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High-Risk Pregnancy
New to GD & grocery store tips?
Hi,
So up front apology, I crammed a lot into this post. My MAIN concern for the moment is grocery store, so feel free to just reply to that! Or feel free to respond to anything. I'd love anything you have time to share. THANK YOU! (in the future, would it be better to separate posts by subject? Even if it means I have like four posts in a row? New to message board ettiquite).
Clearly, I am not a big poster. I've had a lot of support from friends during my pregnancy (28 weeks), so I haven't used the boards much. But now I'm at a loss and don't know anyone with gestational diabetes. I'm also just shocked by the diagnosis. Dang pancreas not working right 
I've looked back through some of your GD posts, and I've already found them so helpful.
I just started testing/watching carbs on Friday, and I feel like I successfully made it through the weekend. I've definitely felt overwhelmed with the combo of making the right choices and feeling satisfied. I got pretty excited though when I started reading a long series of posts from some of your regular go-to meals and snacks.
I really like food We go out to eat a lot, but this is definitely an excuse to cook more, which I do love, but I HATE going to the grocery store!
So the big question: for my big trip to the grocery store later today, what are your tips? What brands are good to look for? I'd LOVE some low carb bread to sneak in for snacks. My baby is made of peanut butter and honey sandwiches. The honey's out now, but I'd love a slice of bread with PB.
I'm having a hard time with fruit. I love fruit, but it just seems so carby and hard to figure/measure. I need to work the fruit and veggies back in. I'm having a hard time getting the right balance of protein and carbs. It's easier to just scrap carbs than to get the 15 breakfast, 45 lunch and dinner, and under 15 snacks.
My diabetes educator never said anything about the balance. She just focused on the carbs, which seems weird to me the more I've read. I really don't think she was very helpful, but I also think we come from different perspectives about food. I wouldn't call myself a foodie, but ... maybe I'm an aspiring foodie?
I'd love some breakfast ideas that don't involve eggs (I'm good with eggs, just need more ideas) or fruit.
Also, any advice on avoiding fake sugar? I have totally avoided fake sugar in my pregnancy, but I've now given in to some crystal light and diet cokes. I forgot how that fake stuff is like crack! One taste and I'm hooked! It's just such a nice way to get a taste of sweetness.
So I am open to any advice, tips, recipes... ANYTHING you have to share. Thanks so much for your time.
Lauren
also, if I'm going to start posting for reals, I better get a ticker and some pics, right?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: New to GD & grocery store tips?
I'm going to try to reply to all your questions... I get a little wordy, so hopefully you can find something useful in here :P
First: Grocery store. Look for whole wheat/whole grain breads and pastas. There are quite a few types of whole wheat bread in the 15 carbs per slice range - just off the top of my head, Sara Lee is a good one. I also try to look for things made with no high fructose corn syrup, since that seems to raise my numbers. A half a peanut butter sandwich is an awesome snack, I eat it fairly often. It has carbs and protein, exactly what you need.
Re: fruit, I personally just have to stay away from it. It's hard to get a serving size of fruit right, and even when I do it shoots my numbers up. Maybe the other ladies can help you with that one.
"It's easier to just scrap carbs than to get the 15 breakfast, 45 lunch and dinner, and under 15 snacks." Scrapping carbs is NOT a good idea. It may seem like it, but going no carb can actually be bad for you and the baby. You need carbs for energy, and if your body doesn't get them it sill start burning fat/muscle for energy. This can cause weight loss and a condition called ketosis where your body produces ketones, which my dr explained as an acid in your blood. You can imagine acid in your blood is not a good thing for your baby! Eating your recommended amount of carbs, while difficult to stay in range sometimes, is very important.
Balance of foods - I always always always pair a carb with a protein. It helps your blood sugar to rise more slowly, which will avoid spikes. I also add lots of veggies to my lunch/dinner and sometimes breakfast to help fill me up.
Breakfast with no eggs - sausage, cheese, peanut butter, ham are all good protein options. I like to do a half an English muffin with a sausage patty or slice of hame and slice of cheese.
I personally don't avoid fake sugar like the plague as some pregnant women do. I just keep it in moderation. I drink diet soda once every week or two, have a pudding or yogurt with artificial sweeteners once or twice a week, and ice cream made with Splenda at least once a week. I don't feel that any of that is mass quantities of it, so I'm comfortable with it, especially when I can find things made with Splenda.
One more tip - milk/yogurt count as carbs (check the servings on yogurt, but generally 1 cup of milk is 13-15 grams) and starchy veggies also count as carbs (think potatoes, corn, peas, winter squash). It's fine (and nutritious
) to eat those things, you just have to include them in your carb counts, though most meal plans will allow a separate allowance for dairy.
And yes, a ticker is great - when you post questions it's sometimes easier to answer if we can check your ticker to see how far along you are. I don't post pictures, but that's because I don't want people from my real life finding me here
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
Hello! Ok- let me try and answer some of your questions...
Grocery store- I don't really buy one brand- I do alot of label shopping. I look for items that are lower in carb and higher in fiber. Shop for the brown flour items, not the white!
