Diet for Gestational Diabetes

Many pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes struggle with the idea of limiting fruit and particular grains or carbohydrates from their meals, but it’s typically the route to lowering the insulin to manageable levels.
The Rule of Thumb:

1)  Always eat some protein with a carbohydrate.  If you have some berries, eat a little bit of cheese.  If you snack on some crackers, eat a little bit of jerky.  If you splurge for that one time on some ice cream, do it after you’ve had a good high protein meal, like salmon and veggies (see examples of gestational diabetes meal plans).  Eating protein and a little bit of fat will slow down the breakdown of carbs, thus slowing the amount of sugar entering your blood and keeping your blood sugar level somewhat stable.

2) Don’t go over 30 to 45 carbs per meal or 15 carbs per snack.

3) Aim for 3 meals a day and 3 snacks a day.

4) Aim for whole wheat versions of foods in bread, pastas and rice.

5) Avoid obvious simple sugars and limit or eliminate fruit juices, sodas and “white” carbs such as white bread or white pasta.

It’s best to limit your carbohydrates when controlling your blood sugar to servings of about 15 grams.

Snacks

• 3 graham cracker squares
• 8 animal crackers
• 6 saltine type crackers
• 3 cups of popcorn
• ¾ ounce of pretzels
• 4 ounce fresh fruit
• ½ cup of canned or fresh fruit
• ¼ of dried fruit
• 1 – 2 inch square of an unfrosted brownie
• 2 small cookies
• ½ cup of sugar free, fat free ice cream
• ¾ cup of plain, nonfat yogurt
• Mixed Nuts
• Fruit and Cheese
• 1 apple
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 20 raw almonds
• 1 cup grapes
• 5 cups of air-popped popcorn (plain)
• ¼ cup of hummus
• 1 cup of raw veggies of your choice
• 6 ounces of yogurt
• Mixed Nuts
• Small smoothie made with fresh fruit: strawberries, bananas or kiwis. – Mix with crushed and soy-protein mix powder. Add a tablespoon of honey

Daytime Snack Choices: (15-20 grams of carbohydrate)

• Small piece of fruit
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 cups popcorn
• 1 cup no-sugar-added pudding
• 6 ounces light yogurt
• Granola bar

Protein Choices

• Beef or Turkey Jerky
• Sliced Chicken Breast
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Egg Salad
• Tofu
• Beans

Bedtime Snack Choices: (20-30 grams of carbohydrate plus protein)

• 3 graham cracker squares with peanut butter
• 1/2 sandwich on whole grain bread
• 1/2-1 cup unsweetened cereal with 1/2 cup lowfat milk
• 1/2 pita bread with 2 tablespoons hummus
• 1 medium piece of fruit with 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 4-6 crackers with cheese

Gestational Diabetes Diet Plans:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

More Information About Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes Diet – Gestational Diabetes and Blood Sugar Levels
Gum Disease Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes – Causes of Gestational Diabetes