GD ladies come in

Madelyn0713 · December 2013

What are y'all eating - especially for dinner? I'm really struggling with this, particularly sides for dinner. I love to cook and am a bit of a foodie so just a piece of meat and a roasted vegetable is going to get old super fast. I eat salads for lunch almost every day (which I've always done) so that's not a problem but it's when we have a salad for dinner, too, or just meat + vegetable for dinner that I get frustrated and bored. Tonight we had baked chicken and roasted broccoli. If I don't find some new ideas/recipes tomorrow will be like shrimp and asparagus. Or something as simple and boring.

destineedavis · December 2013

Remember it's also about portion control I'd say its ok to add a small amount of roasted potatoes, or even mashed!! It doesn't make my numbers go over.

workitmom84 · December 2013

I have a meeting tomorrow with a nutritionist and a specialist to "teach" me how to use this glucometer and so on, so hopefully they will give me some good ideas. I can't help you, yet. But I wonder how Paleo-style recipes will work for this? My H and I were doing that before I got pregnant, and there's some really good stuff in there. I'll ask tomorrow and post back!

melissandow · December 2013

Try making shepherd's pie but instead of corn, use carrots (shredded) and instead of mashed potatoes, use cauliflower. Look at paleo recipes because it's all no starches like potatoes or pasta. My husband makes meatballs and instead of using bread crumbs, uses cauliflower to help them stick together. If you want to eat that as a spaghetti, buy spaghetti squash.

JackieP1023 · December 2013

I am the opposite-many times I have problems finding carbs! Tonight, we had lemon pepper mahi mahi with stir-fry veggies. To get my carbs, I added a piece of butter bread and ice cream (low carb) for dessert. My number was super low (one of the lowest I've seen, including fasting!!) so I think my before-bed snack I'm going to splurge! I have a few pieces of candy laying around that DH won't eat-I'm thinking tonight is a perfect time!

Etroch3 · December 2013

I just found out yesterday that I have GD. I'm 29 weeks today. I am a foodie as well so this will be challenging especially this close to Christmas.
One of my best friends is a pregnancy nutrition coach and she is going to share some recipes with me. I'll share soon.

ZAngel · December 2013

You still need a certain amount of carbs with each meal. I usually do a meat and two sides for dinner. Here are a few examples of things I make for dinner

- Lemon Herb Crusted Fish, asparagus and roasted red potatoes
- Parsley & Garlic Shrimp, sauteed green beans (fresh), and whole grain pasta
- Baked Chicken salad with black beans, avocado, tomato and ranch dressing (I usually include a baked corn tortilla)
- Pizza with thin whole grain crust (choose your toppings - chicken, onion, cheese, etc)
- BLT (Bacon, Arugula, Tomato, Fried egg, light mayo, and cheese (I like mozzarella) on Nature Own's Whole Grain No Sugar bread with fresh berries (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry)
- Beef stew (carrots, onion, potato, celery and lean beef)
- Steak, black bean/corn salad, deviled egg with whole grain roll
- Ribs, coleslaw, broccoli (or broccoli and cheese soup)

queeniecrayon · December 2013

I need to start adding carbs back in. I'm on insulin to scale with lunch and dinner now so the doc told me those are my meals to eat things like potatoes. So far anything outside if chicken, veggies, eggs, or cheese has sent me sky rocketing :-/ I think I'll start experimenting a little more again

notreal2 · December 2013

Definitely add some carbs, your numbers will appreciate it you do. Quinoa is a great carb, it's both carb-y and high in protein (for a grain.) I make it the same way I would make rice. Yummy. Or some hummus, which is also a protein-y carb.

Madelyn0713 · December 2013

ZAngel said:

You still need a certain amount of carbs with each meal. I usually do a meat and two sides for dinner. Here are a few examples of things I make for dinner

- Lemon Herb Crusted Fish, asparagus and roasted red potatoes
- Parsley & Garlic Shrimp, sauteed green beans (fresh), and whole grain pasta
- Baked Chicken salad with black beans, avocado, tomato and ranch dressing (I usually include a baked corn tortilla)
- Pizza with thin whole grain crust (choose your toppings - chicken, onion, cheese, etc)
- BLT (Bacon, Arugula, Tomato, Fried egg, light mayo, and cheese (I like mozzarella) on Nature Own's Whole Grain No Sugar bread with fresh berries (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry)
- Beef stew (carrots, onion, potato, celery and lean beef)
- Steak, black bean/corn salad, deviled egg with whole grain roll
- Ribs, coleslaw, broccoli (or broccoli and cheese soup)

