Transparent moment: aside from the forbidden, I don’t give myself many eating rules while pregnant. Don’t get me wrong- I do eat healthy things; but if baby wants fries or sugar, baby gets fries or sugar. Being pregnant is hard enough- so I enjoy the little things. 

The only HUGE flaw with this is that those foods are ridiculously addictive. 

I’m also a breastfeeding mom, so my appetite is unsatiable. Guess what’s easy to eat? 

These two things make losing baby weight less than ideal. It struck me that I needed to make a change when my natural weight loss plateaued (normal), then I gained 5lbs in less than a week (not normal). 

I’m just not about deprivation. Deprivation leads to binging, in my case. I COULD try a supplement that promises to kick my cravings, and it may actually work- but sometimes I like my cravings. 😉 

That, and I tend to stick with what I know. 

SO- I switched up my indulgences a bit. They aren’t necessarily free of sugar, nor are they all gluten free or vegan; I’m not that crunchy and I don’t have any health reasons to go that route… BUT take a look at my five favorites; one just might work for you!! 

*Stating the obvious here, but you don’t have to be pregnant or breastfeeding to enjoy these alternatives. 

**Some of these are from previous posts: click the links to see the recipes! Others aren’t even original to me, but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of the basics. 

1. Oatmeal Banana Cookies – Three ingredients. Loads of yumminess. [Recipe]
2. Decadent Greek Yogurt – This is my current favorite. I eat it almost every night! One serving of coconut greek yogurt (I like Simply Balanced brand), fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries (or whatever fruit you want), and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Dark chocolate is my favorite, but Hershey’s also has a simply 5 line that only has five ingredients. I’m drooling. I wish I was kidding. 
3. Trail Mix – This is pretty straightforward and basic, but we make our own simple mix pretty often. It’s a sweet and salty way to get some nuts and dried fruit into our diet and I still get to enjoy some chocolate. Toss it all together in a ziplock and grab a handful whenever convenient. 
4. Kettle Corn– Popcorn is low calorie and is full of fiber, whole grains and antioxidants. I like kettle corn, specifically, because it’s both sweet and salty. (Note that unlike plain popcorn, sugar and salt are added- I mean, it IS still a treat). 
5. Protein Bites – So easy and versatile to make, much like trail mix. I love that I can mix it up using whatever I have on hand, which keeps it from getting boring. Check out this pumpkin spice variety I made last fall! [Recipe]

I always love a new idea- what’s your go-to (mostly) guiltless indulgence?