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Diet plan for gestational diabetes

This post is in continuation to the overview of gestational diabetes (GDM) published few days ago.  Click here to read the overview post. It has most of your questions covered regarding gestational diabetes.

In the previous post you would have read that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in my second trimester. My nutritionist put me on a diet plan with low glycemic food and suggested to walk for at least half an hour, twice a day. I tried multiple meal combinations for the first week, to arrive at the right diet to limit glucose release into blood after every meal. Primary change I tried is to replace rice; I tried brown rice, millets, quinoa, rotis as an alternate for rice - amongst these brown rice and millets shot up my blood glucose, so I had to stick to quinoa or rotis for lunch and dinner. 

Below is the diet plan I followed till the end of my pregnancy. This is just for illustration purpose and should not be considered as my recommendation. Consult your doctor/ nutritionist to arrive at the meal plan that best suits you. 

Another important factor to consider is timing your food intake. Ensure to eat on time and don't skip break fast and your mid meal snacks. Otherwise you might end up eating more during your lunch and dinner, leading to sudden release of high blood sugar levels. Also don't stress over GDM. As I said, you are not the first person and GDM has become a quite common phenomenon these days. All you can do is follow healthy lifestyle and diet to control it to the extent possible.

In addition to the diet chart, I followed a home remedy to control blood sugar which was suggested by one of my relatives with type 2 diabetes. Fenugreek has fiber and other chemicals that helps to slow down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and sugar by the body, there lowers blood sugar levels. So I used to soak a cup of fenugreek seeds for 8 hours in water and allow it to sprout for 48hrs in an air-tight container. I eat a tablespoon of the fenugreek sprouts, 15-20mins before each major meal (break fast, lunch and dinner). This seemed to reduce my glucose levels to an extent. What worked for me might not work for you. Also, if you take fenugreek when your glucose levels are normal or less, it might cause a dip in your glucose levels and lead to other complications. So please do not follow this if you are not diabetic and not approved by your doctor.

Diet Chart:

Breakfast: 7.30am to 8am

  • Carbs: 2 serving
  • Milk: 1 serving
  • Protein: 1 serving 
  • Fat: 1-2 serving

Mid-morning Snack: 10.15am to 10.45am

  • Milk: 1 serving
  • Fruit: 1 serving
Lunch: 12.30am

  • Carbs: 2 serving
  • Protein: 2-3 serving
  • Fat: 1-2 serving
  • Vegetables: Any amount
Evening Snack: 3pm to 5pm

  • Fruit: 1 serving
  • Milk: 1 serving
  • Carbs: 0-1 serving (take only if you are hungry beyond having fruit and milk)
Dinner: 7pm to 7.30pm

  • Carbs: 2 serving
  • Protein: 2-3 serving
  • Fat: 1-2 serving
  • Vegetables: Any amount
Before Bed: 9.30pm to 10pm

  • Milk: 1 serving
  • Fruit: 0-1 serving

I am listing down few examples for each food category. Read these as equivalent to 1 serving.

Carbs: 1 multi-grain or brown bread slice, 1 tortilla, 1 idli, 1 dosa, 1 pulka/ chapathi, 1 roti (bajra, corn, jowar), 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup flaked bran cereal (unsweetened), 1/2 vermicelli, 1/2 cup noodles, 1 cup poha, 1 cup soup, 1/2 cup pasta, 1/2 quinoa, 1/2 cup upma, 1/3 cup rice (white or brown)

Protein: 1/4 cup fish, 1/4 cup meat, 1 egg, 1/4 cup paneer or tofu, 1/3 cup cooked dal, 1/3 cup beans,  1/4 cup cheese, 2 tbsp peanut butter

Fat: 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp ghee, 10 peanuts, 6 almonds, 2 walnuts, 2 tbsp shredded coconut, 1 tbsp seeds (pumpkin, melon, sunflower, sesame), 1/4 medium avocado

Milk: 1 cup milk, 1 cup butter milk, 1 cup curd (unsweetened yogurt), 1 cup masala tea (all are low fat versions) 

Vegetables: Beans, bottle guard, ladies finger (okra), peas, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, drumsticks, brinjal (eggplant), bitter guard, radish, ridge guard, onions, tomatoes, methi (fenugreek leaves), spinach, drumsticks leaves (moringa), lettuce, kale, celery, mushrooms, capsicum, turnips, broccoli, brussels  sprouts, zucchini, carrots (limited amount)

Fruit: 1 cup melon, 10-12 large grapes, 12-15 small grapes, 3/4 cup pineapple, 1 guava, 1 cup papaya, 1/2 pomegranate, 1 orange, 1 apple, 1 pears

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