Are you struggling with morning sickness? Well, you are not one among the few. Studies show that around 70–80% of all pregnant women experience morning sickness. Here is some good news for you. We bring to you some specific foods that will help you to deal with morning sickness. Here are 22 morning sickness snacks to make you feel better.
What Is Meant By Morning Sickness During Pregnancy?
Morning sickness, one of the early signs of pregnancy is something to bother for expecting mothers. Many reasons contribute to morning sickness but increase in level of HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone is the main reason. It can strike anytime or all-time over the first trimester of pregnancy.
Many expecting women who experience severe morning sickness have an increased level of HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin). Likewise, as the level of estrogen increases the severity of nausea and vomiting also increases.
However, morning sickness will not cause any harm to the pregnancy. Actually, it is an indication your pregnancy is progressing well. A new study at the National Institutes of Health finds the strongest proof of association of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy with a lower risk of miscarriage in pregnant women.
However, if you are not having morning sickness, it doesn’t mean your pregnancy is not progressing well.
Related Reading: Eating Pickles During Pregnancy- All You Need To Know
22 Morning Sickness Snacks To Feel Better
When you’re suffering from morning sickness, rather than skipping a meal, eating is the best thing to do. Despite this fact, you may find it difficult to decide which food to eat to make you feel better and which food aggravates morning sickness.
Before coming to the list you should understand what is good and what is bad to eat when you are having morning sickness.
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Go for foods that are easy to digest. Make sure the food is high in protein and low in fat. Bland foods and salty foods can also help with morning sickness. Foods that contain ginger — such as ginger lollipops and ginger cookies are also beneficial to combat morning sickness.
Avoid greasy, spicy, high-fat, and unhealthy fast foods. Similarly, avoid carbonated drinks like cola. Also, stay away from foods like cabbage and cauliflower that generates gas.
Onions and garlic during pregnancy can also aggravate morning sickness. Food with a strong odor can also trigger morning sickness. None of these foods are going to help you to deal with morning sickness and will only aggravate the symptoms of morning sickness.
We provide you a list of snacks that is good for morning sickness. We choose from different categories like best crackers, candies, fruits, drinks, breakfast ideas, etc. You can find some good breakfast ideas for morning sickness from this list.
1. Snack on these fruits
Tangy citrus fruits are refreshing and excellent to deter morning sickness during pregnancy. Green apple is one of the best fruit for morning sickness. Its sweet and sour taste brings down the feeling of nausea considerably. Including pears and cold apple sauce in breakfast also helps you to feel better.
Imbalanced fluid levels can trigger nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. That is why experts recommend eating one banana every day throughout the first trimester. Being rich in magnesium, banana helps to maintain a healthy fluid balance. Indian gooseberry is another fruit that can effectively curb morning sickness.
Related Reading: 15 Fruits Not To Eat During Pregnancy
2. Crackers
An empty stomach increases the episodes and severity of morning sickness. Stashing a box of crackers near the bed and having one or two as soon as you wake up will help you to fight off the queasy feeling.
A saltine or soda cracker is one of the best crackers for morning sickness. These are thin, square crackers. As it is salty, these crackers help to settle the stomach acids.
3. Toast
Toast is a sure bet when it comes to something bland that helps to fight off the morning sickness. Eating one or two slices of toast in the morning will help in settling the stomach. You can have a plain dry toast on your bed before getting down.
4. Homemade ginger cookies
Ginger during pregnancy is a well-known home remedy to treat nausea. Anything made from ginger can help to fight off nausea. From ginger ale, ginger candy to ginger can help to curb nausea. Ginger candy actually makes an excellent morning sickness candy.
Carbohydrates are easy to consume and are beneficial for morning sickness. Ginger cookies are an excellent mix of ginger and carbohydrates. It provides fast relief from morning sickness. You can take this to your office to munch on whenever nausea hits.
5. Lemonade
The anti-inflammatory property of lemon is highly beneficial not only to fight off morning sickness but also for the early pregnancy symptoms like bloating and other digestion issues.
However, always rely on homemade lemonade rather than packaged ones. This will make sure the lemonade is devoid of added sugar and preservatives. While making lemonade, follow a less sugar recipe.
You can also add some ginger juice to enhance the flavor and result. It is one of the best drinks for morning sickness.
Related Reading: Can Lemon Water During Pregnancy Cause Abortion?
6. Popsicles
The list of snacks for morning sickness will not be complete without popsicles. Popsicles are one of the super snacks for a worn-out feeling. Popsicles are made with yogurt and nutrient-rich fruit of your choice. Yogurt is excellent to combat morning sickness.
You can treat yourself to your favorite flavored Popsicle. It is easy to make and therefore, you can make different flavors and store them. This way you can always have one whenever nausea strikes.
7. Whole wheat sandwich
Sandwiches make an excellent snack during morning sickness. Whole wheat bread enhances the nutritional value of the sandwich. Make the sandwich with some cold vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, and tomatoes. A cold sandwich alleviates your hunger without triggering nausea.
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8. Quick fruit chats
Choose berries, green apples, bananas, and other fruits you like to have and slice them up. Now put the cut pieces in a bowl. Add some lemon juice, imli chutney, roasted cumin seeds and finally add salt and chat masala to taste.