Peanut butter on bread/toast is definitely allowed. In fact, its quite a staple item in my diet. I make PBJ sandwiches occasionally using SF jelly.
I also don't worry too much about fake sugar. I try to stick to Splenda. I drink it every day in my coffee and then sometimes in other items, as well.
Breakfast ideas: I always have eggs....whether it is eggs w/ toast and meat on the side, an egg sandwich w/ cheese and meat on English muffin, etc. Sometimes I have an English muffin (whole wheat) with peanut butter or peanut butter toast. Some mornings I just have cheese toast. Greek yogurt might be an option too. I haven't tried it but it is so full of protein it will probably work.
As far as fruit, my numbers have been good this pregnancy and have been able to tolerate it. Good options are small apples w/ peanut butter on it. I have put strawberries in a salad loaded with protein. Half a banana sliced on peanut butter toast or Special K protein cereal. I use almond milk since it less in carbs.
Hope that helps some!
The diet gets easier once you find out what works for you.
For breakfast I do english muffins with peanut butter and some cinnamon sprinkled on (then I put it back in the toaster oven to melt into the p.b.). I also do low sugar instant oatmeal and breakfast sausages. Or the english muffin with cheese melted on it too.
When I shop I label read like pp said. My dietitian gave me a business sized card with carb grams/carb servings that I bring. For snacks she told me nabisco 100 calorie snacks are good. Cheeze its are good, wheat thins...I like wheat thins with fresh salsa and a cheese stick for a snack. I like wheat thins and triscuits because they come with seasoning and make them more tasty....my favorites are wheat thins with parmesan and basil and rosemary triscuits.
I also try to add a glass of milk for protein to an afternoon snack and dinner. Some people's numbers spike with a lot of milk but mine seem to be ok. I can't have milk or fruit before lunch though. Cheese sticks are good to have for a protein as well with snacks or if you are just hungry. Also almonds are good to have on hand. I will eat these if I am hungry between meals or snacks.
I get a serving or two of fruit per day. My dietitian gave me a book of fruits and their serving sizes that equal a carb.
For dinner I find brown rice works very well for my numbers...I get the the brown minute rice kind. I always make more so I have leftovers for a go to.
Ok I think I rambled. That's what I find works for me. Good luck!
Grocery store - I usually just go with the usual meats, cheeses, and veggies first. I don't eat a lot of starchy vegetables, I stick with the lower carb veggies and load up on them. i eat a lot of mexican food - fajitas, taco salads, burrito bowls, etc. I usually have refried beans as my carb and for now, white rice (cilantro lime rice- yum!) doesn't raise my numbers if I limit it to a reasonable portion. I go with wheat bread over white.
Fake sugar - I just can't quit diet pepsi. I limit it to only when I eat (and I don't even have a full can), and chug water the rest of the day. I just can't drink water while eating. I need something with flavor to wash down my food.
Breakfast - I really can't help you there. I always eat eggs (omelettes, scrambled, etc.) Carbs in the morning really affect my numbers. I can eat way more carbs in the afternoon and evening.
Fruit - I don't eat a ton of fruit. I'll have an apple or a clementine as a snack, but I always pair it with a protein, mostly almonds (can't stand peanut butter).
Low/No Carbs - I think a lot of women automatically go to this type of diet at first. I did before getting my actual diet. You do have to have some carbs. Although, both the dietician I saw and my endo weren't all that worried about my diet (because i was getting some carbs. I think it is really hard to go strictly no carb). Actualaly looking at my diet, I realized that I was getting around 20g of carbs per meal, except breakfast. Ive just started to incorporate more carbs into my diet as it is a learning process to see what will affect my blood sugar. I always eat my allowed # of carbs for snacks (20g) though.
Here are some things that work for me, but, as you can probably tell, you need to do experimenting to find out how your body reacts, because everyone is different.
Peanut butter happens to be one of my go-to proteins. It's good on toasted Nature's Own 100% whole wheat bread (1 slice only). I also put it on a banana or 1/2 an apple for snacks. I've found that an entire apple normally isn't good for me, but I can eat an entire banana. I eat peanut butter with pretzel sticks for a snack sometimes, too. Also, I like chunky peanut butter on the side with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream (regular as low fat normally has more carbs). This is a snack that I only have in the evening.
I've also discovered that I should never drink more than 8 oz of milk at a time as that seems to shoot my numbers up, but I do work on getting 3 servings of milk a day.
Also, I'll eat cottage cheese with tomatoes or with some fruit as a snack. No low-fat cottage cheese, though.
For my chocolate cravings, I eat the Jell-O chocolate mousse cups. Again, I only eat these in the evening for a snack.
I really like tacos, but I have quit using soft shells since they are flour-based and, instead, use hard corn shells.
Nuts and cheese are a great snack for me. I like peanuts best and can tend to eat more of those without a spike, but I have to limit cashews. Popcorn is a good snack for me, too.
