Gestational diabetes - meals

[dg93]

Hi, I've just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I don't see the hospital until next Tuesday, so in the meantime can you tell me what I should/shouldn't be eating. Did they tell you how many grams of sugars/carbs per snack/meals?

I'd like to get on top of it sooner rather than later...

I've been on the nhs website and downloaded all the documents I can find but it's not too helpful!

Thanks in advance! X

Hi, I'm probably on week 6 or so having GD. Have you joined the Facebook group Gestational Diabetes UK? It's linked with the website too, you'll find better information there. I'm still learning and occasionally ill have a meal that I think would be fine but it's not, or sometimes you can have a meal that works one day then the next it doesn't. So it's definitely about watching the sugar intake and the sugar from carbohydrates. You want the smallest amount possible. It's good to pair the carbs with protein and fat...it can even it out. Cheese is good (babybel) Peperami, chicken, eggs. Breakfast for me this morning was one slice of brown seeded bread, scrambled eggs (full fat milk) bacon and mushrooms. Dinner last night I had 2 sausages ( they do have carbs in ) small amount of mashed potato with cheese, carrots and gravy. Definitely join the fb group, it talks about pairing foods and has all the links you can need. They're super helpful.

Have a look at the gestational diabetes UK website. It's got loads of great recipes etc

Basically aim for a keto diet! Lots of recipes about if search for that instead. The goal is to have as few carbs as you can.

If you're on Facebook join the gestational diabetes UK private group. They are fantastic. General rule of thumb is low sugar, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates in moderation, that should keep your levels on an even keel xx

@Juno231

Basically aim for a keto diet! Lots of recipes about if search for that instead. The goal is to have as few carbs as you can.

High fat is good as it pairs with the carbs you eat but I think keto is too far and not advisable in pregnancy as it can cause you to have ketones in your urine. You need complex carbs like wholemeal bread, brown rice and the like and pair it with healthy fats like peanut butter etc x

They won't be able to give you a specific number as everyone tolerates carbs differently. You'll get a better idea when you start testing sugars and can see what foods cause spikes.

Keto/low GI recipes are prolific online and you can find some really good substitutions.

As above PP said, pair carbs with protein, eat plenty of good fats like olive oils, real butter, avocado, nuts. They're filling and won't spike your sugar levels.

Things like :

• boiled egg with asparagus spears for dipping
• Scrambled/fried egg on a slice of rye bread (the darker, more grained the bread the better)
• Fry up with everything except the bread and hash brown, double up on mushrooms
• Substitute cauliflower rice if you like it, if not then have green beans/courgette/broccoli/asparagus/baby corn etc instead of pasta, chips or rice as a side
• quick warm salad for lunch of green veg steamed for 3 mins in the microwave, add a knob of real butter, some sliced cold meat/egg/cheese, and seasoning.
• sweet potato instead of white potato also works well.

Be very very careful of 'low fat' options they often bump up the sugar, my worst reading ever was after a muller light.

It's all about pairing carbs with protein and good fats - on a single seeded toast I would have whole avocado with lots of cheese.

@Juno231

Basically aim for a keto diet! Lots of recipes about if search for that instead. The goal is to have as few carbs as you can.

This advice is incorrect and should be avoided. You should not cut out carbs completely as you do not want to go into "ketosis". I have GD and the best resource is the Gestational Diabetes UK website. It explains about carbs and food pairing (eating carbs with high fat / high protein foods) so it reduces the chance of blood sugars spiking. As soon as I was diagnosed I read this website and followed the rules and my blood sugars were fine (apart from the fasting glucose ones which you have very little control over!). Don't cut out carbs completely. You need carbs with every meal but smaller amounts and brown bread / rice etc rather than processed white breads etc.

Yes to food pairings, lots of healthy fats and proteins with carbs. So on seeded wholemeal toast, have lots of peanut butter, or avocado and an egg. Have lots of plain Greek full fat yoghurt, with berries (these are a higher fibre fruit so tolerated better) with walnuts and pecans and chia seeds.

Baked Camembert, even with a few slices wholemeal baguette, and chopped veg is my fave treat atm - going to get so fat even tho I've cut out the sugar 😂

Beans chickpeas and lentils are great semi protein and semi carb foods - have had to learn to make Thai and Malaysian curries etc but now have some great new recipes and they're actually delicious. So will be keeping these healthy foods up after to get back in shape

Oh and yes, as a PP said, do NOT cut out carbs. I was still eating carbs, but too few, and got ketones in my urine which is dangerous for the baby apparently. Make sure to include some wholemeal carbs at every meal, and drink lots of water.