We understand that during pregnancy, especially, a woman would and is always tempted to snack! However, picking and selecting the right kind of food to snack on can be a little tricky. To help you with this, we here have a list of our top 5 picks of the 5 healthiest Indian snacks pregnant woman can enjoy.
Chickpea chaat
Chickpeas are a good way for a mother to get the amount of protein that she so crucially needs during this time. Apart from that, chickpeas are also exceptionally rich in calcium, iron and omega 3 fatty acids. Simply mix boiled chickpeas with onion, tomatoes, green chillis (if need be) and bell peppers. Season with salt and lemon and you are all done. Alternatively, you can mash boiled chickpeas with garlic, tahini paste, olive oil and lemon to make hummus which one can have with carrot sticks or cucumber sticks.
Poha
Poha is a staple in most Indian kitchens, and it also makes for a great and quite a healthy snack for pregnant women too. The number of vegetables you can add to this dish are endless. From onions, carrots and even roasted peanuts, it is also very nutritious. Finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon and you have your dose of vitamin C too.
Upma
A standard breakfast dish in the southern parts of our country, Upma is a versatile and tasty dish apart from being quite healthy too. Upma has both fiber and proteins in varying amounts. Add to that the nutritional value of the vegetables you decide to add to it, and you have a full fledged meal on your hands. If you can find suji (semolina) that is iron fortified, then the upma will become even more nutritious.
Idli
We are sure that almost everyone likes idlis, and by having this steamed rice cake you would actually be consuming something healthy, satisfying and yet, something that is very light on your stomach. By adding your favourite vegetables into the batter before steaming, you will also increase the nutritional value of the whole dish very effectively.
Dhokla
Dhokla, like idli, is a fermented food, and like almost every fermented food, dhokla too has its fair share of probiotics, which in turn helps you with your digestion. You can also think of adding vegetables to the batter before steaming it if you want to increase the nutritional value of the dish.
