Curb the Cravings

A late-night run to the grocery store for a jar of pickles or a carton of ice cream is a familiar event for many pregnant women and their excited supporters. According to a new national survey of 600 moms ages 18 to 40,75 percent of women admit to caving in to cravings during pregnancy.

Nearly three in four American moms (72%) endure cravings while pregnant, and nearly one in three (33%) say they suffer these cravings “all the time.” Finding healthy and satisfying snacks is not always easy, and while nearly 70% of those surveyed think it's important for their snacks to be nutritious when pregnant, a mere 8% sought out a nutritious substitute when empty-calorie food cravings hit. Three-quarters ultimately consumed the food item they were craving--whether or not it was a healthy choice.

Smart Snack Options to Satisfy Common Cravings
Here are smart snacking options to help pregnant women nutritiously curb their cravings without resorting to an empty-calorie indulgence. Many of these snacks require preparation, while Ensure Healthy Mom products are convenient, portable options when on-the-go or stretched for time.

Chocolate
-Fat-free chocolate syrup drizzled over fresh or frozen berries or bananas
-Chocolate-flavored graham crackers or low-fat chocolate wafer cookies
-Ensure Healthy Mom™ Creamy Milk Chocolate Shake
-Ensure Healthy Mom™ Fudge Graham or Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Snack Bars

Sweets
-Dried fruit such as apricots, raisins, sour cherries, blueberries or prunes
-Graham crackers with apple slices and peanut butter
-Fresh exotic fruits--star fruit, mango, pineapple and kiwi
-Ensure Healthy Mom™ Creamy Milk Chocolate or Homemade Vanilla Shakes
-Ensure Healthy Mom™ Fudge Graham or Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Snack Bars

Dairy
-Low-fat frozen yogurt with applesauce, cinnamon and nuts stirred in
-Low-fat cheese or string cheese with fresh fruit and whole grain crackers
-Ensure Healthy Mom™ Creamy Milk Chocolate or Homemade Vanilla Shakes

Salty Snacks
-Baked pita wedges sprinkled with chili seasoning
-Sesame breadsticks with spicy mustard
-Popcorn sprinkled with herb blends

Crazy Cravings Contest
To help launch the new Ensure Healthy Mom products, women ages 18 and older are invited to participate in the Crazy Cravings Contest by describing, in 150 words or less, the most unusual or off-the-wall food craving they have experienced during pregnancy. The Crazy Cravings Contest begins on May 2 and runs until July 29, 2005. Out of the top 15 finalists, a grand prize winner will be chosen to receive $10,000 towards her child's education and a year's supply of Ensure Healthy Mom Shakes and Snack Bars, while 14 first prize winners will receive a six-month supply of Ensure Healthy Mom Shakes and Snack Bars. Visit our News and Events page to link to the contest.

Kelton Research conducted the national survey for Ensure Healthy Mom, sponsored by Abbott's Ross Products Division, in Ocotber 2004, among a national probablity sample of 600 mothers ages 18-40 living in the continental U.S.