I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am simply a woman on the internet who got diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I want to share what I learned through the experience and give some tips to others who may be in the same position.
I did not expect to get gestational diabetes. I was a little overweight when I got pregnant, but I did eat moderately healthy and exercised.
However, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes is mainly based on genetics. It is not because of how well or poorly you ate at the beginning of your pregnancy.
I felt guilty, overwhelmed, stressed, and scared when I first received my diagnosis. However, when I got all the information I needed, it ended up not being that difficult to follow the dietary recommendations. After some experimentation, I learned what foods affected my blood sugar the most, and what foods I could get away with.
Gestational Diabetes Diet Basics
The idea behind the gestational diabetes diet suggestions is to keep blood sugar evenly balanced throughout the day. Massive spikes in blood sugar can be bad for your health and your baby’s health.
You can still eat carbs, and you should! However, anytime you eat carbs you need to portion-control them and eat them with protein, fat and fiber. Balancing carbs with protein, fat and fiber slows prevents the blood sugar spikes that can occur when your body has to digest pure carbs.
The carb suggestions I were given for each meal and snack were as follows:
- Breakfast, 30 carbs
- Snack, 15 carbs
- Lunch, 45 carbs
- Snack, 15 carbs
- Dinner, 45 carbs
- Snack, 15 carbs
These carb suggestions worked for me most of the time. I was advised to always balance carbs with protein, fat and fiber to slow absorption of glucose and prevent blood-sugar spikes. Exercise helps lower your blood sugar levels so a 15-minute walk after eating can do a lot to keep your numbers within range.
Sample Day of Eating on the Gestational Diabetes Diet
Note: These are just suggestions and if you feel you need to eat more calories, or you find yourself hungry, you need to eat more! If you do need to eat more, choose the foods that are lower in carbs and higher in protein and fat in order to ease your hunger without spiking your blood sugar.
Breakfast
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- 1 ounce of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 Tablespoons salsa
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 low-carb wrap
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 474 | 32 grams | 31 grams | 21 grams |
Morning Snack
- 2 clementines
- 1 cheese stick
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 150 | 6 grams | 7 grams | 18 grams |
Lunch
- 2 cups of spinach
- 4 ounces of chicken
- 2 Tablespoons low-sugar dressing
- 2 tablespoons cheese
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cucumber
- 6 kalamata olives
- 1 apple
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 455 | 42 grams | 20 grams | 25.5 grams |
Afternoon Snack
- Sugar-free pudding
- 2 Tablespoons of whipped cream
- ½ ounce of almonds
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 141 | 3 grams | 9 grams | 13 grams |
Dinner
- 4 ounce pork chop
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 cup green beans
- Olive oil for cooking
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 530 | 41 grams | 19 grams | 45 grams |
Evening snack
- ½ cup lowfat cottage cheese
- ½ cup strawberries
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 114 | 13.5 grams | 1.2 grams | 12 grams |
Day Two
Breakfast
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 hard boiled eggs
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 305 | 19 grams | 19 grams | 28 grams |
Morning Snack
- 4 triscuits
- 1 ounce of cheese
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 190 | 9 grams | 11 grams | 13 grams |
Lunch
- 1 low-carb wrap
- 4 ounce of chicken
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ cup spinach or lettuce
- ½ a tomato
- 1 ounce of Swiss cheese
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 478 | 38 grams | 23 grams | 24 grams |
Afternoon Snack
- 4 tablespoons hummus
- ½ a bell pepper
- ½ a cup cucumber
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 170 | 5 grams | 12 grams | 13 grams |
Dinner
- 1 small baked potato topped with butter and sour cream
- 1 baked chicken thigh
- 1 cup steamed zucchini
569 calories
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 569 | 35.5 | 28 | 43 |
Evening Snack
- 1 sugar free pudding
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream
- ½ an ounce almonds
141 calories
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 141 | 3 grams | 9 grams | 13 grams |
Day Three
Breakfast
- 1/4 of an Avocado
- 1 fried egg
- 1 ounce of cheddar cheese
- 2 tomato slices
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 398 | 19 grams | 25.5 grams | 23.7 grams |
Morning Snack
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 ounce almonds
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 221 | 7 grams | 16.7 grams | 16.7 carbs |
Lunch
- Turkey Burger wrapped in lettuce leaf
- 1 slice Swiss cheese
- Tomato and onion slice
- 1/4 avocado or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 pickle
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 422 | 32.5 grams | 26 grams | 15 carbs |
Afternoon Snack
- Almond crackers
- 1 ounce cheese
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 190 | 9 grams | 11 grams | 13.5 grams |
Dinner
- 2 ounces ground beef
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 a diced tomato
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons salsa
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 540 | 29 grams | 24 grams | 51 grams |
Evening Snack
- 1/2 cup peanut butter cup halo-top
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| 80 | 6 grams | 8 grams | 12 grams |
Calories and other nutrition information are estimates only. Every person has a different carb tolerance and you will have to test your blood sugar levels after meals to see how you react to different foods.
Easy Low-Carb Swaps
Note: Slow-carb is a nickname given to carbs that digest slowly due to added nutrients such as fiber and protein. Slower digesting carbs are ideal for the gestational diabetes diet.
| High Carb | Slow Carb | Low Carb |
| Blueberry Muffin | Mini Muffin with side of Peanut Butter | Keto Mug Cake |
| White Rice | Brown Rice | Cauliflower Rice |
| Mashed Potato | 1/2 Potato / 1/2 Cauliflower | Mashed Cauliflower |
| Tortilla | Low-Carb Tortilla | Lettuce Wrap |
| Burger Bun | Low-Carb Burger Bun | Lettuce Wrap |
| Chips | Popcorn Topped with Parmesan Cheese | Almonds or Peanuts |
| Ice cream | Low-carb ice cream (such as halo-top) | Homemade Protein Ice-cream |
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