Sometimes you crave sweet stuff, and that's fine. But don't give in to the pregnancy urges that tell you to consume the entire carton of ice cream or package of Oreos. You're not helping yourself out at all. Sweet food won't kill you if eaten in reasonable amounts, so have a little bit of what you crave. Then help yourself to one of these better for you sweet snack options.

Fresh fruit is the ultimate sweet snack.

Try it sweet and simple:

• A handful of fresh, juicy grapes
• A red plum
• A sliced nectarine
• A banana (great for on-the-go)
• A crispy, tart apple
• Sliced kiwis and starfruit

Try some of these combinations:

• Apples and fat-free caramel dip
• Apples and peanut butter
• Pears and cheese slices
• Banana and peanut butter
• Sliced peaches topped with ¼ cup of cream or half-and-half

Or try one of these sweet, somewhat fruit-oriented snacks:

• Whole grain crackers with cream cheese and jam
• Bagel chips dipped in fruit salsa
• A handful of raisins, dried apricots, and nuts
• Whole wheat toast with apple butter
• A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread

With a little preparation, you can have the ultimate on-the-go, satisfying sweet snack: the smoothie.

It's easy to do. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. Combine about 1 cup of the fruit of your choice with 1 cup of frozen yogurt in a blender, or with ½ cup milk and a handful of ice. Blend until it reaches the consistency you like. You can also skip the yogurt or milk and just blend fresh and frozen fruit. Bananas are great for smoothies; peel, slice, and freeze a bunch of bananas, then combine 1 cup of frozen banana slices with whatever fresh fruit you have handy for a great, all-fruit smoothie. The milk or yogurt adds some protein and fat, however, and that's a good thing when you're talking about pregnant snacking.

Annie Mueller is Mom to Mara (b. 7/06) and Robbie (b. 11/07) and awaiting Baby #3's arrival in April 09. She likes to chase her babies around, cook, be naturally healthy, have random adventures with her husband, Joe, and write about it all at SisterWisdom.