Gestational Diabetes Diet 4
Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol
The tip of the Diabetes Food Pyramid contains fats, sweets, and alcohol. Limit the amounts of fats and sweets you eat. They have calories, but not much nutrition. Some contain saturated fats and cholesterol that increase your risk of heart disease. Limiting these foods will help you lose weight and keep your blood glucose and blood fats under control.
Alcohol should not be consumed during pregnancy.
Examples of fats that may be part of a gestational diabetes diet include:
* Salad dressing
* Oil
* Butter
* Margarine
* Avocado
* Olives.
Examples of sweets include:
* Regular soda
* Ice cream
* Cake
* Cookies
* Pie
* Candy.
Fats and Sweets Serving Size
What If I Have a Sweet Tooth?
It’s okay to have sweets once in a while as part of your diet. Try having:
* Sugar-free popsicles
* Diet soda
* Fat-free ice cream or frozen yogurt
* Sugar-free hot cocoa mix.
Other tips:
* Share desserts in restaurants.
* Order small or child-size servings of ice cream or frozen yogurt.
* Divide homemade desserts into small servings and wrap each individually. Freeze extra servings.
* Don’t keep dishes of candy in the house or at work.
Remember, fat-free and low-sugar foods still have calories. Talk with your diabetes educator about how to fit sweets into your meal plan.
Blood Glucose Levels
You may be asking, “So what should be my target blood glucose level?” For most people, target blood glucose levels should be:
* Before meals — 90 to 130
* 1 to 2 hours after the start of a meal — less than 180.
To keep you blood glucose at a healthy level:
* Eat about the same amount of food each day
* Do not skip meals or snacks
* Take your medicines at the same times each day
* Exercise at about the same times each day
* Eat your meals and snacks at about the same times each day.
Eating the same amount at the same time each day is important. This is because your blood glucose goes up after you eat. If you eat a big lunch one day and a small lunch the next day, your blood glucose levels will change too much.
Also, keep your blood glucose at a healthy level by eating about the same amount of carbohydrate foods at about the same times each day. Carbohydrate foods (also called carbs) provide glucose for energy. Examples of carbohydrate foods include:
* Starches
* Milk
* Fruits
* Starchy vegetables (such as corn)
* Sweets.
Measuring Food
To ensure your food servings are the right size for your diet, use:
* Measuring cups
* A food scale
* Measuring spoons.
The Nutrition Facts label on food packages tells you how much of that food is in one serving.
Weigh or measure foods to make sure you eat the right amounts.
These tips will help you choose the right serving sizes as part of your diet:
* Measure a serving size of dry cereal or hot cereal, pasta, or rice and pour it into a bowl or plate. Use that same bowl or plate the next time you eat that food, and fill it to the same level.
* For one serving of milk, measure 1 cup and pour it into a glass. See how high it fills the glass. Always drink milk out of that size glass.
* Meat weighs more before it’s cooked. For example, 4 ounces of raw meat will weigh about 3 ounces after cooking. For meat with a bone — like a pork chop or chicken leg — cook 5 ounces raw to get 3 ounces cooked.
* One serving of meat or meat substitute is about the size and thickness of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards.
* A small fist is equal to about 1/2 cup of fruit, vegetables, or starches like rice.
* A small fist is equal to 1 small piece of fresh fruit.
* A thumb is equal to about 1 ounce of meat or cheese.
* The tip of a thumb is equal to about 1 teaspoon.
Summary
Here are key points to remember about maintaining a healthy diet for gestational diabetes:
* For someone on this diet, what, when, and how much you eat all affect your blood glucose level.
* You can keep your blood glucose at a healthy level if you:
– Eat about the same amount of food each day.
– Eat at about the same times each day.
– Take your medicines (if applicable) at the same times each day.
– Exercise at the same times each day.
* Every day, choose foods from these food groups: starches, vegetables, fruit, meat and meat substitutes, and milk and yogurt. How much of each depends on how many calories you need a day.
* Limit the amounts of fats and sweets you eat each day as part of your diet.
* Eat a healthy diet or follow a meal plan for the duration of your pregnancy to improve your health and to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. If you need to make changes to your diet or meal plan to keep your glucose level in the healthy range, your healthcare provider will help.
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