Gestational Diabetes Eating Plan from a Pregnancy Nutritionist
Yes, you can still have a healthy baby if you have gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is an extremely common pregnancy complication.
It occurs when the body struggles to metabolize insulin, leading to high blood sugar.
But the most important thing to remember about gestational diabetes is it’s easy to manage.
A diagnosis doesn’t guarantee a poor pregnancy outcome.
But it can help build awareness of insulin issues — and point you toward diet and lifestyle tools that can decrease symptoms.
Let’s talk about why you shouldn’t fear gestational diabetes from pregnancy and what you can do to manage this diagnosis.
What Is Gestational Diabetes? Understanding It from a Pregnancy Nutrition Perspective
You’re probably quite aware of the extreme outcomes associated with gestational diabetes. Whether you’re scrolling Google or flipping through pregnancy nutrition books, it’s easy to feel anxious about your blood sugar levels and how they could impact your baby.
Gestational diabetes stems from the mismanagement of blood sugar during pregnancy. If the pancreas can’t flush glucose effectively, it may hang out in the bloodstream and increase blood sugar levels.
Gestational diabetes isn’t your fault. There are a variety of factors that could increase your chances of this diagnosis — including genetics, prediabetes, toxin exposure, metabolism, and imbalanced hormones.
About ten percent of pregnant women have gestational diabetes. The important thing to remember is that gestational diabetes can be managed with the right diet and lifestyle tools. This diagnosis doesn’t guarantee any of the associated risks (like a large baby, cesarean section, excess weight gain, or insulin shots).
Gestational Diabetes Signs
There’s a standard screening for gestational diabetes that most OB-GYNs recommend. You can also check on your blood sugar levels by testing your A1C and fasting glucose in early pregnancy.
Additionally, here are some gestational diabetes signs you should watch out for:
Extreme thirst, especially at night
Frequent headaches
Rapid weight gain (unrelated to pregnancy)
Frequent urination
Cravings for carbohydrates
Blood sugar crashes
Are There Risks Associated with Gestational Diabetes?
It’s completely possible to experience gestational diabetes and a healthy pregnancy at the same time.
It’s true, there are some risks associated with gestational diabetes. But these risks are most common when gestational diabetes goes untreated. A whole-food diet, nontoxic lifestyle, gentle exercise, and frequent check-ins with your doctor should lower your risks and daily symptoms — while promoting a healthy pregnancy experience.
Alternative Testing for Gestational Diabetes
To test for gestational diabetes, the goal is to spike and then measure your blood sugar. This test can be quite uncomfortable — since high blood sugar can lead to snack cravings, low energy, and mood swings throughout the day.
To make your glucose screening more tolerable (and healthy for you and your baby), here’s what I recommend:
Plan to consume around 120-130 grams of protein per day and focus on optimizing your carb intake (don’t overdo it, but find a healthy balance). This is something you should do throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
Try to book your gestational diabetes test between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM. This ensures you get enough sleep and have time to eat well before the test begins.
Eat a breakfast extremely high in protein. For example, three eggs, two sausage links, cottage cheese, and a small slice of sourdough toast. Follow up with another high-protein snack an hour before going in for the test (Chomps meat sticks or two slices of cheese).
Get a healthier drink option. The sugary drinks provided at the doctor’s office usually contain preservatives, additives, and dyes. Find something that’s more nourishing like Fresh Test or 50-gram sugar drinks. You can also try a continuous glucose monitor instead of the standard gestational diabetes test.
Always advocate for yourself and your baby. It’s always okay to ask questions and request alternative treatment for yourself and your baby. Work with our provider to find a gestational diabetes plan that you feel good about.
My 6-Step Gestational Diabetes Eating Plan
Most pregnancy nutritionists recommend a diet with less than half of calories from carbohydrates. I recommend significantly less than this. Healthy protein, fats, and fibrous foods should make up the majority of your gestational diabetes eating plan. The way you eat matters just as much as the foods you choose.
1.) Consume an Ancestral Diet
The ancestral diet relies on nutrient-dense foods like organ meats, raw dairy, fresh produce, and ancestral grains. These foods help you meet the added nutritional needs of pregnancy — so you can grow a healthy baby while keeping your blood sugar levels in check. The ancestral diet includes very little sugar and few refined carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are consumed, they include fiber (like in produce) or protein (like ancestral grains) to minimize the blood sugar spike.
2.) Eat Your Foods in the Right Order
Fiber first, protein second, and carbohydrates third. By eating a salad or green veggies before the rest of your meal, you line your gut with fiber that can slow the blood sugar spike. At the end of your meal, carbohydrates are more appropriate and should have less impact on your blood sugar levels. You may notice you feel fuller for longer, too.
3.) Try Vinegar Before a Meal
One of your pantry staples may help you stabilize your blood sugar. According to studies, vinegar can help your cells become more sensitive to insulin. A few tablespoons of vinegar in a salad or drink can significantly lower blood sugar spikes — lessening the risks associated with gestational diabetes.
4.) Intentional Supplements for Gestational Diabetes
Combined with a healthy diet, supplements can move the needle for improved insulin metabolism. I recommend butyrate, inositol, select probiotics, mulberry leaf, and Ceylon cinnamon depending on your unique needs. Of course, you can get many of these through food, too.
5.) Check Your Micronutrient Stores
Micronutrients do play a role in how we metabolize our food, particularly carbs. Selenium, chromium, and some B vitamins promote a healthy metabolism, allowing carbs to turn into energy rather than sitting in the bloodstream. It’s worth checking on your micronutrient levels if you’re struggling with gestational diabetes — since nutrient deficiencies in pregnancy are common. You can do this with a micronutrient self-assessment or with a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) at-home test.
6.) Exercise After a Meal
Using your muscles in any way can help you metabolize insulin, keeping it out of your bloodstream. Find an exercise that’s realistic for you and your schedule: an afternoon walk, yoga session, playtime with your kids, or weightlifting. The best time to exercise is about 15–30 minutes after a meal to metabolize excess insulin.
The Most Important Thing You Should Know About Gestational Diabetes
Any diagnosis during pregnancy is scary — especially one that can impact the health of your baby. But let me reassure you that gestational diabetes is manageable, common, and doesn’t guarantee pregnancy complications.
Your job isn’t to stress over gestational diabetes or blame yourself for it. Your job is to manage it to the best of your ability with tools like a gestational diabetes eating plan, gentle exercise, and targeted supplements.
Looking for More Support?
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About the Author:
Katie Braswell is a holistic nutritionist focused on optimizing women’s health at all stages of pregnancy and motherhood. She believes women’s health recommendations are drastically behind the times and has made it her mission to change that — using real food and ancestral methods that help women regain vibrancy and wellness. Her continued education has led her to graduate from the Lily Nichols Prenatal Nutrition Institute and the Fertility Academy.