Getting more protein into your day
- First, make sure you are eating protein for breakfast. Many people skip out on protein in the morning, and this can result in sugar cravings later in the day. Have eggs for breakfast, or make sure there is a good protein source such as nut butter or seeds in your morning smoothie
- Have protein snacks with you when you are out and about during the day, or at work. Nuts, seeds, boiled eggs and cheese are easy on-the-go sources of protein
- Make sure your lunch and dinner both have a protein such as meat or lentils
- Add seeds and nuts to your salads or into your morning yogurt to sneak in some extra protein here and there
*Note: almonds are said to be helpful for heartburn, a common discomfort during pregnancy. Bonus!
Switch to non-sugary snacks
Instead of eating candy, baking, or ice cream when you are craving a snack, try
- hummus and veggies
- cheese and whole-grain crackers
- pickles
- apple with almond butter
- dates*
- sipping herbal tea
*Dates have been said to increase women’s chances of having only a healthy amount of bleeding after birth. I don’t think it was the biggest study ever done, but hey, it seems worth a try to me. Dates are high in fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals, so they are a good thing to incorporate into your diet anyways.
Good Quality Salts
Salt is important for the human body, but iodized white table salt has had many beneficial minerals stripped from it. Good quality salts such as pink rock salt and grey sea salt have a much higher mineral content (hence their colour) and have a much higher nutritional benefit.
Vitamin C
- Oranges and kiwi fruits are good sources of vitamin C
- Start your morning off with a glass of water and the juice of a lemon
Fermented Foods
- Miso
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi (one of my favs!)