Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and dangerous disease that affects many people every year. One of its varieties is gestational diabetes. Modern medicine offers a whole range of recovery from this disease, which includes therapy, moderate exercise, and diet for gestational diabetes.

All these methods together allow patients to achieve a good quality of life.

Who is at risk of getting gestational diabetes?

Unfortunately, sometimes such a disease can appear in. The reason for this is the threefold increase in the power of the pancreas during pregnancy. Not every organ is able to withstand such a load for almost 9 months, so in 2.5-3% of cases it develops.

It may disappear after the birth of the baby, or it may remain - it all depends on the correct behavior of the woman during this period. She needs to know how to be treated and what the diet should be for gestational diabetes. It has been statistically proven that not every expectant mother can become a victim of the disease.

There are a number of factors that increase the susceptibility to the development of pathology:

1. Obesity and manifestations of metabolic syndrome X (impaired glucose tolerance, problems with lipid metabolism, high blood pressure) in girls after 18 years of age.
2. An increase in sugar levels in the blood and urine, which was recorded before pregnancy.
3. Age over 30 years.
4. Having close relatives (1st, 2nd degree) with a similar disease.
5. Chronic miscarriage of previous fetuses.

All these aspects should alert a woman and force her to take her health seriously. The first step is to follow a proper diet.

Diet for pregnant women with gestational diabetes

During pregnancy, it can become a major factor in preventing the development of the disease, and if it occurs, it can be an excellent treatment method. Every expectant mother must know her daily menu and try to stick to it as much as possible.

The diet for gestational diabetes mellitus includes the following important points:

1. Meal regimen. You need to eat 5-6 times a day (breakfast - snack - lunch - snack - dinner).
2. Avoid fried fatty foods and foods that contain light carbohydrates (sweets, sugar, various candy bars, ice cream) as much as possible. These products do not provide any benefit to the body - they are instantly absorbed, have almost no nutrients and increase the amount of glucose.
3. In cases where a pregnant woman has nausea in the morning (early toxicosis), it is recommended to put salty or any dietary cookies with cereals on the nightstand near the bed in the evening and periodically eat 1-2 pieces until you get out of bed.
4. Eliminate fast food from your diet. Any fast food or semi-finished products (cream soups, noodles and noodles from bags) undergo factory processing before production to speed up the cooking process, which significantly increases their consumption. They increase the level of sugar in the vascular bed much faster and stronger.
5. It is worth eating more foods rich in fiber: porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat), natural pasta, baked goods, rice, vegetables, etc. Eating such food activates the intestines and inhibits the absorption of fats and carbohydrates in the intestinal lumen.
6. Reducing the use of fats. In the daily diet their amount should not exceed 10%. To do this, you need to give up bacon, sausages, sausages and the use of fat for cooking.
7. It is recommended to switch to eating dietary meat (beef, veal, lean pork), poultry (turkey, chicken) or fish (cod, pike, perch).
8. You need to cook food with vegetable oil in small quantities.
9. Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of liquid per day.
10. Eat foods rich in minerals (again, vegetables and fruits, greens).

Following a diet for gestational diabetes during pregnancy should be the basis of all treatment. There are several most common modifications of healthy nutrition for this disease for expectant mothers.

All of them are aimed at one goal - to minimize the intake of substances that can increase blood sugar levels. At the same time, there may be some differences that arise in a number of individual cases, but Pevzner is always taken as a basis.

Sample menu for the day

What should pregnant women not eat if they have diabetes?

What you should exclude from your diet in order to avoid unpleasant complications for the body:

• Products made from butter, shortbread and puff pastry: cookies, cakes, muffins, etc.
• Rice and semolina.
• Salted and pickled vegetables.
• Grapes, raisins, bananas, figs, dates, canned fruits and berries, jam.
• Sweet curd cheeses, yoghurts, ice cream.
• Fatty meats and sausages, canned meat.
• Fatty fish and canned fish.
• Fatty broths.

What else?