I guess where I'm confused is the menu you laid out sounds very similar to what we've always eaten. Usually a protein, a veggie, and a starch (sometimes two veggies). And that obviously wasn't working for me. I don't see the nutritionist until next week so I'm trying to get through until then but I'm having such a hard time because it sounds to me that what I should eat is what I was eating (except for the occasional white pasta dish).

jenniejuniper1 · December 2013

ZAngel said:

You still need a certain amount of carbs with each meal. I usually do a meat and two sides for dinner. Here are a few examples of things I make for dinner

- Lemon Herb Crusted Fish, asparagus and roasted red potatoes
- Parsley & Garlic Shrimp, sauteed green beans (fresh), and whole grain pasta
- Baked Chicken salad with black beans, avocado, tomato and ranch dressing (I usually include a baked corn tortilla)
- Pizza with thin whole grain crust (choose your toppings - chicken, onion, cheese, etc)
- BLT (Bacon, Arugula, Tomato, Fried egg, light mayo, and cheese (I like mozzarella) on Nature Own's Whole Grain No Sugar bread with fresh berries (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry)
- Beef stew (carrots, onion, potato, celery and lean beef)
- Steak, black bean/corn salad, deviled egg with whole grain roll
- Ribs, coleslaw, broccoli (or broccoli and cheese soup)

Dayum... I'm going to try each of these ideas starting with Beef Stew tonight!

I LOVE cooking, but I've been so fussy about following the meal plan - for example "2 meat/alternatives, 2 starches/grains, 1 fruit" etc that I've been making some really weird, random dinners that don't really make a lot of sense as a meal, haha!!

notreal2 · December 2013

Are you eating snacks or just meals? Because it sounds counterintuitive, but if you have snacks, you spread your carbs out and actually keep your numbers lower than if you eat them all at once at meals and then eat nothing in between.

Madelyn0713 · December 2013

notreal2 said:

Are you eating snacks or just meals? Because it sounds counterintuitive, but if you have snacks, you spread your carbs out and actually keep your numbers lower than if you eat them all at once at meals and then eat nothing in between.

I usually (prior to diagnosis) have a snack in the afternoon - a piece of fruit and cheese, raw veggies (with or without hummus), string cheese, etc.

Now I've just started adding in one additional snack after dinner (usually raw carrots).

ZAngel · December 2013

@Madelyn0713 Dinner is one meal where you have a bit more flexibility. Your carb/protein allowance is higher than what you can have for breakfast. The main thing to remember is balance your carbs with proteins and eat the right types of carbs. Try to eliminate processed sugars and bad carbs that are high on the glycemic index (for instance learning which potatoes are best - white vs. red vs. sweet). Portion control is key. You are eating smaller portions more times each day. You can have the lower/mid level glycemic fruits and carbs but make sure you are counting and measuring your portions properly. Be mindful of certain types of sauces, creams, and other items you would normal add to your meals. Choose fresh foods over processed or pre-cooked items that can be loaded with salt and sugars. The type of meat you choose makes a difference as well. Try to go towards the lean meats, chicken, seafood, etc. Checking the nutritional information on items is very important because I've found that there are times I think something will be good and it's quite the opposite.

Codypup · December 2013

Madelyn0713 said:

ZAngel said:

You still need a certain amount of carbs with each meal. I usually do a meat and two sides for dinner. Here are a few examples of things I make for dinner

- Lemon Herb Crusted Fish, asparagus and roasted red potatoes
- Parsley & Garlic Shrimp, sauteed green beans (fresh), and whole grain pasta
- Baked Chicken salad with black beans, avocado, tomato and ranch dressing (I usually include a baked corn tortilla)
- Pizza with thin whole grain crust (choose your toppings - chicken, onion, cheese, etc)
- BLT (Bacon, Arugula, Tomato, Fried egg, light mayo, and cheese (I like mozzarella) on Nature Own's Whole Grain No Sugar bread with fresh berries (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry)
- Beef stew (carrots, onion, potato, celery and lean beef)
- Steak, black bean/corn salad, deviled egg with whole grain roll
- Ribs, coleslaw, broccoli (or broccoli and cheese soup)

I guess where I'm confused is the menu you laid out sounds very similar to what we've always eaten. Usually a protein, a veggie, and a starch (sometimes two veggies). And that obviously wasn't working for me. I don't see the nutritionist until next week so I'm trying to get through until then but I'm having such a hard time because it sounds to me that what I should eat is what I was eating (except for the occasional white pasta dish).

But have you TRIED testing after eating this way? What wasn't working for you was the insanely sugary drink you had to drink for the GD test. Hopefully, that amount of sugar is unusual for your diet, which is why your numbers went wonky during the test. It also means you should steer clear of super sugary things for the rest of your pregnancy.

