When you are mothers-to-be and you are curious about the question: fruits to eat during pregnancy with gestational diabetes. You will discover a lot of helpful info on this specific topic, as well as tips, assistance, experiences, and answers for you to questions about having a baby, suitable nutrition and diet plans.
The diet for gestational diabetes is similar to the diet for common diabetes, being necessary to avoid foods that contain sugar and refined flours, such as sweets, breads, cakes, sandwiches and pasta.
However, women with gestational diabetes should be very careful because increased blood sugar can affect the development of the fetus and lead to complications such as premature delivery, pre-eclampsia and heart disease in the baby.
For this reason, if this disease is diagnosed during pregnancy, the woman should go to a nutritionist for an evaluation and indicate a nutritional plan adapted to her needs.
Food allowed
The pregnant woman should opt for foods rich in fiber, as it slows the absorption of sugars at the intestinal level, avoiding blood glucose peaks. In addition, you should also include foods low in fat, mainly saturated and trans, preferring natural foods and prepared at home.
The foods you can eat are:
- Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas;
- Fruits such as strawberries, orange, tangerine, pear, apple, kiwi, peaches, among others. Should be preferred raw, with shell and with bagasse, being able to consume 2 to 3 servings a day;
- Vegetables such as raw carrots, green beans, zucchini, aubergines, pumpkins, paprika, lettuce, tomato, arugula, onion, turnips, broccoli, among others. Like fruits, 2 to 3 servings should be consumed per day;
- Meats in general , preferably cuts that are low in fat and have no visible fat;
- Fresh fish , at least twice a week, such as salmon, hake, sardines and herring;
- Nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, Brazil nuts, cashew or cashew;
- Seeds such as pumpkin, chia, linseed, sesame and sunflower;
- Fats such as olive oil, butter, coconut oil, coconut and avocado;
- Milk and its derivatives skimmed and pasteurized white cheeses;
- Eggs .
It is important to remember that foods that provide carbohydrates are consumed moderately, being important to check the glycemic index (GI) of these foods, as those with low and moderate GI should be preferred, since they will increase blood sugar less.
What to eat in moderation
The consumption of carbohydrates is important during pregnancy because it is the main source of energy, however, they should be consumed in moderation and in adequate portions, without excesses.
The ideal is to prefer rice, pasta and whole wheat bread, oatmeal flakes, as well as flours with a higher fiber content such as coconut flour, almonds or oatmeal to make homemade preparations such as cakes, cupcakes or pancakes, for example.
It is important to emphasize that whenever a whole grain or fiber-rich food is chosen, the nutritional label must be read carefully, since some of them may contain excess sugar or fat in their composition, and must opt for those that are considered healthier.
Foods to avoid
The foods that should be avoided in the diet for gestational diabetes are those that contain sugar and white flour in their composition, such as cakes, ice cream, sweets, snacks , pizzas, cookies, cakes and white breads.
In addition, it is also important to avoid foods that contain cornstarch, also known as cornstarch, and additives such as molasses, corn syrup, and glucose syrup, which are sugar-like products. It is also necessary to avoid processed meats such as chorizo, sausage, sausages, ham and mortadella; as well as beverages that contain sugar, such as soft drinks, industrialized juices and teas with added sugar.
When to check blood glucose
During gestational diabetes, blood glucose should be measured according to the request of the endocrinologist accompanying the pregnant woman. In general, fasting blood glucose should be measured upon waking and two hours after main meals, such as lunch and dinner.
When gestational diabetes is well controlled, the doctor may request that blood glucose be measured only on alternate days, but when it is very high, it may be recommended to measure several times during the day.
Sample menu of the diet for gestational diabetes
The table below indicates an example menu of 3 days for a pregnant woman with diabetes:
1 cup of unsweetened coffee + Egg omelette with spinach + 1 slice of whole wheat toast with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and oregano
1 cup of coffee with unsweetened skim milk + 1 medium pancake (made with banana and oat flakes), spread with peanut butter and sliced strawberries
1 cup of unsweetened coffee + 2 slices of whole wheat bread with low-fat white cheese, 2 tomato slices and 1 lettuce leaf + 1 orange
1 grilled chicken fillet, accompanied by 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/2 cup of beans and a cabbage salad with carrot dressed with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and apple cider vinegar + 1 pear with shell
1 cup of unsweetened gelatin with 30 g of peanuts
1 cup of coffee with milk without sugar + 2 puffed rice cookies with homemade guacamole
The amounts included in the menu vary according to age, physical activity, weight before pregnancy, which month of pregnancy you are in and according to your blood glucose values. For this reason, the ideal is to go to a nutritionist to carry out a complete evaluation and develop a nutritional plan adapted to her needs.
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