It is worth understanding that nutrition alone cannot cure the disease. It is necessary to carry out adequate insulin therapy and perform dosed physical exercises for gestational diabetes - every day.

It is important to remember that the use of any sugar-lowering medications is contraindicated for women who are pregnant. The only artificial means of reducing hyperglycemia may be insulin.

If a woman is tired of constant bans on her favorite foods, doctors suggest replacing them with those that contain a low amount of calories and carbohydrates.

• Celery;
• Regular and green beans;
• Cucumbers and tomatoes;
• Radish;
• Different varieties of mushrooms;
• Zucchini and squash;
• Zucchini.

It is clear that compliance with all the above-mentioned rules and a diet for gestational diabetes for expectant mothers can become some kind of test, but your own health and the successful birth of your baby are worth it to slightly limit yourself in your favorite treats.

Many experts predict that in a few years diabetes may become one of the main medical problems for developed countries. Today there are two main types of diabetes – the first and the second. However, pregnant women may develop a third type of diabetes (GDM). This is a phenomenon that requires special therapy. One of the treatment methods is dietary nutrition. The diet for gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women involves the exclusion of many foods from the diet.

The essence of the phenomenon, causes of development and diagnosis

Translated from Latin, the word “gestation” means pregnancy. Accordingly, GDM is a disease that manifests itself in pregnant women. The essence of the problem is an increase in glucose levels in the bloodstream. A similar phenomenon can be observed both during a normal meal and after eating a large amount of foods containing glucose.

The disease usually does not cause any symptoms. That is, in most cases it is impossible to detect it on your own (there is not a single symptom that would allow you to do this). The problem is diagnosed during examinations and special tests.

Statistics show that approximately fourteen percent of pregnant women are susceptible to developing this type of diabetes. Moreover, ten percent of the fairer sex who suffered from the disease during pregnancy develop the second type of diabetes mellitus within ten years after childbirth.

The reason for the development of gestational diabetes lies in the hormonal changes that occur in a woman’s body from the beginning of pregnancy.

After conceiving a child, the pregnant woman’s body begins to intensively release insulin, a hormone important for the absorption of glucose. During a normal pregnancy, the level of this substance in the bloodstream should increase three times compared to normal levels.

The pancreas is responsible for producing insulin. In some women, it cannot cope with the load, which is why an insufficient amount of this substance is produced. As a result, the longer pregnancy continues, the higher the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream becomes. However, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin for its normal metabolism. This leads to the gradual development of gestational diabetes.

Women are more susceptible to developing this disease:

• at the age of thirty;
• who have previously given birth to a child weighing more than four kilograms;
• having problems with excess weight;
• having poor heredity (the presence in the family of persons who suffered from this disease).

To detect the disease, a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test is performed. Typically, the detection of gestational diabetes at a late stage is associated with a lack of proper preparation for the test, which must begin not in one day, but three days in advance. Often pregnant women eat before the test, which distorts the result and makes it impossible to make a correct diagnosis.

In most cases, the disease is diagnosed twenty-eight weeks after the start of pregnancy. If treatment is not started on time, the fetus may develop heart and brain defects, which will significantly affect its entire future life. In addition, cesarean section is prescribed for gestational diabetes. This procedure is carried out because during natural childbirth the child and mother can suffer serious injuries.

When GDM is detected in a pregnant woman, the main task facing the attending physician is to normalize and maintain optimal blood sugar levels in the patient. Since there are restrictions on taking medications during pregnancy, proper nutrition is the basis of treatment.

Menu Basics

If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes during a glucose tolerance test, her doctor will begin treatment for her.

The basis of treatment for diabetes while carrying a child is proper nutrition, that is, diet.

After making a diagnosis, the specialist will determine which foods you can eat and which you should avoid.

If a disease is detected, patients must completely stop using:

• all sweet products (this applies to both sugar and honey, ice cream, sweet drinks and the like);
• white bread, pastries and any flour products (including pasta);
• semolina;
• semi-finished products;
• smoked meats;
• fast food products;
• fast food;
• fruits containing a lot of calories;
• lemonades, juices in packages;
• fatty meat, jellied meat, lard;
• canned food, regardless of their type;
• alcohol;
• cocoa;
• cereals, diet bread;
• all legumes;
• sweet yoghurts.