You very well may find that your normal diet works just fine, as long as you're combining your carbs with protein at every single meal. You also may have to make slight changes to the type of bread or pasta you use, or eat slightly smaller portions of carbs.

And again, remember that your numbers might change as time goes on, and you'll have to adjust your meals/portions accordingly.

Try a "normal" meal and see what happens! So much of this is trial and error.

Madelyn0713 · December 2013

Codypup said:

Madelyn0713 said:

ZAngel said:

You still need a certain amount of carbs with each meal. I usually do a meat and two sides for dinner. Here are a few examples of things I make for dinner

- Lemon Herb Crusted Fish, asparagus and roasted red potatoes
- Parsley & Garlic Shrimp, sauteed green beans (fresh), and whole grain pasta
- Baked Chicken salad with black beans, avocado, tomato and ranch dressing (I usually include a baked corn tortilla)
- Pizza with thin whole grain crust (choose your toppings - chicken, onion, cheese, etc)
- BLT (Bacon, Arugula, Tomato, Fried egg, light mayo, and cheese (I like mozzarella) on Nature Own's Whole Grain No Sugar bread with fresh berries (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry)
- Beef stew (carrots, onion, potato, celery and lean beef)
- Steak, black bean/corn salad, deviled egg with whole grain roll
- Ribs, coleslaw, broccoli (or broccoli and cheese soup)

I guess where I'm confused is the menu you laid out sounds very similar to what we've always eaten. Usually a protein, a veggie, and a starch (sometimes two veggies). And that obviously wasn't working for me. I don't see the nutritionist until next week so I'm trying to get through until then but I'm having such a hard time because it sounds to me that what I should eat is what I was eating (except for the occasional white pasta dish).

But have you TRIED testing after eating this way? What wasn't working for you was the insanely sugary drink you had to drink for the GD test. Hopefully, that amount of sugar is unusual for your diet, which is why your numbers went wonky during the test. It also means you should steer clear of super sugary things for the rest of your pregnancy.

No, I haven't tested. I don't get any of the supplies until I meet with the nutritionist.

I very rarely eat sugary things. Sweets and dessert aren't really my thing. My biggest weakness is stovetop popped pop corn since I prefer salty/savory over sweet.

ZAngel · December 2013

jenniejuniper1 said:

Dayum... I'm going to try each of these ideas starting with Beef Stew tonight!

I LOVE cooking, but I've been so fussy about following the meal plan - for example "2 meat/alternatives, 2 starches/grains, 1 fruit" etc that I've been making some really weird, random dinners that don't really make a lot of sense as a meal, haha!!

@jenniejuniper1 That sounds yummy! Just thought I would offer up a few tricks that I use. I never use white potato. Instead, I replace it with red potato and add some pinto beans (or kidney depending on what I have). Since I can't go really heavy with the potato and can end up hungry at the end of the meal, a small side salad does the trick. I'll have some fresh spinach leaves with hard boiled egg or cottage cheese and almonds. That fills me up and puts my numbers right where they need to be.

Codypup · December 2013

Madelyn0713 said:

Codypup said:

I guess where I'm confused is the menu you laid out sounds very similar to what we've always eaten. Usually a protein, a veggie, and a starch (sometimes two veggies). And that obviously wasn't working for me. I don't see the nutritionist until next week so I'm trying to get through until then but I'm having such a hard time because it sounds to me that what I should eat is what I was eating (except for the occasional white pasta dish).

But have you TRIED testing after eating this way? What wasn't working for you was the insanely sugary drink you had to drink for the GD test. Hopefully, that amount of sugar is unusual for your diet, which is why your numbers went wonky during the test. It also means you should steer clear of super sugary things for the rest of your pregnancy.

No, I haven't tested. I don't get any of the supplies until I meet with the nutritionist.

I very rarely eat sugary things. Sweets and dessert aren't really my thing. My biggest weakness is stovetop popped pop corn since I prefer salty/savory over sweet.

Ahh, I can't get out of the box. Sorry. I was exactly like you -- my "normal" diet was pretty much in line with the GD diet, minus granola bars and Cape Cod Potato Chips. I've found that I haven't had to change much when it comes to how I eat now, which is a huge relief!

I did swap out my normal bread for the Nature's Own low sugar, high fiber bread. I also cut out my potato chips, and I don't eat fruit in the morning anymore, because that can spike your sugars. But overall, it's not a crazy lifestyle change for me.

Try and remember that this is NOT the Atkins diet - carbs are not only okay, they're important!!! I went into this fearing the worst, and assuming that all carbs = evil. That's not the case, thank goodness.

Want a personalized experience?

GD ladies come in

Re: GD ladies come in

Choose Another Board

Search Boards