy hormones is responsible for making you swell, gain weight, and change your appetite. So much that, you might ask your partner to get you your favourite ice cream from the parlour at the corner of the road in the middle of the night.

The cheesy burgers, the 8-layered red velvet cake, the tangy pickles, and the sumptuous sweets can also leave you drool-worthy during your pregnancy.  

We know how difficult it is for you to deal with pregnancy cravings. But, while you hog on your favourite food, you might just have to be a little careful. There are chances that you might have to deal with calories, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia.

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Don’t worry about it!

In this nutrition week, here’s a list of healthy options for you to deal with your pregnancy cravings:

Snack Healthy but Tasty:

A glass of smoothie or cup of yoghurt was surely your saviour once upon a time. But you can always keep dry options refrigerated or inside your bag or in a bowl that you can keep beside you. Whole grains and dry fruits are some of the great ways to quell your pregnancy cravings at any time of the day. ­Enjoy a fun mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, nicely topped with dried cherries, dark choco chips, cashews, or pistachios. This is surely going to be full of healthy fats, fibre and protein. Don’t miss out on the granola bars made of naturally sweet fruits and nuts and packed with fibre. Look out for some air-popped popcorn and sprinkle just a little bit of cinnamon powder, and coriander on it.

Taste Some Yoghurt with Some Naturally Sweet Fruits:

Take two or three scoops of yoghurt in a bowl or glass. Add some salt and sugar to it. Punch it with a layer of liquid dark chocolate and top it with a healthy dose of fresh and naturally sweet fruits like chopped mangoes, diced apples, and berries. Yoghurt has calcium, protein, and probiotics in it – healthy for your bones. In addition, this will save you from feeling constipated and keep your pregnancy cravings in control.

Some Crumbly Light, Mildly Dry, Chewy, and Gooey Cottage Cheese Would do you Good:

You can simply stir fry some cottage cheese, mix it with different coloured veggies and spices like coriander and cumin powder along with a dash of “garam masala” powder, and sprinkle a pinch of lemon on it to make it tasty. If you don’t want to add lemon, add a layer of cream with some cherries and berries. You can alternately try making a pan of gravy of cottage cheese or “paneer” and have it with rice or roti to fill up your stomach as a part of lunch or dinner. After all, cottage cheese is a source of lean protein and calcium which is crucial for your baby’s growth and development throughout your pregnancy.  In addition to this, coriander is full of Vitamin K, and can keep your stomach pain at bay, by preventing digestive ailments, morning sickness, and vomiting.

Diabetic-friendly Oats Khichdi with some shredded chicken and chicken broth:

“Khichdi” or porridge is going to be comfortable homely food for you when cravings strike you at any time of the day. So, make yourself a nourishing bowl of oats khichdi, with some grated veggies shredded chicken, and mixed dal, dunked in some chicken broth, and fill your pregnant body and the baby inside you with a lot of fibre from oats and chicken broth, and protein from the mixed veggies and shredded chicken. In addition to this, a bowl of oats has beta-glucan in it that prevents the surge of blood-sugar in your body, thus making it diabetic-friendly.

Some chickpeas for that extra hunger:

You can boil the chickpeas, and punch it with some curd, veggies, and naturally sweet fruits. You can alternatively roast the chickpeas or bake it with some soyabean oil or olive oil and season it with some feta cheese. They are full of protein, fibre, and iron necessary for your health and your baby inside you. Along with this, feta cheese has protein, calcium, and Vitamin D in it that can reduce the chances of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.  

Don’t forget to have eggs:

Eggs have a lot of protein and are a good source of Vitamin D. Both help build your little one’s bones and teeth inside you. Have it hard boiled. Punch it in your sandwich. Or make yourself a curry and “bharta.” Sounds yummy! isn’t it?

Apart from these, you can enjoy some dates, drink at least 8 glasses of water, and do some exercise to quench your pregnancy cravings. After all, pregnancy is the most beautiful emotion ever into your life. Enjoy your pregnancy!