You will also have to significantly limit your use of:

• potatoes;
• butter;
• chicken eggs;
• baked goods from uneatable dough.

Products from the list of prohibited foods should be completely excluded from the diet. Even their small consumption can lead to negative consequences. Potatoes, butter, eggs and baked goods are allowed to be consumed in very limited quantities.

What can pregnant women eat with gestational diabetes? The above products can be replaced:

• hard cheeses;
• fermented milk cottage cheese;
• natural yoghurts;
• heavy cream;
• seafood;
• green vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, beets, unlike cucumbers, onions and cabbage, must be consumed in limited quantities);
• mushrooms;
• soybeans and products made from it (in small quantities);
• Brazil nuts;
• tomato juice;
• tea.

There are several diet options that can be followed for gestational diabetes, but a low-carbohydrate diet is excluded.

This is due to the fact that if there is insufficient carbohydrate intake from food, the body will begin to burn fat reserves for energy.

In most cases, doctors prescribe to their patients a diet containing more carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein. Preference is given to unsaturated fats, the consumption of which, however, must also be limited. Saturated fats are completely excluded from the diet.

Diet 9 can be used. However, it is contraindicated in acidosis. And since some pregnant women have a similar problem due to severe toxicosis, it is necessary to make sure that it is possible to follow such a diet. There are several sample menu options for pregnant women with gestational diabetes. They are shown in the following table:

All diet options provided in this table are allowed for gestational diabetes. The woman herself must decide which option to choose, focusing on her taste and the availability of products included in a particular diet.

If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it is recommended to adhere to certain dietary rules. They will help normalize the level of glucose in the bloodstream without negative side effects for the body of the fetus and the woman carrying it. So, it is recommended:

1. Eat a variety of foods. Despite the fact that with gestational diabetes it is necessary to exclude certain foods from the diet, the diet should be varied. This is the only way to saturate the body with vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal development of the fetus.
2. Select the right foods to eat. This can be done based on the lists given above, as well as on the glycemic indices of food products, their calorie content and the type of carbohydrates contained in them.
3. Drink plenty of fluids. Proper nutrition for GDM in pregnant women should be accompanied by drinking plenty of plain water. At least one liter per day.
4. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet. Excessive amounts of food rich in fat can harm both the mother and her baby. It is also recommended to limit your consumption of fried foods.
5. Strictly adhere to the time and number of meals. Eating food should be divided into several stages (five or six). Fasting should not be allowed. The table above shows the optimal course of food intake during the day.
6. Avoid overeating. Eating too much food causes sudden spikes in glucose levels in the bloodstream. Even if you eat only permitted foods, consuming them in too large quantities is still not recommended.

Women suffering from gestational diabetes are advised to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels. You can find out the concentration of this substance using a glucometer. This is a portable device that allows you to take measurements at home.

If a woman develops gestational diabetes during pregnancy, she is also advised to stop taking dietary supplements and diet pills. Such drugs affect the metabolism in the body, which can negatively affect the health of the pregnant woman. You should also avoid taking pills that lower blood glucose levels. Medications must be used with extreme caution during pregnancy.

Thus, fourteen percent of pregnant women develop GDM. This disease is caused by dysfunction of the pancreas and disappears after the birth of the child. However, in some cases, women who have had it may develop type 2 diabetes. This is a more dangerous, chronic type of disease.

The basis of therapy for gestational diabetes mellitus is proper nutrition. Some foods will have to be abandoned, while others must be consumed in increased quantities. To avoid health problems, it is recommended not to overeat, monitor the foods you eat and stop taking dietary supplements and diet/sugar reduction pills.

Diet for gestational diabetes is of primary importance in treating the disease. Even if true or insulin-dependent diabetes is diagnosed, just taking insulin is not enough. A woman should clearly understand what foods can be consumed and what should be completely avoided. The method of heat treatment is also important. It is important to know this in order to safely carry and give birth to a healthy baby.

