If you have diabetes and become pregnant, you need to monitor and control your blood sugars closely. You also need to follow a healthy diet that includes a variety of foods from each of the food groups to support your health and the health of your fetus, while controlling your intake of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate Counting
You can use carbohydrate counting as a pregnancy diabetic diet plan. Foods with carbohydrates, including starches, fruit, milk and yogurt, increase blood sugar. Controlling the amount of carbohydrate you eat at each meal can help you manage your blood sugar. The amount you need to eat depends on your calorie needs and blood sugar goals. You may need to eat fewer grams of carbohydrate during pregnancy for better blood sugar control. Consult with your doctor or dietitian to determine your daily meal carbohydrate needs. To balance your diet, include lean sources of meat for protein and nonstarchy vegetables for fiber, folate, vitamin C and vitamin A when following a carbohydrate-counting diet.
Diabetes Exchange Diet
The Diabetes Exchange Diet is a more structured meal plan. It may be better suited as a pregnancy diabetic diet meal plan because it provides more specific guidelines on what to eat from each food group each day to provide a balanced diet. On the exchange diet, foods are divided into groups based on similarities in nutrient composition. Based on your calorie needs and blood sugar goals, your dietitian or doctor determines how many servings you can eat from each food group each day. When meal planning, you can exchange foods within each group. For example, at breakfast, you can exchange a 1 cup serving of milk for a 6 oz. container of nonfat sugar-free yogurt.
Diabetes Food Pyramid
The Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid is an easy-to-follow diabetic meal plan you can use during pregnancy. It is a healthy meal plan that includes a variety of food choices from each food group to help you meet your nutrient needs to support the health of you and your baby. By design, it encourages you to choose more foods from the bottom of the pyramid, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fewer foods from the top of the pyramid, including sweets and fats. Like the exchange diet, you can eat a certain number of servings from each food group based on your calorie needs as determined by your doctor or dietitian.
