Adapting to the gestational diabetes diet means changing 3 things to help you maintain safe blood sugars.
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What Raises Blood Sugar
Carbohydrates are the nutrient that raise blood sugar, so the changes to your diet all involve carbs. Gestational diabetes requires that you change:
- the type of carbs you eat.
- the amount of carbs you eat.
- the frequency of which you eat (the carbs).
Types of Carbs
Carbs are in almost every food you eat - some foods have a lot of carbs and some foods have a little; some have simple carbs and others have complex carbs.
Simple carbs are easy for your body to break down, so they're processed quickly. Because of this, they enter your blood stream quickly and cause your blood sugar to raise quickly. This surge of sugar in the blood is called a spike.
Complex carbs take longer for your body to break down, and they likely have a good amount of fiber. Since the breakdown process is longer, they gradually enter your bloodstream and gradually raise your blood sugar.
A list of complex carbs is in the starter guide below.
To maintain a steady blood sugar, it's important that you eat more complex carbs.
Carb Amounts for Gestational Diabetes
You'll likely have to reduce the number of carbs, but your suggested carb limits will be given to you when you meet with a dietitian.
These are common carbohydrate limits / guidelines for gestational diabetes.
| Meal | Carbs |
| Breakfast | 15g – 20g |
| Snack | 15g – 20g |
| Lunch | 30g – 45g |
| Snack | 15g – 20g |
| Dinner | 30g – 45g |
| Snack | 15g – 20g |
How often should you eat with gestational diabetes?
When you eat, you tell your blood sugar what to do. Eating every 3 to 4 hours tells your blood sugar to remain steady and in a safe range without dropping too low or spiking too high.
This is why snacks are built in between meals.
Ideally, snacks should be eaten about 3 hours after a meal, and at least 2 hours before the next meal.
Next
- Learn about exercise for gestational diabetes or
- Skip to the starter guide with printables
Full article with an in-depth look at the gestational diabetes diet.
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