Not infrequently, a woman who is pregnant develops gestational diabetes. She then needs to follow a special diet. How does the gestational diabetes diet differ from the diet of a non-diabetic, pregnant female? The diet for a woman with gestational diabetes focuses on the daily carbohydrate intake of the diabetic patient. The pregnant woman’s carbohydrate intake is controlled thorough the use of exacting portion sizes. The plate of the gestational diabetic contains portions with a specific quantity of carbohydrates.

When planning a diet for a woman with gestational diabetes, one should plan to fill the woman’s plate with plenty of high fiber, low carbohydrate vegetables. For example, the woman could get huge helpings of mushrooms, cucumbers, celery and asparagus. She would, though, receive a limited amount of carrots, potatoes and corn.

A diet for a woman with gestational diabetes would never pair such starchy vegetables with a food from the “bread and cereal group.” For example, the woman would not get pasta and corn at the same meal. If she were given a serving of pasta, it should be no more than one-third cup. Such restrictions guarantee control of the woman’s carbohydrate intake.

Planning a diet for a woman with gestational diabetes requires a willingness to consider the traditional food pyramid in a new light. The bottom of the pyramid contains more than bread, cereal, pasta and rice; it also contains beans, legumes and starchy vegetables. At the same time, the meat section of the pyramid undergoes changes. Milk is thought of as belonging to the meat group

Under the gestational diabetes diet plan, a woman eats plenty of protein and plenty of calcium. By the same token she eats a controlled amount of carbohydrates. The diet for a woman with gestational diabetes controls the amount of glucose in the woman’s bloodstream. By regulating the blood glucose in the pregnant woman, the diet for the gestational diabetic helps that woman to seize control of her health. She thus stands a better chance of maintaining good health throughout her pregnancy.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Diabetes, Diet, Health, Gestational