I’m a complete poser writing this post. I lectured myself since the beginning of this pregnancy that I would eat healthy and not gain 50 pounds like I did with both of my previous pregnancies. But I have derailed!

I can blame it on the holidays, blame it on saying goodbye to morning sickness, blame it on intense cravings, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve gotta get back on track for baby and me!

Here is where my downfall lies: snacking. My un-pregnant self doesn’t struggle significantly with portion size or weight gain, but pregnant me hoards every last calorie and gram of fat. And I feel hungry all the time! So I snack all the time — and what I crave usually has zero nutritional value.

I’ve scoured articles searching for the best foods for pregnancy, healthy snack ideas, power pregnancy foods, etc., to make a printable list to post on the fridge. I’m making this list of yummy, healthy snacks to choose from, hoping to make my junk choices the exception and not the norm.

(I’ve focused on a pregnancy diet here, but obviously healthy snacks are a good idea for anyone in any season of life. I hope you will still find them useful even if you’re not expecting!)

Dairy

• Pretzel sticks with Laughing Cow cheese or hummus
• Caprese salad (mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with a little salt)
• Greek yogurt
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Laughing Cow cheese on cucumber or crackers
• Low-fat cheese stick

Protein & grains

• Pita pocket with guacamole and tomatoes
• Hard-boiled egg (my husband slices his, drizzles olive oil on top, and sprinkles with salt — it’s gooood)
• Peanut butter sandwich with wheat bread
• Trail mix with dried fruit and nuts
• Low butter/salt popcorn
• Bowl of whole wheat Cheerios
• Flavored rice cakes

Veggies

• Homemade sweet potato chips in coconut oil
• Broccoli and hummus
• Baby carrots and yogurt dip
• Celery and peanut butter
• Guacamole and tortilla chips
• Spinach, cheese & guacamole quesadilla

Fruit

• Orange
• Pear
• Berries
• Apple/applesauce (find the kind with no added sugar)
• Cherries
• Mango
• Grapes
• Banana

Sweet tooth

• Vanilla smoothie
• Healthy chocolate smoothie
• Chocolate-covered almonds
• Chocolate-dipped strawberries
• Baked peaches with honey (Halve peaches, remove pit, put pad of butter on top, dribble a little vanilla extract, and drizzle with honey. Bake at 350 degrees until soft. Yum! — The Londoner)
• Homemade oatmeal muffins
• Granola bar
• Graham crackers
• Whole wheat English muffin drizzled in honey

Here’s the printable list that’s on my fridge:

Click to download high-res version.

I’m also tracking what I eat on My Fitness Pal. I started doing this after morning sickness went away, and it helped me understand the value (or non-value) of what I was eating. As I derailed from my diet, I derailed from keeping track of it as well. So I’m back on the site, logging what I eat. It really does help.

This time around my cravings are grape juice, olives, and anything full of sugar! What were or are your cravings? What are your favorite snacks that help you stay on track?