Meal Planning For Gestational Diabetes
Around 5% of all women in the US develop diabetes during pregnancy, even though they have never had any problems with their blood sugar before. This is known as gestational diabetes, which needs to be controlled as soon as possible, or else it could have a severe effect on the baby or the pregnancy. If you have been diagnosed with this condition, you can control it, but following a proper gestation diabetes meal plan and getting an adequate amount of exercise each day.
A gestational diabetes diet plan during pregnancy aims at controlling the levels of blood sugar in your body, without resorting to insulin injections or any medication. Of course, this is easier said than done, because of all the food cravings and aversions that are a normal part of any pregnancy.
Given below is an example of a healthy gestation diabetes meal plan:
- Breakfast: 1 Egg, 2 slices of dry whole wheat toast and a glass of 2% milk
- Mid-morning snack: 2 Graham crackers with a glass or milk or a fruit
- Lunch: A lean turkey or ham sandwich, on whole wheat bread, low fat mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce and 1 medium sized apple
- Afternoon snack: A bowl of taco chips with salsa or popcorn and a glass of 2% milk
- Dinner: 1 Chicken breast (without the skin), a bowl of salad, a whole grain roll, 1 orange and some 2% milk
- Evening snack: 1 Slice of whole wheat bread and some cheese or turkey
Vegetarian Meals For Gestation Diabetes
There are many people who believe that following a vegetarian diet is an excellent way of reducing the levels of blood sugar in the body. However, there is no clinical evidence to support this belief. Nevertheless, you can control your level of blood sugar by following a vegetarian diet too. Given below is an example of a healthy gestation diabetes meal plan for vegetarians:- Breakfast: 1 bowl of oatmeal, 2 slices of dry whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and a glass of milk or juice (sugarless)
- Mid-morning snack: 1 apple with a cup of cottage cheese
- Lunch: 1 cup lentil soup with a serving of whole grain crackers, 2 ounces of low fat cheese and a cup of carrots
- Afternoon snack: 1 cup of grapes with 20 raw almonds
- Dinner: Tofu and vegetable stir-fry with a cup of brown rice and a glass of skim milk
- Evening snack: 5 cups of air popped corn
There are several recipes for gestational diabetes meals that you can easily find through various resources. Given below are some of the commonly recommended recipes for those who are diabetic:
- Chicken soup
- Green salad, with grilled chicken and olives
- Pork tenderloin with cabbage
- Chicken kabobs with cooked rice and steamed broccoli
- Pasta primavera with parmesan cheese and vegetables
A meal plan for gestational diabetes not only includes the right foods and recipes, but also several other goals for healthy eating, like:- Eating 5 small meals, spaced at regular intervals during the day
- Consuming a smaller amount of carbs during breakfast as insulin resistance is the highest at this time
- Getting the right intake of carbs during each meal
- Choosing foods that are high in fiber, but low in sugar and fat
- Drinking at least 8 glasses of water in the day
In order to check if your diet and exercise routine is working or not, your doctor may advise you to undergo gestational diabetes testing after meals, at regular intervals. In case your blood sugar levels continue to remain elevated, you need to seek immediate medical assistance in getting the problem under control. You may need to take certain medication, in case the diet does not yield the desired results.
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