Snacking?

[sbeck13]

I'm 5 months pregnant - and doing my first Whole 30. If I am getting hungry between meals - does that mean I need to eat more during my 3 main meals - or is it different during pregnancy?

I feel like I'm eating to satiety during my main meals - but hungry again, about 3 hours later. I'd also say that even when not pregnant - I've tended to snack a good amount. So maybe I've just trained my body to eat more frequently.

Any thoughts/advice?

[Kirsteen]

The book says that while you're pregnant it's critical to make sure you get enough food so to make sure to incorporate more starchy veg and healthy fats to make sure you're not underfeeding yourself. It suggests sipping on a can of coconut milk throughout the day as an easy way of getting extra calories. If you are eating as much as you comfortably can cope with at meals then I'd add in 1 or 2 snacks (mini meals) to keep you going. You do need more when you're pregnant. good luck

[tclass]

Eat. Your eating nutrient dense food without any junk so your body (and the baby) will tell you when you have gotten what you need. If you were eating a SAD I would probably say something different.

I was so sick the first half of both my pregnancies (lost 11 pounds) that I think it is great whenever a pregnant woman has an appetite! My true hunger beast came out the first three months of nursing.

[Melissa Urban]

Pregnancy is a different ballgame when it comes to our meal planning template. Eat when you can, as you can. If that means six mini-meals a day, that's A-OK. You have to work with your body and get the calories in when and where you can! Melissa

[mrsmaggie]

Both times I was pregnant I felt nauseous constantly until week 14, and felt like I had no appetite.

When I got hungry I would not feel hunger, just nausea, therefore if I didn't eat something I would end up wretching or vomiting. This was during the whole pregnancies. After week 14 or thereabouts I would feel much better if I ate food when feeling sick. This was worse upon waking in the morning really hungry (nauseous). Took a while to retrain my brain but you need to do what is best for your body. Was lovely to feel real hunger eventually months later!

If I get pregnant with my third child maybe in a year or so, my diet will be totally different to what it was the first two times so will be interesting to see what happens. I don't get the 'desperate for breakfast' hunger nowadays with paleo so maybe I won't get the sudden nausea upon waking....

I actually eat WAY more during pregnancy than breastfeeding even though on paper you need more calories breastfeeding. Everyone is different, listen to your body. Probably towards the end anyway you may only be able to eat small meals more regularly as the baby and womb squishes your digestive organs out of their normal positions.

Also in the two or three weeks just following birth I was ravenous day and night and just followed my appetite as my body was recovering, lots of steak!

Keep eating, enjoy your pregnancy x

[IronMoe]

Thank you so much for addressing this! I was chastising myself for taking in any snacks, but they're good ones, when I get the blood sugar tanking warning. I'm also eating more fruits than is likely recommended (never alone- always with nuts) bc I work nights, and need fast and portable. Thank you!

31 weeks today. Day 15 of first Whole30 :-)