Gestational diabetes and food ideas

[Kiddo123]

Hi, I'm 37 weeks pregnant and got diagnosed with GD around 34 weeks. I've seen a diabetic midwife a few times and a dietitian, and I take my blood sugars 4 times a day. I'm really struggling with breakfast though, as whatever I have seems to send my readings through the roof.

Before diagnosis, I would eat these sort of things:
*Muesli Greek yoghurt and berries
*Cereal (cornflakes, shredded wheat, Cheerios, ready brek) with skimmed milk
*Porridge oats made with water
*Granary or brown toast with margarine
*Cheese on granary or brown toast
*Occasionally scrambled/fried egg on toast

Nowadays I've been eating:
*Granary toast and margarine
* Ready Brek
*Shredded wheat

Each time I eat shredded wheat my sugars are sky high, but I thought this was a healthy cereal? It's the plain shredded wheat and I don't add sugar. Ready Brek seems ok, but I don't always like a hot cereal.

I'm trying to stay healthy but I really don't want to go on medication if I can avoid it. I dont drink tea/coffee/alcohol/fizzy drinks. I mostly drink water and the occasional sugar free cordial. I've cut down on snacks and tried to swap fruit for extra veggies.

Any ideas for breakfast that won't send my readings high???

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @Kiddo123 and welcome to the site

Looking at your choices, each one is carb heavy so changing to something like an omelette, eggs & bacon, plain yoghurt with blueberries, scrambled egg and leaving out the cereals/bread would be a better idea. Add some cheese on for extra flavour/taste, as fat's are an important part of your diet.

Dietdoctor.com also has some good ideas, I make a keto porridge for breakfast and add blueberries, this keeps my levels fairly stable and I stay fuller for longer on this too.

 

[Cocosilk]

My breakfast this morning was scrambled eggs with cheese, smoked salmon, avocado and sauerkraut.

Sometimes I'll have bacon, mushrooms, spinach, maybe a fried tomato.

If you can't skip bread, there's a really yummy substitute you can make with almond meal.

 

[Kiddo123]

Thanks for the replies. I think I am quite carb heavy, although I do always try to choose the brown options with rice pasta and bread. Since being pregnant, I've totally gone off most meat although I can manage a bit of fish and 'dry' meat, like a plain baked chicken breast. So I know the balance of protein/carbs has been off.

I was always thinking shredded wheat was the healthiest thing out there? But I am glad to know I can have bacon for breakfast, if my tummy can hold it! The options you have both suggested sound yummy, and there was me thinking cooked breakfast was always bad.

I cut out a lot of fat as well, thinking it was bad. But I've actually remembered the dietician telling me the body needs it. When you both make scrambled egg, do you add anything else? I've tended to make mine with just egg and maybe a bit of cheese. Do you add cream or milk, and would that help or make it worse?

I will take a look at the website you have suggested JuicyJ. And I have a look for a bread alternative like you've suggested Coco. I'm guessing this is something I'd have to bake myself or buy in a shop?

 

[Resurgam]

Sorry but all your choices are high in carbs - and choosing low fat is not a good idea - first that usually ups the carbs, but you need fat - your baby needs it for growing brain and nervous system, you need to lay down reserves for breastfeeding - assuming that you are going to do that.
I make scrambled eggs with grated cheese stirred in just at the end of cooking, with a thinly sliced tomato on the top and the plate over the top to warm it through as the cheese melts.
For breakfast I have a proper meal, with protein and fat - tuna salad for instance, or salad with eggs and cheese - even a sir fry with leftover meat or fish cold from dinner the previous day. Roasted chicken thighs with crispy skin are a favourite, done on a rack with mushrooms and other veges underneath in the tray.
Bread can be a problem, but I have found that Livlife with each, admittedly small, slice only 4 gm of carbs, but full of seeds, is a good choice. For sandwiches I put a lettuce leaf top and bottom to hold in the filling as there are holes it can escape through.

 

[Kiddo123]

Thanks for the ideas Resurgam. I don't think I've ever understood nutrition and being recently diagnosed with GD, I'm a bit overwhelmed with what I should and shouldn't eat. I admit I've eaten more carbs during pregnancy to compensate for less protein. With me not being able to tolerate meat, could I perhaps substitute with beans and pulses? Or would these be classed as carbs as well? I also went back onto full fat diary, as I realised low fat wasn't the best. So instead I just have slighter smaller portions and try to bulk up with veg.

I've made quite a few changes, but obviously not enough, so I have to try a bit harder. I'm seeing the dietician on Wednesday so I'm going to ask her for more advice and ideas.

Thanks.

 

[Resurgam]

Carbs cannot compensate for protein. Have you tried such things as Quorn - the basic stuff not processed into 'lookalike' foods as they tend to have more carbs added in.

 

[GLVS]

I also have GD (diagnosed at 15wks so a long way to go!).

For cereals I was told All Bran only and to avoid everything else. Porridge works for some but makes me spike.

Been having wholemeal toast (2 slices), 1 with peanut butter or houmous and the other just butter.

Also avocado on toast and scrambled eggs.

Only realised the other day that raspberries are fairly low in carbs for a fruit so teamed up with some natural yoghurt, pumpkin and sunflower seeds today which was nice.

I am definitely eating more fat since reducing the carbs and have never thought so much about food!!!!

 

[Kiddo123]

GLVS good luck with the rest of your pregnancy! I agree, I'm eating more fat now which is kind of hard to get my head round.

I had peanut butter on granary toast today and it gave me a good reading, so that's one for the list. For dinner I had salmon fillet, carrots, peas, corn cob and small brown rice. My reading was good after that as well. I did want some fruit but decided against because I wasn't sure which is best. But I will buy some berries tomorrow and see how they affect me. I've tried eating some plain mixed nuts whenever I eat fruit.

Resurgam, I have tried Quorn in the past and I'll be honest, it's not been my favourite. But it was the fake lookalike stuff, so I'll try the basic stuff and see how I go with that. Hopefully some of these ideas will work for me. The midwife said my blood sugar reading should be between 7-8 (not quite sure what these mean) after meals and so since I've been doing this, I think I've only gone over twice so I'm hoping tomorrow she will be ok with this. Breakfast has been a struggle but I'm gonna cut the toast and cereals and try eggs and some of the other tips. I've also tried to keep up with gentle exercise, although it is getting much much harder to move around at 38 weeks pregnant!

Thanks so much for all the help and advice.

 

[busydiabeticmum]

Hello @Kiddo123 and welcome to the site

Looking at your choices, each one is carb heavy so changing to something like an omelette, eggs & bacon, plain yoghurt with blueberries, scrambled egg and leaving out the cereals/bread would be a better idea. Add some cheese on for extra flavour/taste, as fat's are an important part of your diet.

Dietdoctor.com also has some good ideas, I make a keto porridge for breakfast and add blueberries, this keeps my levels fairly stable and I stay fuller for longer on this too.

Change milk for soya or something too as that raises me as well.

I have a cheesy omelette for breakfast and a cup of tea (with soya milk). Or I have Greek yogurt with a spoon of peanut butter and some blueberries or I make a smoothie with the yoghurt and berries and that is soooo yummy.

If I ate cereal or had toast I would need to take 20 units of insulin but with omelette I don't need to inject anything and my blood sugars are fine.

If you want to have cream have the full cream (o have that instead of bichamel sauce for cauliflower cheese)

I am 36 +4 days today but this is my 8th baby and have had gd with most of my pregnancies and glad uts nearly over as I'm on insulin and HATE needles... I find out tomorrow my induction date and am dying to eat some carbs as that is all this baby wants to eat... normally I'm a low carber.