Pregnancy is a kind of compromising factor, and those diseases to which there is a predisposition can make themselves felt during this period.

Who is at risk? Is it possible to independently determine what is the probability of developing diabetes while in pregnancy?

So, below are the factors whose presence increases the risk.

1. Some family members have been diagnosed with the disease.
2. Disruption of the pancreas, both inflammatory and autoimmune.
3. The previous pregnancy occurred with elevated glucose levels in blood tests.
4. A woman tends to be overweight, after 35 years of age.

Why does the disease develop?

Diabetes mellitus occurs when the function of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas is impaired. In this case, insufficient insulin is produced and its main function - the transfer of glucose from the bloodstream to the cells - is not carried out in full. Accordingly, hyperglycemia develops. And an increase in this indicator is dangerous for both mother and baby.

The risks of such complications increase:

• polyhydramnios;
• premature birth;
• hypoxia;
• macrosomia;
• antenatal fetal death.

In pregnant women, gestational diabetes can develop either according to the scheme outlined above or as a result of hormonal changes. An increase in hormone levels blocks the mechanism of action of insulin. Receptors on the surface of glucose molecules become insensitive, in other words, tolerance develops.

It is important to note that blood sugar levels often return to normal after childbirth. But sometimes the gestation period can give rise to the manifestation of true insulin-dependent diabetes.

In both types 1 and 2 of the disease, a very important aspect for maintaining blood counts within proper limits is strict adherence to the diet.

10 Rules for Healthy Eating with Gestational Diabetes

A balanced diet is the basis of treatment for pregnant women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. With rational menu planning, you can achieve stabilization of glucose levels. In the case of type 1 diabetes, insulin is injected, since pregnant women cannot take any sugar-lowering drugs.

It is important to remember that for gestational diabetes mellitus (no matter type 1 or 2), a mandatory component of therapy is a proper, healthy diet.

Let's look at the basic rules that should be followed.

1. Eat in small portions 6 times a day.

• a morning snack usually contains 5% of the daily Kcal requirement;
• breakfast can be composed in such a way that calorie content = 25% of the total daily menu;
• lunch respectively 35%;
• afternoon snack -10%;
• light dinner – 20%;
• Before going to bed, you can allow a small snack, the calorie content identical to the morning one (5%).

2. Diet during pregnancy should not contain fried or smoked foods. Since, firstly, this negatively affects the functioning of the pancreas. And secondly, it contributes to a sharp increase in the glycemic index. This also applies to quick snacks such as fast food. There is no benefit, but the harm is colossal: diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity...

3. When looking at recipes for dishes that can be prepared for gestational diabetes, you need to pay special attention to heat treatment. The menu may contain boiled, stewed foods, baked in the oven. A very useful cooking method is the “steamed” method. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, macro and microelements. And with this processing method, it is possible to preserve both taste characteristics and beneficial substances as much as possible.

4. Meals should not include quickly digestible carbohydrates. You need to exclude sweets from your diet: sweets, ice cream, pastries. Also, you should not use recipes based on potatoes or pasta, as these products contribute to an increase in blood glucose levels.

5. The optimal content of proteins-fats-carbohydrates in the daily menu = 40% -20% -40%.

6. Pregnant women with diabetes are not recommended to give up meat, as it contains essential amino acids. And protein is the main building material necessary both for the mother’s body and for the formation of organs and systems of the fetus. It is necessary to limit the consumption of sausages and sausages. Meals should include dietary meats such as veal, chicken, and turkey.

7. When choosing recipes for dishes, preference should be given to foods rich in fiber. These are vegetables, fruits, baked goods, buckwheat and oatmeal. This stimulates intestinal motility and inhibits the absorption of carbohydrates and fats.

8. Drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water per day. Carbonated drinks are quite harmful. In case of diabetes mellitus, they should be completely excluded.

