Your body needs energy for daily functioning and one of the major sources of energy for your body is sugar or glucose. The body produces a hormone called insulin to maintain a balanced amount of blood sugar level and to turn this sugar into energy. However, pregnancy hormones work against the effects of insulin so the body has to produce more to utilize the sugar in your blood.

Gestational diabetes results when your body is not producing the required amounts of insulin. This can lead to high levels of blood sugar that can harm your baby. To maintain healthy blood sugar levels you need a combination of a proper diet plan and regular exercise. Around 90 percent of women with gestational diabetes use this strategy to control their blood sugar. Read on to learn what you should and shouldn’t eat in a gestational diabetes diet.

Gestational Diabetes Diet 

The best method to improve your diet is to make sure you include a variety of foods in it. A good way to ensure that is to know how to read food labels. Consulting these labels when you are out shopping can help you make healthy decisions regarding your diet. It is also a good idea to seek advice from your doctor or dietitian if you are on some special diet or if you are a vegetarian.

General Guideline for Gestational Diabetes Diet  

As a general rule, your diet should include moderate amounts of fats and protein. Your diet should also provide you with reasonable amounts of carbohydrates through a variety of foods like fruits and vegetables as well as bread, cereal, rice and pasta. Moreover, you should avoid foods that contain high levels of sugar like fruit juices, soft drinks and pastries.

1. Work with Your Dietician to Get a Diet Plan

Your doctor or midwife will have advised you to keep a check on your calorie intake levels if you were overweight before pregnancy. Normally, they will also suggest 30 minutes of moderate exercises every day, like walking or swimming.

Sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels can be a cause for alarm so consult your doctor about it. The doctor may in turn refer you to a dietician or you can ask to be referred to one yourself. The dietician can help devise a special gestational diabetes diet plan for your needs. The special diet plan can provide guidelines on what types of foods you should eat and what foods you should avoid. In addition, the diet plan will guide you on the quantities of foods you need to take and the frequency of meals.

2. Have a Nice Breakfast

The Glycemic Index (GI) measures the speed with which the glucose is released in your bloodstream after you consume food. A healthy breakfast can help to regulate sugar levels in your bloodstream throughout the morning and low GI foods for breakfast are the best way to start your day.

Porridge can be a good choice because it releases energy slowly and evenly. You can also try wholegrain cereals and bread with small portions of high protein food like boiled egg or yoghurt; these foods are low in fat. However, avoid high GI foods like sugar-coated cereals or jams because they increase blood sugar levels.

3. Eat High Fiber Foods

Make high fiber foods a part of your daily diet. This will ensure that your blood sugar levels don’t spike up after meals because foods high in fiber typically have a low GI.

Fiber rich foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals as well as dried peas, beans or pulses. Try to include at least five portions of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet by making them a part of your various meals and snacks.

4. Limit Saturated Fats

Gestational women should cut down on their intake of saturated fats. Use olive oil or sunflower oil for cooking and salad dressings. Try grilling foods instead of frying your meal, and eat foods high in unsaturated fats like seeds and nuts. Also, trim fat from meats before cooking and limit butter use or replace it with a spread high in polyunsaturated fats.

5. Avoid Sugar Food and Drinks

Food and drinks like fruit juices, fizzy drinks, desserts and sweets contain high levels of sugar and shoule be avoided in gestational diabetes diet. Such simple sugars are easily and quickly absorbed by your body resulting in high blood sugar levels.

If you have to drink juices what you can do instead is dilute fruit juices with water. Three parts water with one part fruit juice taken once a day is acceptable. A better option will be water or sugar-free drinks like squashes or flavored drinks.

6. Watch Out for Carbohydrates and Starches

Carbohydrates are converted into sugar inside the body and they are a major source of energy, meaning they comprise a large portion of your daily caloric intake; they can raise blood sugar levels quite easily.

To keep stable blood sugar levels, carbohydrate consumption should be spread evenly throughout the day. Gestational women should opt for carbohydrates that are high in fiber because these are more nutritious and slowly digested. Foods like wholegrain bread and cereals, brown rice, and pasta as well as starchy vegetables like corn or potato should be at the top of your list.

7. Have Protein Foods Properly

A healthy gestational diabetes diet will be incomplete without protein. Protein foods are usually rich in vitamin B that can help prevent birth defects. Women with gestational diabetes require two to three portions of proteins every day. Good sources of protein for gestational diabetes patients include lean meats, eggs, beans and nuts. Proper protein intake will involve eating two to three of the following items daily: 3 oz. of cooked meat, an egg, half a cup of beans, an ounce of nuts, or two tablespoons of nut butter.

8. Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients essential for the mother and baby so eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies is recommended by dieticians. For fruits, eat one to three servings daily but eat only one serving at a time. A medium sized fruit or half a cup of chopped fruit will comprise a single serving. Avoid fruit in syrup and fruit juices because these will raise your blood sugar levels.

Three to five servings of vegetables are recommended for daily intake. Try to eat dark green or yellow vegetables more and remember that a single serving of veggies is equal to either a cup of leafy vegetables, ¾ cup of vegetable juice or half a cup of chopped vegetables.

9. Have Only Low-fat or Non-fat Dairy Products

Dairy products are an essential source of calcium for pregnant women. Gestational diabetes patients should include four servings of dairy in their everyday diet. Non-fat or low-fat dairy products are recommended for women with gestational diabetes. Try not to drink more than a cup of milk at a time or your blood sugar levels will increase. A single serving of dairy equals a cup of milk or yoghurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese.

Healthy food choices for gestational diabetes diet: