Forum Index
»
Expectant and Postpartum Moms
Need healthy meal/snack ideas
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I am in my second trimester and having a difficult time with constantly feeling hungry. Before pregnancy I was a big foodie, but now food in general doesn't appeal to me. It isn't really that I am nauseous anymore, but I seem to have a lot of food aversions (cooked veggies in particular). I eat frequently (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, another snack, dinner and final snack) because when I feel hungry I feel ravenous. That said, I am so tired of eating. It is so disappointing because I used to love to cook and love to eat and now I hate both.
My friend suggested that I have an egg every morning for breakfast so that has helped, but I need other meal or snack ideas because I am so tired of the peanut butter sandwhich, apple, banana, pear, yogurt, trail mix and luna bars that I am eating now. Oh, and I can't stand chicken right now, so that's out too. Sigh. Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
Anonymous
|
I liked the crunch of raw veggies when I was pregnant. Plus, high fiber means you feel full longer. Young green beans, broccoli, and little carrots are all great. And since you're "eating for two", go ahead and dip them in the full-fat ranch dressing you'd never touch otherwise. Yum.
For me, the act of eating is almost as important as the food itself, so lots of dipping and spreading make food more satisfying. If this is the case for you too, try chips and salsa, boursin (or other soft herb cheese) on good bread, etc. |
Anonymous
| By the way, "food fatigue" is very common in the 2nd trimester. It'll probably pass. |
Anonymous
| Edamame with soy sauce was a big hit with me because I'm a big salt junky and edamame is full of protein and fiber, so it keeps you full longer. Sometimes I mixed it with corn. Do you like hummus? Cheese sticks? A bowl of high fiber cereal with milk? Baked sweet potato (lots of vitamin A), or even a regular potato (iron)? |
amina
Member Offline
Member Offline
|
Notice what you feel like eating and find variations on that theme. If milk tastes good, then try cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, yogurt smoothies (add banana, juice, frozen berries). I'm having the same aversion to cooked veggies, but salad is fine, so I make a meal of it by adding feta cheese, avocado, canned kidney beans, olives, etc. In my desk drawer at work, I keep raw almonds, dried fruits, a bag of rice cakes (or crackers) and a jar of nutella (chocolate/hazelnut spead) or some wedges of laughing cow processed cheese.
Quick dinners: I eat a lot of burritos, sometimes with canned beans or chili, sometimes with meat (ground turkey or beef or cooked chicken) flavored with a taco seasoning packet. Add cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, avocado, cilantro, etc. Gotta love those 99-cent bags of refrigerated pizza dough at Trader Joes. Let it sit at room temp for a few minutes then stretch out onto a cookie sheet and add what you like. Broccoli's not so bad when it's baked on a pizza. |
Anonymous
|
I bought some instant oatmeal for the office and always have that as a mid-morning snack/2nd breakfast. I esp. like the apples and cinnamon kind.
|
Anonymous
| I'm always hungry now too and often don't want to eat because I don't know what I want. Big fan of cereal here. It holds me over until I can decide on an actual meal. |
Anonymous
|
OP here - you all are the best. I need to go to the grocery store tonight and just scrolled down the postings to help me make my shopping list.
Thanks so much! |
Anonymous
| A glass of milk makes a great snack. Add chocolate syrup for a treat. Also, string cheese. |
Anonymous
| I'm in my 2nd trimester and I've been eating: apples & peanut butter, whole wheat bagels w/ low fat cream cheese and avacado, yogurt, granola bars, Koshi cookies are really good for an indulgence, tuna fish in moderation, egg salad. Just some ideas. |
Anonymous
| I could have written the same post as OP. I also used to be a big foodie, cooked constantly, regularly posted on food boards, explored new restaurants every weekend... Now I can barely look at food without feeling repulsed. I'm just starting my second trimester so I'm hoping this will soon pass. The snacks which have worked for me have been Yoplait yogurt, Triskets with cheddar cheese, dried apricots and lemon sorbet with raspberries or blackberries. Basically, anything tart. |
Anonymous
|
I always have string cheese and Laughing Cow cheese (to spread in celery) in my fridge at work. I also keep apples, almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanut butter and dried fruit handy. I try to put the nuts and dried fruit in smaller containers so I don't eat more than 1 or 2 servings at a time. I went though a hummus and veggie stage. Cherry tomatoes with cottage cheese is good. Ricotta cheese with some agave nectar, cocoa powder and a sprinkle of chocolate chips is nice. I always keep containers of oatmeal with nuts, dried fruit and cinnamon or brown sugar at home and work. Sometimes it serves as a late morning snack or late night snack.
Before I got pregnant I was following the Supermarket Diet. Their shopping guidelines are fantastic. They recommend how many calories, fiber grams, fat grams, sodium, carbohydrates, etc. to look for when shopping and even make a few brand recommendations. Their cereal recommendation keeps me full for hours and has helped a pregnant girlfriend with her constipation without her feeling like she's eating cardboard. Fiber helps a lot. I think I read that if you eat a lot of carbs, chasing it with some fiber (like metamucil) will help slow the absorption of carbs and keep you full longer. (Double checked to make sure metamucil is ok during pregnancy.) So, while I'm not trying to lose weight any more, I am still eating the healthy and filling recipes I learned in the book. Plus keeping a stash of frozen dinners per their recommendation so I won't be tempted to stop by McDonald's or order a pizza on a lazy evening. I'm linking their shopping guidelines for anyone who may be interested. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cm/goodhousekeeping/PDF/supermarket-diet-shopping-guidelines.pdf |
obregone
Member Offline
Member Offline
That's exactly how I feel right now. I'm STARVING!!! but nothing sounds good to me. I've been eating out a lot more because I can't seem to eat the food I bring for lunch or planned for dinner. Not a good thing really since I'm trying not to gain a million pounds and trying to save the budget a bit too. And my aversions seem to change from day to day. |
Anonymous
| I can't get enough pineapple, strawberries, cottage cheese and cheese sticks. Of course I have no appetite again thanks to my stomach being smooshed into the corner of my chest. |
Anonymous
|
ditto on the cereal -- I think that's pretty much the main thing I ate during my 2nd trimester and I am still eating a bowl of Cheerios every morning w/ fruit in it.
All the other ideas are great ones, I also went through a clementine phase where I must've eaten like 4 a day. For dinners, I've fallen in love with a salad of fresh baby spinach, toasted pine nuts, strawberries, and (pasteurized) goat cheese with a dressing that I make by blending strawberries and balsamic vinegar in a food processor. If needed, I add a little honey for sweetness. I am also pretty turned off by chicken and a lot of meat in general -- was a vegetarian for 10 years and feel like I'm going back to my vegetarian ways again. So, I'm also enjoying baked sweet potatoes for dinner, and a small piece of red meat or salmon. Or, veggie stir fry with peanut sauce (either home made or bottled). We also have been having a lot of "fish and mac" nights -- with frozen fish sticks (I get the kind made with a fish that's low in mercury) and mac and cheese. Totally a guilty pleasure, but sometimes when you're not in the mood for anything else, comfort food is what will get you thru. |