Can you eat M&M’s when pregnant?
In this article we are going to answer can you eat M&M’s when pregnant, what are M&M’s, are M&M’s healthy to eat when pregnant, what is the risk of overeating M&M’s when pregnant and how can I substitute M&M’s when pregnant.
Can you eat M&M’s when pregnant?
Yes, you can eat M&M’s when pregnant but do not overeat them. Chocolate can be eaten in moderation when pregnant but the issue with M&M’s is the sugar content. Chocolate by itself can lower your risk of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension but it is best to look for dark chocolate.
If you have gestational diabetes, do not eat M&M’s. They can affect your glucose control and lead to health problems.
What is M&M’s?
M&M’s are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling of chocolate. Each of them has the letter M in lower case printed on them. The original flavor has a semi-sweet chocolate filling. There are other variations of the inside such as
- Peanut butter
- Peanuts
- Almond
- Pretzels
- Dark chocolate
- Caramel
- Brownie
All flavors are surrounded by a candy shell and inside semi-sweet chocolate plus the flavor varieties.
M&M’s originated back in 1941 in the United States and are sold now in more than 100 countries all over the world. The idea of M&M’s and its candy shell surrounding came with the slogan melt in your mouth, not in your hand.
Are M&M’s healthy to eat when pregnant?
There is nothing like dark chocolate. If we take the original M&M’s, about 32 pieces, as a base they contain 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 5 mg of cholesterol, 20 mg of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates of which 18 grams are from sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
M&M’s are mainly made from sugar, with 57% of their total content as carbohydrates. They do not have any health benefits. Their ingredients include milk chocolate, sugar, cornstarch, and less than 2% of corn syrup, dextrin, colors, carnauba wax, and gum acacia.
They can’t be considered healthy but when we talk about sweets and chocolate, moderation is the key. If you are carving some M&M’s go for it, but try to stick to your healthy and balanced diet as much as you can.
If you already have gestational diabetes, weight problems, preeclampsia, or high blood pressure the recommendation is to not eat any sweets to prevent more health problems.
What is the risk of overeating M&M’s when pregnant?
M&M’s contain excessive amounts of sugar. It can lead to rapid weight gain and more health complications. Some complications of rapid weight gain can be fatal for the baby and mom.
- Gestational Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Complications during birth
- Baby health
Gestational Diabetes
You can develop gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a state where blood sugar is high and can’t be regulated by insulin. You may need to take medication and the mother can develop diabetes even after the baby is born.
High Blood pressure
You can develop eclampsia and preeclampsia. Both can lead to mother and baby complications and even death.
Complications during birth
If you gain too much weight it’s more likely that you end up in cesarean because vaginal birth tends to be more difficult with excess weight. Also, babies of mothers who gain too much weight are usually bigger.
Baby health
Moms that gain too much weight tend to have babies with high birth weight and these babies have more risk of being obese and developing diabetes when older.
This is a table that can guide you on how much weight you should gain. Remember, that dieting while pregnant is very dangerous. It is very important to always include all food groups. Just limit your intake of sugar and junk food.
| BMI at beginning of pregnancy (kg/m2) | Recommended weight gain during pregnancy (kg) |
| 18.5 underweight | 12.5 -18.0 kg |
| 18.5 – 24.9 healthy | 11.15 – 16 kg |
| 25.0 -29.9 overweight | 7.0 – 11.5 kg |
| more than 30 overweight | 5.0 – 9.0 kg |
How can I substitute M&M’s when pregnant?
Dark chocolate is your best option to cure those chocolate cravings. It has been proven that dark chocolate can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and preeclampsia when pregnant. It also improves blood flow to the baby. About 30 grams per day can benefit babies’ and mothers’ health.
Skip M&M’s calories and sugar and look for dark chocolate 80% or up. Here are 15 of the best chocolate brands that are not sugar bombs.
Other FAQs about Chocolate that you may be interested in.
How many cups are 4 squares of chocolate?
How much is 4 oz of chocolate?
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate equal how many ounces?
Conclusion
This article answered can you eat M&M’s when pregnant, what are M&M’s, are M&M’s healthy to eat when pregnant, what is the risk of overeating M&M’s when pregnant and how can I substitute M&M’s when pregnant.
Citation
https://www.mms.com/en-us/nutrition-info#
