Sample daily menu for GD?

imagine7696030614

Hello, New here. I am 21 weeks today and failed my 1 hour glucose test on Thursday 179 after fasting) and am awaiting the results of my 3 hour glucose tolerance test I took yesterday. Regardless of my results I think I'd like to follow a diet formulated for GD. I strongly suspect that I've had undiagnosed GD in my past pregnancy (this is my 4th...always gain around 60 lbs each pg, one of my babies was 9 lbs 15 oz, and I've already gained about 16 lbs so far)....I've searched online but can't seem to find a specific meal plan tailored toward women with GD. Would anyone know of such a website? Thanks in advance!

imagine7696030614

Also should mention I'm over 35 and have hypothyroidism so I just feel like there's so much going against me this pregnancy and would like to try and get a lot better with my diet. Thanks again!

ksspiff

After a positive GD diagnosis, docs usually set up appts with a nutritionists/councilor. From what we've shared over on out monthly board, there's no set diet, but we all follow similar rules: 1) carb counting of fruit, milk/yogurt, grains/breads, and starchy veg (which includes beans, corn, sweet potatoes). 2) load up I lean protein (which includes cheeses) 3) load up more in non starchy veg 4) 15g is 1 carb count

My recommended diet is 2 counts for breakfast, 3 counts for lunch and for dinner, 2 counts for morning and for afternoon snack, then 1 more count for late night snack or it can be added to dinner.

There was emphasis on always eating a protein with a meal or snack to help level out the release of blood sugar.

KTZ17

Hello, lurking and thought I could tell you a bit of what worked for me. For me I couldn't eat really any carbs in the morning, so for breakfast I had 2 mini frittatas (I made them in muffin tins and just reheated them every day) with two turkey sausage links or turkey bacon, then about 1.5-2 hours later for a morning snack i'd have a granola bar that had a lot of protein and low carbs (like 9 grams protein), then for lunch I'd have a big salad with lots of veggies and chicken with oil & vinegar or egg salad or chicken salad on light whole wheat bread, then another snack, usually cheese and half an apple or cottage cheese with berries or plain yogurt with berries, and then for dinner I'd have a protein, lots of veggies, and a small serving of sweet potatoes or brown rice. I also figured out that if I ate it immediately after dinner, I could have a Greek frozen yogurt bar. And for a snack before bed I'd usually have some whole wheat crackers with natural peanut butter (no sugar added). Best of luck to you!

MrsL2B

I'd imagine that a dietician would probably suggest counting either carbohydrate grams or exchanges/servings, with a set amount at each meal and a little less for each snack. When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, my dietician suggested (based on my smaller size) that I stick to 30g of carbs at each meal and keep my snacks around 15g. But based on the testing I do with my meter, I find that I can eat more in the morning than I can at lunch and dinner.

I think the main difference in the guidelines for managing diabetes when pregnant is that you're advised to keep your blood sugar lower than what they advise when you're not pregnant.

MamaPharmD

Copying and pasting my response to a previous thread:

If diagnosed with GD, a nutritionist will probably talk to you about carb counting and give you a breakdown of how many carb servings you should eat per meal and snack. Until then, you could eat using the plate method. It's a simple way to eat healthy that isn't even limited to those with diabetes. Here are a few sites with more info on it:

https://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/create-your-plate/

https://www.learningaboutdiabetes.org/downloads/PlateMethodENc.pdf

https://www.med.unc.edu/im/files/patient-education-handouts/nutrition-and-diet-files/Plate%20Method%20(English).pdf

The Food & Fitness section of the American Diabetes Association website has a lot of info on what to eat if you want to do more research.

missmiss307

There's a ton of wiggle room in the GD diet, which is part of why it's so hard to find a sample menu online, I think. If you follow the carb suggestions posted above and focus on getting lots of fresh fruit and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains in appropriate serving sizes, you will most likely be on the right track. I would just talk to your doctor about it, and if you are GD+, follow up with the recommended specialists.