Before thinking about your gestational diabetes meal plan you should know that this condition is a special kind of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy and that increases the risks of complications. The goal of the meal plan is to make sure that your blood sugar levels remain within the normal ranges.
Carbs as part of the meal plan for gestational diabetes
The carb content of foods increases the blood sugar levels. This means that if you eat foods high in carbohydrates, the blood sugar levels will surge. The foods rich in this include grains, breads, starchy vegetables, fruits, yogurt and milk. The best thing you could do is to limit the carbs intake to 45 g at each meal and to 30 g in case of snacks.
In order to count the carbs of the gestational diabetes diet plan you should rely on the labels of foods. In order to achieve balance you should include in your meals vegetables and meats that don’t come with any carbohydrates. Consider taking a look at the exchange meal plan as well.
Breakfast
When preparing your breakfast, think about your gestational diabetes meal plan and make sure that you have some whole grains. This way you will have a healthy fiber intake. This slows down the digestion of food and it makes it easier for you to control the blood sugar levels. Have some wholegrain toast, milk and margarine.
Morning snack
If you are thinking about your diet plan for gestational diabetes you have to make sure that you have enough calcium. This is why you should have 3-4 cup of yogurt or milk on a daily basis. As a snack you might have some sugar free and non-fat yogurt and a smaller apple.
Lunch
The best lunch for your gestational diabetes meal plan is to have a turkey sandwich with some deli turkey meat, whole wheat bread, some mayonnaise, a cup of milk, a cup of baby carrots and some ranch dressing. To be able to maintain your blood sugar levels, you should have something to eat every 3 hours.
Afternoon snack
Your gestational diabetes nutrition plan should also come with an afternoon snack. In this case you could be thinking about some whole grain crackers with a bit of peanut butter and some sugar free yogurt. During the day it is very important for you to stay hydrated, so you should drink plenty of water.
Evening snack
In order to maintain your blood sugar levels while you are sleeping, you should have an evening snack as well as part of your gestational diabetes meal plan. In order to slow down digestion you should have some meat or fat with this snack. Think about a whole meat English muffin with some cheese.
In case you are looking for a meal plan for gestational diabetes you should make sure that your diet is balanced and that you have a little of everything to have all the vitamins and nutrients.
Now you know more about the gestational diabetes meal plan.