My numbers seems to stay under control as long as I make sure that I always pair a protein with a fruit or carb. The combination seems to be much more important than the super-small serving sizes that my educator recommended. I told the doctor that I was eating larger portion sizes than the educator recommended and she told me that was fine as long as my numbers stay under control.
I've become an avid food-label reader, too, which helps a lot!
Thanks so much! And rambling/babbling/too much info is always fine with me
I'm excited to try some almond milk. If I could sneak in a small bowl of protein cereal sometime during the day I would be ecstatic. I'm totally on board with almonds. I had some with some vanilla ice cream last night and I was surprised how good it was.
My ketones have gotten higher every day since Friday, though they're still in the moderate range. My educator definitely did NOT explain this well. Thanks for sharing your info.
I definitely haven't been getting enough carbs, so I've gotta work on that.
Thanks for all your responses! I'm sure I'll have more questions soon.
My ketones were moderate as well, so my dietitian had me up my carb intake at my bedtime snack. I have to eat about 45 grams of carbs before bed to keep my ketones negative/trace (I usually split that up to 8 oz milk and 30 grams of starchy carbs, though sometimes I just go for 45 carbs worth of ice cream :P)
Also, water, water, water!! Staying as hydrated as possible, to the point where you think you can't possibly drink any more, will keep those ketones down, too. It is also great for your blood sugar, though it will send you running for the bathroom all day
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
The best diet to follow is a low glycemic index.
All carbs are not created equal. You can eat say 20g of a sweet potato that has a low GI or 20g of white rice with a high GI. Even though the carb count is the same, the high GI food will spike your BS more than the low GI food.
Here is a website with more info to get you started :https://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm
Eating foods combined with fat and protein is key. Eating straight carbs can also lead to BS spikes.
I didn't read everyone's posts, but here are my 2 cents for the grocery store and food choices:
I live on PB sandwiches for lunch, since I am not a huge meat eater, but have had to give in to eating poultry/fish for dinners, to get the right amount of protein. Also, someone on here shared that they use South Beach bars as snacks, and that's been a good go to snack for me that makes me not feel like I'm on a more restrictive diet. As far as fruits, I've found I do well with berries- 1 cup of strawberries or 1 cup of raspberries, but do awful with apples and peanut butter (which I absolutely love). I will sometimes have a small organic apple with peanut butter, but only if my numbers have been good that day. I also don't do well with half of a banana, so berries are pretty much how I get my fruit. Make sure you always combine a carb with a protein (i.e. berries and nuts or berries and a string cheese, etc).
Also, everyone's different- I know I can't have anything but whole grains, which is how I usually ate, and that eating out can really throw off my numbers. Experiment with different snacks and food choices and you'll be able to find out what works for you and your numbers!
Thanks guys!
It's easy to feel paralyzed at first and freaked out about what to eat. All your little suggestions helped me to calm down and make some choices that sound good. And you reminded me to just keep it simple.
Of course, I went to the grocery store and got overly excited and bought and spent wayyyyy too much.
My go to breakfast item, a chocolate carnation instant breakfast shake with splenda that i make with skim milk. I'm usually on the go and it's perfect on the carbs. Don't look at the vanilla option - too high. Special K Protein Plus is also one of the best carb controlled cereals out there that tastes good. I have a LO already so I go for the quick fix - need to move while getting him out the door. Pancakes or waffles that can be done in the toaster.
Like PP said, scrapping carbs is not a good idea. You need them to fuel your body and with a little management, you can have great glucose mangement all day and feel more energized all day.
The best thing I do is plan all my meals out a week in advance and then go to the store. I use a website called dlife.com and make some of their recipes. Tonight I'm having pork tenderloin with zucchini and roasted potatoes for dinner. Tomorrow is steak tips, green beans and pasta salad.
You gals have ice cream???? What kind of ice cream? Isn't that the devil??
The worst part for me, other than pinching my fingers all the time and getting blood everywhere, is that I find that I have to force myself to eat carbs!! I used to eat a lot of fruit and chocolate, so now that that's out, I have to eat crackers and bread, and milk products, and starches, and I just don't want it!! But I trust what some of you have said about how important it is to not cut carbs off my diet... I just hope my weight does not blow out of proportion.
Oh, and by the way, I found sugar-free, low carb chocolate at Trader Joes. Only 6gr of carbs per serving
It's by the registers next to all the other chocolates, and I swear it tastes delicious. I also get their sugar-free chocolate puddings, the multigrain fiber bread (super good), and almond butter instead of peanut butter because I don't like it.
Your weight should be fine on the diet - it's designed so you're getting enough carbs without overeating them. Many women find their weight gain levels off, or they even lose weight (I'm down 9 lbs since starting the diet).
I have ice cream topped with melted peanut butter at least once a week, it's my sanity saver since I had to give up fruit and cereal in the morning
The one that is best for me is Breyers CarbSmart Vanilla (made w/ Splenda) - 13 grams of carbs per half cup serving. I have tried the Edy's Vanilla w/ Splenda as well, but found that one to be grainy, where the CarbSmart is creamy. I also looooove CarbSmart fudge bars - 9 grams of carbs per bar.
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011