Pregnancy cravings? Pack a snack, says Keira Knightley

It was one of the most glamorous events of the year and she was dressed head to toe in Chanel, but there was only one accessory that was important to film star Keira Knightley at this year’s Golden Globes: her snack-packed clutch. The pregnant star had stuffed her designer bag with nuts to appease her pregnancy cravings on the red carpet. "It's the wonderful thing about being pregnant.” she told the waiting press, “You just need to make sure you have snacks. So this is a snack bag." Many women experience a huge increase in appetite during pregnancy, while others find that snacking is the only thing that keeps nausea at bay. Either way, managing an intense hunger on this scale in a healthy way requires some organisation. [caption id="attachment_210561" align="alignnone" width="591"] Blake Lively filled up on healthy home cooking throughout her pregnancy[/caption] Jessica Biel might be craving salads (you win again, Mrs Timberlake), while Blake Lively stuck to roast chicken (tame, in our book), but if four Big Macs and a litre of Ben & Jerry’s is sounding like your kind of lunch right now (hey, Abbey Clancey is hitting the custard doughnuts), there are some ways to ease your cravings without ingesting a month’s worth of calories in one sitting. [caption id="attachment_210562" align="alignnone" width="612"] Jessica Biel Pic Instagram[/caption]  What to pack:

Focus on whole foods. If you can stomach them, dips like hummus and guacamole with crudité or oat cakes are a filling stop-gap between meals. Protein keeps blood sugar stable, fending off hunger. Keep a bowl of boiled eggs ready to eat in the fridge and pack edamame beans on the go. Air-popped popcorn is low in fat yet high in fibre, just try not to add too much salt or butter. Are you jonesing for chocolate? If so choose a dark variety. You’ll eat less of it and enjoy an antioxidant boost too. If salt cravings have you reaching for the pickles, drink plenty of water to minimise the effect of too much sodium (swelling, high blood pressure)