9. Can I eat fruit if I have gestational diabetes? To this question

Endocrinologists have mixed opinions. Some do not recommend it at all, others allow it in small quantities. But you definitely shouldn’t eat bananas, grapes, melon, or persimmons. Because the glycemic index increases sharply. But there are fruits that contain microelements that lower the concentration of glucose in the blood:

• raspberry - contains copper, which ensures the function of insulin;
• gooseberry - manganese lowers blood sugar levels;
• mulberry - nicotinic acid reduces the need for insulin.

Fruits such as oranges, peaches, and apples have a low glycemic index.

There is practically no fiber in freshly squeezed juices, which leads to a sharp jump in sugar levels. That is why their use is highly undesirable during pregnancy.

An hour after each meal, it is necessary to measure blood glucose levels. Control weight gain. If your body mass index before pregnancy exceeds the norm, you can gain no more than 8 kg.

• Buckwheat, oatmeal, pearl barley.
• Black bread (wholemeal flour).
• Eggs – up to 3 pcs/week.
• Vegetable fats.
• Hard cheese.
• Fish and seafood.
• Fermented milk cottage cheese.
• Dietary meats (veal, turkey).
• Vegetables. Cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, onions, celery, radishes.
• Mushrooms.
• Sweet dietary cookies with cereals – 1-2 pcs/day in the morning for toxicosis.
• Fruits (except grapes, bananas)

Foods that should not be included in the diet

• Semolina, rice cereal.
• Bakery products.
• Whey, condensed milk.
• Sweets: candies, cookies, diet bread, ice cream.
• Sugar substitutes.
• Semi-finished products.
• Soft cheeses (Feta).
• Vegetables: beets, carrots, pumpkin, bell peppers.
• Fruit juices.
• Fruits: melon, grapes, persimmons, bananas, figs, dates.
• Peanut.
• Carbonated drinks.

Example of a daily diet for gestational diabetes

Let's consider the daily menu for a woman in the following position:

• first breakfast – oatmeal, green tea;
• breakfast – rye bread, low-fat cheese, apple;
• lunch – buckwheat soup with vegetable broth, stewed veal, boiled cauliflower, black bread;
• afternoon snack – low-fat cottage cheese, biscuits;
• dinner – stewed eggplant + zucchini, a slice of bread;
• second dinner - hard cheese, gray bread.

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, this is already an alarm bell. After the baby is born, glucose levels may return to normal. But a woman must strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions, follow a diet, eat healthy food even in the postpartum period.

Unfortunately, pregnancy is not only the joy of future motherhood, but also transient health-related troubles. One of them is gestational diabetes mellitus, or diabetes during pregnancy.

Diet for gestational diabetes in pregnant women: menu, basic nutritional principles

Gestational diabetes is a problem among pregnant women. The pathogenesis of this syndrome differs from the classical disease. As a rule, diabetes goes away with the end of pregnancy. And one more important fact: diabetes mellitus can be considered gestational only if everything was in order with blood glucose before conception. Why does blood sugar rise when a woman is pregnant? The fact is that two people require more insulin (a hormone that helps lower glucose levels). However, pancreatic cells may not be able to cope with the increased load. This is how diabetes mellitus in pregnant women appears.

The danger of the disease is that excess sugar has a negative effect on the entire metabolism, on the entire body as a whole. The expectant mother experiences unpleasant symptoms (thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, etc.), and the fetus will suffer from this. If a woman is faced with such a problem, she should be monitored by an endocrinologist during pregnancy. He will talk about what needs to be done for gestational diabetes mellitus. And the main emphasis will be on diet.

Diet for gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women

Diet for gestational diabetes mellitus is practically the only measure. There is no point or indication to prescribe basic treatment used for normal diabetes. Moreover, medications may be completely contraindicated due to their negative effect on the fetus.

