Congratulations! You are officially in your second trimester. This is a huge milestone for pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage is tremendously lower in your second trimester. You are probably starting to let everyone in your life know about the unborn child you carry, and that is one of the most rewarding times of pregnancy. Get used to hearing congrats, because almost everyone is going to be excited to meet your bundle of joy.
 

 
Early in pregnancy, you probably didn’t gain much weight. But now, you are going to start noticing your body changing. Your face will start to look fuller and brighter. That is what everyone means when they say you are glowing. Even if you are not showing in the belly, you are elsewhere. Your body retains more water during pregnancy.
 
Eating healthy is more important now than ever. Gaining too much weight early on in pregnancy can cause health problems for you and the baby. Try to change your diet up to include more fruits and vegetables. Remember to eat small amounts of food throughout the day to prevent over-eating. In order to keep your energy levels up during pregnancy, and provide baby with enough nutrients, you are going to want to have a snack planned in between meals. Even your meals may need to change. Meals that are too big are harder for your body to digest, and some of the nutrients will pass through your body without doing much good.
 
When people think of snacking, they inevitably think of junk food, but that does not have to be the case. Finding healthy snack options is very important while pregnant, because you will be snacking more often throughout the day. While many pregnancy cravings include foods that aren’t exactly healthy, it is important to be able to supplement unhealthy snacks with healthy ones. If you have four snacks in a given day, then only one of them should be a splurge. The remaining three should be healthy.
 

Here are a few great options for daytime snacks:

 
Grapes, watermelon, apples and bananas are all great fruits for pregnancy. They are high in water content, and eating fresh fruit can help prevent the all too common leg cramps that accompany pregnancy.
 
Cherry tomatoes, carrots, spinach, cabbage, kale, and broccoli are the best vegetables to eat during pregnancy. Lettuce is the most common vegetable that pregnant women eat, but you aren’t doing your body justice with iceberg lettuce. It is mostly water and contains little calories; two things your growing baby needs.
 
Cheese, milk, and yogurt all make great snacks for pregnant women. Milk, although it is a liquid, contains fat, calories, vitamins and lipids that can help with a growing baby. Yogurt is a great alternative to ice cream, and it can help you with constipation that is common during pregnancy.
 
Hard boiled eggs are a great anytime snack. Eggs are very nutritious, and hard boiled eggs are a healthier alternative to eggs fried in butter. They are also a great supplement for salads, as iceberg lettuce is lacking in a very key nutrients.

Travis Newville
Breckenridge, Michigan