Download Diet for gestational diabetes

HEALTHY EATING FOR GESTATIONAL DIABETES
When you have gestational diabetes it is important to manage your diet. This will help you to control your blood glucose
levels.
Here are some important points to follow:
1. All carbohydrate foods turn to glucose when your body digests them. The more carbohydrate you eat at one time,
the higher your blood glucose level will rise.
Carbohydrates include starchy foods such as bread, cereals, flour products i.e. biscuits as well as some vegetables
such as potato, corn and legumes i.e. peas, baked beans, lentils. They also are in foods with natural sugars such as
fruit, milk and yoghurt and lastly added sugars such as lollies, sugar, honey, jam, cordial and soft drinks.
2. Eating smaller meals and snacks regularly will help keep your glucose levels more stable. You should wait 2.5-3hrs
after your meal before you have a snack. Likewise do not have a snack too close to your next meal (leave at least
1.5 hours).
3. Do not skip meals or try to avoid carbohydrate foods- this will usually mean you will end up very hungry and often
would eat more than you usually would at your next meal and generally leads to more unstable blood glucose levels.
It is also unhealthy for you and your baby if you eat too little carbohydrate as your baby is relying on a certain amount
of glucose energy from you.
4. Eat more vegetables. Salad and other cooked non-starchy vegetables give you lots of vitamins, minerals and fibrebut very little carbohydrate. Include them at your meals and snacks, or eat them as an extra whenever you are
hungry!
5. Protein foods don’t turn into glucose and help you to feel full. You can include protein foods (meat, chicken, fish,
seafood, eggs, cheese, nuts + nut butters, seeds and tofu) in sensible amounts at meals and snacks or occasionally
as an extra. They will not cause your glucose level to rise.
6. Watch your fats! It is important not to gain too much weight in your pregnancy. Eating too much fat makes it easy to
gain excess weight. Reduce added fats such as oil and margarine, choose low fat dairy products, choose lean meats
and avoid fried foods and high fat snack foods and take-aways. Fat doesn’t directly raise your glucose levels but can
make it harder for your insulin to work if you eat high fat foods.
www.gestationaldiabetesrecipes.com
SUGGESTED MEAL PLAN FOR DIABETES
Breakfast:
1 cup egg noodles
with meat/fish and veges
OR
1-2 wholegrain toast with
peanut butter or cheese or egg
+ 1 glass low fat milk/soy milk
1 serve of fruit
± 2 plain biscuits
OR
1 crunchy muesli bar
± Diet or plain yoghurt
OR
1 cup (cooked) rice or
1 ½ cups (cooked) noodles or
8-10 Dumplings (+/- soup broth)
+ serve of meat/fish/chicken
+ vegetables
Mid Morning:
Lunch: Sandwich or crusty grain roll
with lean meat, chicken, fish, cheese
filling + salad vegetables
+ 1 small piece of fruit
Mid Afternoon:
1 serve of fruit
+ Handful of nuts/piece of cheese
OR
4 Vita-weats + cheese
± 1 serve fruit
Dinner:
Piece lean meat, chicken or fish
OR
+ 1 medium potato
or large corn cob
+ large serve vegetables or salad
1 cup (cooked) rice or
1 ½ cups (cooked) noodles or
8-10 Dumplings (+/- soup broth)
+ serve of meat/fish/chicken
+ vegetables
Supper:
Glass low fat milk or calcium rich soy milk or a small serve calcium rich ice-cream/custard OR 1 fruit
OR 1 slice raisin toast OR 2 plain biscuits
*Carbohydrate containing foods in bold
EXTRAS:
Allowed
Non-starchy vegetables
Protein foods i.e. meat/cheese/egg
Clear soups i.e. broth, Miso
Diet soft drinks/cordials /jellies
Water, soda water, mineral water
Tea, coffee, herb teas
Garlic, chilli, curry, spices, herbs
Fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato paste
Vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustards, mayonnaise
Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame (951), Sucralose (955),
Saccharin (954), Cyclamate (952)
Dietitian: Natasha Leader
Avoid
Sugar, honey, jam, syrup, Nutella
Fruit juice, soft drinks, cordial
Lollies and chocolates
Cakes and slices including banana bread
Pastries, donuts, croissants
Sweet desserts i.e. redbean, mooncake
White breads including Turkish bread
Jasmine rice and steamed buns
Fast food i.e. McDonalds & KFC
Creamy pastas and fried foods
Telephone: 9382 6544
2013