It is quite obvious that the diet for gestational diabetes in pregnant women involves a decrease in simple carbohydrates, which are essentially glucose, in the diet. But there are other equally important aspects:

• Try to eat a varied diet, because you are also “feeding” your unborn child;
• Try to maintain adequate water regime, drink more. Of course, if you do not have gestosis with edema and arterial hypertension;
• Forget about all foods and drinks high in sugar: packaged juices, soda, cocktails, sweets (all kinds of candies, cookies, chocolate, cakes), pure sugar. Do not use sweeteners or sweeteners under any circumstances;
• Fatty foods should also be reduced to a minimum;
• Eat about five to six times a day. This way you will avoid sudden changes in blood sugar levels;
• As for carbohydrate foods, you can eat rye bread, durum wheat pasta, cereals (barley, buckwheat, oatmeal);
• The diet should contain a sufficient amount of fiber (vegetables, fruits, cereals). It helps reduce blood glucose levels;
• Never overeat, but don't go on a strict diet either. In the second case, your unborn baby will not receive all the nutrients he needs;
• If possible, monitor your blood sugar levels with a glucometer. As a last resort, do control tests;
• If at some point your glucose level becomes normal, you should not immediately return to your normal diet. This may be a false result or a temporary decrease. There is a risk that sugar will rise again.

• Everything sweet (honey, sugar, ice cream, etc.);
• Semolina;
• White bread, pastries;
• Fruits with high calorie content: bananas, dates, melon, grapes, figs;
• Fast food, instant food;
• Semi-finished products;
• Smoked meats;
• Carbonated drinks, lemonades, juices in packages;
• Fatty meat and poultry, lard, jellied meat;
• Canned food (any: meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, mushrooms);
• Alcohol;
• Cocoa, jelly and similar “dry” drinks.

After all these products, the glucose level increases rapidly, and there is not enough insulin to utilize it.

You can eat, but in small quantities:

• Pasta made from second-grade or rye flour;
• Butter;
• Baked goods made from soft dough;
• Egg;
• Potato.

What can you safely use?

• Porridge from the above cereals;
• Legumes (beans, peas);
• Mushrooms (but be careful, be sure to heat them and avoid those canned in oil);
• Fruits (apples, pears, watermelon);
• Lean meat, as well as fish;
• Dairy products (unsweetened!);
• Vegetables, as well as greens, lettuce;
• Vegetable oil (sunflower or olive);
• Rye bread, crispbread, whole grain bread.

Diet for gestational diabetes in pregnant women: menu

So, we offer you a sample menu if you have been diagnosed with diabetes in pregnant women, or gestational diabetes.

• Option #1. We have breakfast with buckwheat porridge and a cup of green tea without sugar. Morning snack (or second breakfast) - an apple, preferably green, as well as a slice of rye bread with a slice of cheese. For lunch you can eat more: three tablespoons of boiled beets with butter, soup in low-fat broth (to your taste), two slices of whole grain bread, a little boiled meat. As an afternoon snack, you can eat one hundred grams of cottage cheese and a couple of dry cookies. We will have dinner with mashed potatoes, green peas (it is better to take frozen rather than canned), tomato juice and a slice of rye bread. Before going to bed, you are allowed to drink a glass of milk (or kefir, fermented baked milk) and eat a piece of cheese;
• Option #2. For breakfast we cook millet with milk, and for drinks - black tea without sugar. After a couple of hours, you can snack on cottage cheese casserole or cheesecakes (without sugar, you can add a spoonful of sour cream). We have lunch with borscht in a weak broth and a piece of rye bread. The afternoon snack will consist of assorted fruits (but only from the list of permitted ones). Buckwheat with boiled fish and cucumber and tomato salad is perfect for dinner;
• Option #3. For breakfast, we choose oatmeal with milk (you can add a little fresh apples). The second breakfast will be a pear and a slice of cheese. For lunch, as always, low-fat soup plus a piece of boiled chicken with mashed potatoes. You can have an afternoon snack with low-fat natural yogurt and cookies (dry). But for dinner we prepare a vegetable stew with the addition of meat;
• Option number 4. Have breakfast with an omelet of two eggs with milk and a cup of tea. For second breakfast, take a couple of kiwis. For lunch we cook chicken soup with cabbage, boil beans and fish. In the afternoon you can treat yourself to a small amount of sour cream with berries. And you can have dinner with low-fat cabbage rolls, fresh carrot and apple salad. Do not deny yourself some milk drink at night if you suddenly feel hungry.

