Food cravings during pregnancy are one of the most common symptoms experienced by pregnant women.

Cravings are natural, common and temporary. According to a study, not all but nearly 85 percent of pregnant women have food cravings.

The cravings may range from chocolates, chips, fruits, pickles and ice cream to non-food items like chalk, clay, toothpaste and even dirt.

Tips to eat healthy during cravings

During pregnancy, one may have unhealthy food cravings. Such cravings needs to be tackled smartly in order to stick to a healthy diet during pregnancy.

Here are some tips that will help:

• Stock the kitchen with healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Do not buy junk food and unhealthy snacks. When you do not see it, your craving is most likely to die.
• Drink a lot of water. This will make your stomach feel full and help you curb the craving.
• Understand the reason of your cravings and eat accordingly. If you are craving chocolate, it means your body is low in magnesium. Have magnesium-rich foods like green vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
• Substitute unhealthy foods with healthy ones. For instance, have low-fat frozen yogurt instead of an ice cream.

Healthy midnight snacks

Cravings may occur at any time during the day or night. However, dealing with midnight cravings is a challenge. Not eating despite midnight hunger may result in nausea or dizziness in the morning. Hence, it is important to eat, and when you eat, you should always go for healthy pregnancy foods.

Some of the healthy items that you may have to pacify those midnight cravings are as follows:

• Nuts and dry fruits such as almonds will help you meet your iron requirements.
• Make roasted masala papad with tomatoes, corn, and cucumber over it.
• A whole-wheat sandwich, corn chaat or sprouts are healthy foods for pregnant women that are high in fiber.
• A milk-based drink or cereal with yogurt will offer you good calcium benefits.
• Have fresh fruits or fruit juice. Fruits like bananas will assist you in sleeping better. Do not have citrus fruits if you have indigestion issues.
• On a winter night, you may have low-sodium soup with plenty of chopped vegetables.
• Oatmeal with fruits will provide a lot of fiber and proteins to your body.
• Items like crackers, rusks, toast with peanut butter, puffed rice, popcorn, oats, and roasted gram are also good midnight snacking options.

Know the right foods for pregnant women and have a healthy pregnancy. Pampers India is concerned with the well-being of both the mother and baby. It doles out expert advice and tips to help you sail through this phase in the smoothest way possible.

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