Healthy Snacks For Expecting Mothers

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Proper nutrition is more important than ever during pregnancy, and some easy recipes help expecting mothers ensure they're getting necessary nutrients. NY1's Shazia Khan filed the following report.

It's no surprise new mom Jennifer Lau craves her nearly two-month-old son Riley. However, during the course of her pregnancy, Lau had other cravings.

"Ice cream, yogurt, cheese in any form," she says.

Satisfying cravings with out sacrificing nutrients is the focus of a new book called "Feed The Belly." Author and registered dietician Frances Largeman-Roth dishes on the do's and don'ts of pregnancy nutrition and fitness, and how expecting moms can make the most of the approximately 300 extra calories needed per day during the second and third trimester.

"You're not really eating that much more - 300 calories is only equivalent to half of a turkey sandwich, or a quarter-cup of nuts and a quarter-cup of dried fruit, or you can knock it out in a half cup of Ben & Jerry's," says Largeman-Roth. "So obviously, if you're knocking it out with the Ben & Jerry's, you're probably not going to get in the extra iron, folic acid, protein and Omega 3's that you need."

For example, an energy bar is a great snack for pregnant moms on the go, but with so many choices, Largeman-Roth says there are some key numbers you should look for. The bar should have less than 3 grams of saturated fat, about 7-10 grams of protein, at least 3 grams of fiber and 0 grams of trans fat.

For more information, visit www.franceslargemanroth.com.

NY1 visited Largeman-Roth at the Birth Day Presence Studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where she showed how to make some of the nutritious, craveworthy recipes featured in "Feed the Belly."

Hippie-Chick Granola

This snack is rich in fiber, which helps to prevent constipation, a common symptom in pregnancy. It's also fortified with Omega-3s, essential for fetal brain and eye development.

Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 23 minutes
Makes 6 cups of granola (12 1/3-cup servings)

½ cup oat bran flakes
2 cups old-fashioned oats
¼ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried tart cherries
¼ cup flax seeds
½ cup honey
1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with
cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bran flakes, oats, almonds,
pumpkin seeds, currants, cranberries, cherries, and flax seeds.
Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the honey and melted butter, and pour
over the oat and fruit mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until
combined.
4. Spread mixture onto the prepared pan, and bake for 23 minutes
or until golden. Cool on the pan, and break into pieces with a spatula. Store in an airtight container (I like a glass jar)
for up to a week.

Mornin’ Sunshine Parfait

It tastes like you’re having dessert for breakfast, but it has a healthy 13 grams of protein to build baby’s muscles.

Prep: 5 minutes
Makes 4 servings

1½ cups fresh berries, preferably a mix of blueberries,
raspberries, and blackberries
2 cups low-fat Greek yogurt
½ cup Hippie-Chick Granola or your favorite granola
4 teaspoons honey
1. Place about 1 tablespoon of berries in the bottoms of 4 glasses
(enough to cover bottom of glass). Then, spoon about ¼ cup of
the yogurt into each glass. Top with a little of the granola.
2. Repeat layering the fruit and yogurt. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey
over the yogurt layer, and top each parfait with the remaining
granola. Grab a spoon and dig in!

Love That Bump Lemonade

Many women cannot get enough lemonade during their pregnancies, so this is a lemonade recipe that's easy and not overly sugary.

Prep: 10 minutes
Makes eight 8-ounce servings

8 ounces fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
½ cup clover honey
64 ounces of cold water (8 cups)
Mint sprigs (optional)

1. After you’ve juiced all the lemons, set them aside. Place the honey in a heatproof container, and microwave it for 30 seconds. It should be nice and liquidy. If not, put it back in for another 10 seconds (don’t do it for a full minute, or else it will get scalding hot).
2. Whisk the warm honey into the lemon juice. At this point, you
can use the honey-lemon mixture as a concentrate, making a
serving at a time and keeping the rest in a covered container in
the fridge. Add ¼ cup of the concentrate to either cold water
and ice for lemonade—sparkling water is a nice twist—or hot water
for a soothing lemony beverage. Or you can add it to a big
pitcher (filled up the rest of the way with the cold water), add a
mint sprig (optional), and pour yourself a refreshing glass.

All-Purpose Veggie Dip

If it gets you to eat some fresh veggies when you’re not feeling up to it, this recipe is worth its weight in gold. It’s low-cal and provides a decent amount of calcium.

Prep: 5 minutes
Makes 5 servings

¼ cup reduced-fat cream cheese with chives
½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese
¼ cup reduced-fat pasteurized feta cheese
¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon 1% milk

1. In a small food processor, add the cream cheese, cottage cheese, feta, and parsley, if using. Pulse until fully combined. Then add the milk and pulse again. Serve with veggies or pretzels. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.