As you can see, gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy is not necessarily a strict diet. You just need to give up simple carbohydrates (sugar, sweets). Of course, some will find it very difficult to do this, but eating right if you have diabetes is simply necessary. Think, first of all, about your future baby.

All drinks that contain natural or artificial sweeteners are prohibited. It is allowed to purchase only those sold in specialized diabetic departments.

Fractional meals

A pregnant woman should eat regularly and not skip meals. It is optimal to eat every 2.5 hours 5-6 times a day. Ideally, there should be 3 full meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two snacks.

In this case, “healthy” carbohydrates are consumed separately from proteins (without mixing). It is usually recommended to cook carbohydrate foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and eat protein-rich foods in between. So, if you usually eat pasta with chicken for lunch, then with diabetes the dish is divided into two meals: for example, pasta (made from wholemeal flour) with stewed vegetables in the form of gravy for an afternoon snack, and chicken with fresh cucumber and herbs for lunch.

Taking folic acid and vitamin A

Eat foods rich in these substances every day. Sources of folic acid are legumes, green leafy vegetables - spinach and lettuce, various types of cabbage - cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus and veal. Vitamin A is rich in carrots, spinach, parsley, wild garlic, chicken, beef liver and cod liver.

It is important to note that a pregnant woman should not self-medicate. Basic recommendations on diet, based on test results and her well-being, are given by an endocrinologist.

Sample diet menu for a week

When developing a menu for the week, you need to remember some basic principles:

• there must be a first course at lunch;
• rye or whole grain bread is served with each main meal (see also - what kind of bread to buy);
• Among the drinks, it is recommended to drink unsweetened tea, fruit juice, compote of allowed dried fruits, and rosehip decoction.

Dried and dried foods should be excluded from the diet. Dishes are prepared boiled or baked.

Monday

1. For breakfast, prepare buckwheat porridge in water; you can add a small piece of butter. They eat porridge with stewed chicken and vegetables.
2. The first protein snack is a small portion of cottage cheese and a glass of kefir.
3. For lunch - vegetable soup, stewed eggplant.
4. The protein dish is transferred to the afternoon snack - a piece of boiled chicken breast, and a salad of fresh vegetables is prepared.
5. For dinner - steamed cutlets.
6. Before going to bed, if you feel hungry, drink a glass of natural yogurt without fillers.

Tuesday

1. In the morning they eat oatmeal with pieces of dried apricots.
2. Have a snack with vegetable salad flavored with olive oil and drink plain yogurt.
3. For lunch they prepare cod fillet soup and cauliflower baked with cheese and nuts.
4. For an afternoon snack, treat yourself to meatballs in sour cream sauce.
5. For dinner, a serving of Greek or Caesar salad is enough.
6. Before bed - a glass of fermented baked milk.

Wednesday

1. Start the morning with a salad of boiled eggs and spinach.
2. For a snack, an apple or pear, as well as a sandwich of rye bread with cheese, is enough.
3. For lunch - pea soup, barley with mushroom sauce.
4. They have baked fish in the afternoon.
5. For dinner, prepare wholemeal pasta with broccoli.
6. The last meal of the day, if necessary, is kefir.

Thursday

1. For breakfast they make an omelette of 3 eggs.
2. Lunch consists of mushroom cream soup with herbs, turkey meat and a portion of vegetable salad.
3. For an afternoon snack - tangerines and biscuits.
4. For dinner - red bean salad with mozzarella on tortillas.
5. Before bed - a glass of milk.

Friday

1. Breakfast - fresh fruit salad with lemon juice.
2. For second breakfast - buckwheat milk porridge.
3. For lunch - bean soup, pearl barley porridge with chicken and vegetable salad.
4. For afternoon snack - beef stew.
5. For dinner, prepare a salad of Chinese cabbage, fresh cucumber, green peas and eggs (season with a spoonful of homemade mayonnaise). A slice of wholemeal bread.
6. Before going to bed, you can indulge in cottage cheese.