Toss them well and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Instead of imli chutney, you can also use yogurt.
This bowl, now is loaded with carbohydrates, proteins, and iron. Proteins help to alleviate morning sickness. This is an excellent morning sickness snack that makes you feel better and full.
9. Puffed rice
You can use puffed rice to make a yummy snack by adding roasted peanuts, chopped vegetables, and a dash of lime. You can also make puffed rice porridge by just stirring it in boiling water and salt to taste.
This porridge is high in fiber and low in sugar. Regular consumption of puffed rice porridge reduces nausea and improves appetite.
10. Poha
Poha is without a doubt a blessing for pregnant women who experience morning sickness. Besides being a nutritional snack when you add chopped vegetables, tomatoes, and roasted peanuts, it is an easily digestible snack as well.
Moreover, you can use poha to make many yummy dishes like lemon poha, Dahi poha, etc.
11. Whole wheat methi khakhra
These are an excellent substitute for crackers and biscuits. Whole wheat offers a good amount of fiber which helps to soothe digestive issues. By adding methi leaves, we are enhancing the iron and calcium content of the snack. Munching this carbohydrate snack in the morning helps you to feel better. Methi ladoos will also be a good option for fiber intake, provided that the quantity is administered.
12. Potato chips
Sweet lemonade and salty potato chips, as a rule, are not counted as a part of a healthy diet. Even though it sounds odd, the salty and dry taste of potato chips and a glass of lemonade is the one of the best foods for expecting mothers going through morning sickness. However, go for regular potato chips rather than the fat-free varieties.
Related Reading: Eating Banana Chips During Pregnancy- 8 Things You Should Know
Potatoes during pregnancy can be a part of a remedial measure. Over-production of saliva that happens during the early months of pregnancy can trigger morning sickness. A handful of salty potato chips helps to dry up excess saliva. And lemonade helps to quench the thirst.
13. Smoothies
Here comes an ultimate smoothie, loaded with ingredients that are excellent to combat morning sickness – Ginger- banana-cinnamon smoothie. Ginger is well known for its ability to curb morning sickness.
Besides, banana is a good source of vitamin B6. Studies show intake of vitamin B6 is excellent to relieve nausea and morning sickness. Cinnamon, in moderation, has many health benefits and is an excellent substitute for artificial flavoring agents.
14. Chickpeas
Munching a hand full of salted chickpeas also helps to get rid of the queasy feeling during pregnancy.
However, when it comes to chickpeas, make sure to consume in moderate quantities only.
15. Dhokla
Dhokla makes an excellent morning sickness snack. It is low in calories and high in probiotics (it is a fermented food). Because of the subtle flavor and soft texture of dhokla, women will be able to eat it as and when morning sickness strikes.
Adding grated vegetables enhances their nutritional value. It can be consumed warm, as soon as it is prepared. Cold dhokla is also good, especially during summer. You can keep it in the refrigerator and eat straight out of it whenever you feel like it.
16. Soups
Soups are highly nutritious and easy to consume, easy to digest, and will go a long way in helping morning sickness. Simple soups will alleviate hunger and helps to keep the expecting mother well hydrated. It is a suitable food for those nauseous and as well as cold mornings.
Related Reading: 11 Indian Home Remedies For Cold During Pregnancy
17. Snacks made from Suji
We can make a variety of dishes from suji. From breakfast to dessert everything made from suji will be appealing for the pregnant woman who is experiencing morning sickness. Suji upma, suji dosa, sooji idly. etc, are best to eat when nauseous and hungry.
18. Carrot-cucumber slices
Cold, raw, crispy, and juicy food are easy to eat during days when you are feeling down with morning sickness. Having cold cucumber, celery, and carrot fingers is a snack that helps you to feel better. It is a fiber-rich and nutritious snack. You can use hung curd or hummus as dips.
19. High protein snacks
Studies show that expecting mothers who concentrated on a high protein diet in the initial months of pregnancy experienced less nausea and vomiting. This study also finds that when compared to women who followed a high protein diet, those who stick to a diet high in carbohydrates experienced more nausea and vomiting.
Therefore, eat snacks and salads loaded with nuts, legumes, and seeds. These are not only high in protein but also rich in Vitamin B6, another factor that helps to reduce morning sickness.
20. Dalia
Dalia or broken wheat is highly nutritious. It has a significant amount of manganese and fiber. Dalia digests slowly and therefore, it will keep the expecting woman full for a while.
An empty stomach is one thing that triggers morning sickness. Therefore, include a bowl of Dalia in your morning meal. You can have it like a porridge. you can even add some vegetables to make it more nutritious and appealing.
Related Reading: When And How To Give Dalia To Babies?
21. Watermelon cubes
Starting your day by consuming watermelon cubes straight from the refrigerator gives you a feeling of energy that continues throughout the day. Watermelon also helps to keep morning sickness and dehydration at bay.
22. Roasted peanut mixture with vegetables
This will make an excellent snack and make you feel better during the nauseous days of pregnancy. A dash of lemon will enhance its taste and benefit.
To sum up we can say that morning sickness is something that needs to be dealt with as it surely is not a good feeling. You can choose the best suitable food for you from the above list or even make your own dish keeping in mind the above ingredients. Remember that how you start your mornings, will decide your remaining day.