Best Snacks for Gestational Diabetes: Gestational diabetes known as the state of high blood sugar occurring in pregnancy, gestational diabetes occurs because of insulin changes. It is a hormone in the body that absorbs glucose to generate the required energy. When a woman gets pregnant, her body starts resisting insulin to provide more power to the baby in the womb. It is not a disease that cannot be tackled. Women can manage gestational diabetes with the help of a particular diet plan and regular exercise.
The pregnant woman needs to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Taking note of what to have and what not, the person with gestational diabetes is required to eat a perfect blend of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. All you have to do is pay attention to the portion taken daily and not overeat. In this regard, taking help from a qualified dietitian is the best bet.
Best Snacks for Gestational Diabetes
It is essential to get snacks when it comes to eating healthily and adequately to maintain the level of gestational diabetes. Of course, eating snacks does not mean that you can taste anything. One thing to remember is that irregular eating habits during pregnancy can lead to a problem with the baby.
If the level of gestational diabetes increases, there are chances that the baby might be a premature case, or you might get proper diabetes in the long run. Some of the snacks to be taken care of for keeping away gestation diabetes are:
Avocado
People with gestational diabetes can snack on avocado because it has high fiber and monosaturated fatty acids. The purpose of eating avocado is to maintain the blood sugar levels as they will not spike after the meal. One thing to check about avocadoes is high in calories, requiring a person to have one-fourth or half of the avocado in one day.
Almonds
Being a nutritionist, it has a lot of vitamins and minerals that make it a great choice as a gestational diabetes snack. Even research has shown that almonds are adept at controlling blood sugar levels. Healthy fats, proteins, and fibers can reduce blood sugar levels. But, you are intended to prevent its consumption as almonds are high in calories.
Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are known to be the best protein source, making them a healthy choice to consume. Along with this, it is a perfect snack to eat for people having gestational diabetes. The best thing about these eggs is that they help control blood sugar levels and improve health. They also promote the feeling of fullness that restricts you from eating without a proper schedule.
Roasted Chickpeas
The roasted chickpeas are one of the most trusted snacks for gestational diabetes because they can manage blood sugar levels. An exciting way to make chickpeas easier to eat is roasting, as it makes them crispy. Moreover, they taste excellent on roasting chickpeas with special seasonings and olive oil. Besides this, chickpeas are an excellent source of protein as well.
Cottage Cheese
Half a cup of cottage cheese will give you abundant minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins. It is an excellent snack for people who are willing to control their gestational diabetes and weight. The best part of having cottage cheese is that its high protein content will reduce blood sugar levels.
Popcorn
Famous as the white grain snack food, the significant part of consuming popcorn is that it has fewer calories. It aids weight loss and promotes reduced sugar levels. Of course, making them in an air popper would be better than going for a microwave option.
Black Bean Salad
Another healthy snack available for a gestational diabetic patient is black bean salad. To make the salad, you must take boiled or cooked black beans in a bowl, put finely chopped vegetables of your choice, and add chopped onions, tomatoes, and vinaigrette dressing. Adding a pinch of salt to taste would be a great choice.
Chia Seed Pudding
Being a healthy option, the chia seed pudding is made with chia seeds soaked in milk. You have to wash the roots till the mixture gets a thick texture. This pudding is exceptionally healthy for gestational diabetic patients as it controls blood sugar levels. It is also good in protein, fiber and fatty acids. So, you can enjoy the pudding for weight loss purposes too.
Tuna Salad
It is a healthy and unique salad made with tuna fish cuts, mayonnaise, and other ingredients like salt, pepper, celery, and onions. This salad does not have carbohydrates and is a rich source of protein. It is also intended to help patients with gestational diabetes because of low inflammation. The tuna salad can be mixed with cottage cheese to make it healthier.
Beef Sticks
As a diabetes-friendly snack, beef sticks contain high proteins and low carbs. Of course, it is intended to keep blood sugar levels under control. It is better to buy beef sticks from grass-fed beef than grain-fed ones. This is one of the best snacks for gestational diabetes.
Conclusion
Along with the mentioned above, some other snack ideas for gestational diabetes are unsweetened Greek yogurt, cucumber, kimchi salad, blueberries, guacamole, and peanut butter. Depending on the diet schedule, you can keep altering the snacks for a great taste. It is essential to pay attention to your gestational diabetes because untreated patients may lead to stillbirth. This disease will go away after the delivery of the baby.
So, you must take care of a healthy diet and check the number of snacks consumed daily. Do not go over the board and drink much.