Saturday

1. Breakfast - protein omelet, rye bread sandwich with cheese.
2. Snack - fruit salad.
3. For lunch - lean borscht with a slice of rye bread, vegetable salad.
4. Fish cutlets are prepared for an afternoon snack.
5. For dinner, treat yourself to cabbage casserole and green peas.
6. If your appetite has increased before bed, drink a glass of kefir.

Sunday

1. The morning starts with cheesecakes with sour cream.
2. Snack - fruit.
3. For lunch, soup with meatballs and a portion of stew.
4. For afternoon snack, vegetable stew.
5. For dinner, baked fish in foil.
6. Before going to bed, drink yogurt without fillers.

Recipes for diet

Stewed eggplant

For the dish you will need:

• eggplants - 1 kg;
• onions - 3 heads;
• garlic cloves - 3 pcs;
• wholemeal flour - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• sour cream - 200 g;
• olive oil;
• salt;
• greenery.

How to cook:

1. You will need eggplants of the same size, which are cut into circles 1.5 cm thick and salted.
2. To ensure that the natural bitterness goes away, leave pieces of eggplant under the weight and wait for the bitter juice to drain.
3. Next, each piece is dried with a towel, rolled in flour and fried on both sides in a frying pan.
4. Onions, cut into rings, are fried until golden brown and crushed garlic is added.
5. Now all that remains is to stew the vegetables. Place the food in layers in a pan: a layer of eggplant and a layer of onion. The last ones should be the eggplants.
6. Next, prepare the filling - a tablespoon of flour is stirred in a small amount of sour cream, making sure that no lumps appear, and combined with the rest of the sour cream.
7. Pour vegetables over it. Place the pan on the burner and heat the contents to a boil, and then simmer over low heat for half an hour until fully cooked.

When serving, the eggplants are sprinkled with finely chopped herbs.

Cauliflower baked with cheese and nuts

For the dish you will need:

• cauliflower - 600 g;
• grated cheese - 1 cup;
• crushed rye crackers - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• chopped nuts - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• eggs - 3 pcs;
• milk - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• salt to taste.

How to cook:

1. Boil a peeled head of cauliflower in salted water for 5 minutes. Then let the water drain, cool and disassemble the cabbage into inflorescences.
2. Add a little butter to a heated frying pan, fry the crackers and chopped nuts. Beat eggs and milk using a mixer or whisk.
3. Place a layer of cabbage in a greased form, sprinkle it with grated cheese, then add a layer of toasted crackers and nuts.
4. Pour everything over with the milk-egg mixture and place in a hot oven. Bake for 10 minutes.

Red bean salad with mozzarella on tortillas

For the dish you will need:

• tortilla flatbread (made from corn flour) - 1 piece;
• red beans - 1 cup;
• red onion - 1 head;
• mozzarella cheese - 100 g;
• salt, pepper, seasonings to taste.

How to cook:

1. Set the oven to preheat at 180°C.
2. The beans are soaked overnight in cold water. In the morning they change it and cook the beans until tender, do not add salt. After cooking, the water is drained and stored.
3. Using a blender, beat the beans into a puree mass, adding a little water in which they were boiled.
4. Place the tortilla in a mold and place in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
5. The onion and garlic are finely chopped and lightly fried in olive oil.
6. Then add bean puree to them and mix. Sprinkle with spices ground in a mortar and let everything warm up.
7. Mozzarella is cut into small pieces.
8. Place the bean filling on a hot tortilla, place pieces of mozzarella on top and place in the oven for 4-5 minutes.

The finished dish is sprinkled with chopped herbs before serving.

Here's another recipe for Mexican tortillas with tomatoes and cheese:

By following a diet, the risk of developing negative consequences from gestational diabetes in a pregnant woman decreases. But after giving birth, be sure to continue to monitor your blood sugar levels, since the woman is at risk and in the future there is a possibility of developing type 2 diabetes.