You’re pregnant and you’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. To say you’re probably feeling overwhelmed is an understatement! But don’t worry, mama… I got you and those snack attacks. It’s especially important that you choose the right snacks at the right times to keep your blood sugar levels stable and your energy levels up.
Choosing foods that are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals is essential for the growth and development of your baby… and to keep mom healthy too!
Snack Tips for Gestational Diabetes
Eat every 3 hours or so
Make sure every meal and snack is balanced
What do I mean by “balanced”…?
Snacks That Stabilize Blood Sugars
To manage your gestational diabetes, you want every meal and snack to have 3 components:
Complex Carbohydrates (including fiber)
Protein
Healthy Fat
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The Best Snack Ideas for Gestational Diabetes
Here’s a list of snacks I recommend you keep on hand throughout your pregnancy:
Veggies and hummus (or other bean dip)
Nuts (unsalted, preferably raw; 1/4 cup serving)
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Walnuts
Seeds (unsalted, preferably raw; 1/4 cup serving)
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Sunflower seeds
Plain Greek yogurt with a handful of berries and a sprinkle of chia seeds or hemp seeds
Roasted chickpeas (I like these ready-to-go ones or make your own roasted chickpeas)
Dry roasted edamame
Steamed edamame pods with a sprinkle of salt or sesame oil
Roasted lentils (you can buy these or make your own roasted lentils)
Hardboiled eggs
Mini whole grain pita stuffed with egg salad or tuna salad
Small banana with unsweetened almond butter
Small apple with unsweetened peanut butter
Kale chips (you can buy these or make your own kale chips)
Chicken avocado wrap (whole grain wrap with roasted chicken breast or nitrate-free low fat turkey deli meat with 1/4 of an avocado, tomato and lettuce)
Coconut Chia Pudding
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) and a handful of blueberries
Slice of wholegrain toast with nut butter (unsweetened)
Caprese salad skewers (bocconcini cheese, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil on toothpicks or cocktail skewers)
Mini pizza (1/2 of a whole grain English muffin with crushed tomatoes or pesto and a sprinkle of low fat mozzarella or ricotta cheese, broiled until cheese is melted)
Popcorn
Wholegrain crackers (a serving is usually 5 small crackers) and 1 oz (1 slice) of cheese
Seaweed snacks (nori sheets)
Red pepper strips with guacamole
Cucumber slices with tzatziki
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bites
Green smoothies (that have protein and moderate carbs)
Green Goddess Smoothie
Celery Apple Almond Smoothie
Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies (these are great for constipation too)
The Best Packaged Snacks for Gestational Diabetes
Because we’re busy enough… and sometimes you just need something you can grab and go.
I’ve put together a list of my favorite snacks for gestational diabetes on Amazon so you can stock up quickly and easily.
The Best Protein Bars for Gestational Diabetes
If you like having some protein bars on hand just in case you need to eat something quickly (and stealthily), here are my top picks. These are all gluten-free. Note that the CLIF and KIND bars contain inulin/chicory root fiber, so they can be a bit more gassy if you’re sensitive to that. Especially during pregnancy!
Aloha protein bars – vegan, organic and gluten-free
CLIF whey protein bars
KIND protein bars
Healthy Snack Shopping List for Gestational Diabetes
I’ve divided them up into snacks that need to be refrigerated if you’re at home or have a fridge at your work. If you don’t have access to a fridge during the day, not to worry. Read on!
I like to keep a separate list of foods that are shelf-stable/non-perishable, or don’t need to be kept in the fridge. This is key for everyone. We all run errands that end of taking longer than we thought, and I don’t want you to get stuck without having something to eat.
Keeping your car, purse, gym bag, desk drawer, etc. loaded with snacks is key to making sure you don’t let your blood sugar drop. This can lead to overeating later and puts your blood sugars out of whack. You want this to be smooth sailing for you and the baby!
Fridge Snack Shopping List
Natural peanut butter, almond butter or other nut and seed butter, no added sugar
Edamame, boiled or steamed
Plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened (avoid “diet” yogurts with artificial sweeteners)
Hardboiled eggs
Cheese
Cheese sticks, slices and/or Babybel cheese
Cottage cheese, plain
Mini bocconcini cheese
Shredded mozzarella for mini pizzas
Fresh fruit
Berries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Apples
Pears
Small bananas
Guacamole
Tzatziki sauce
Hummus or other bean dip
Veggies
Cherry tomatoes
Celery sticks
Carrot sticks
Cucumber rounds or spears
Sugar snap peas
Snow peas
Bell pepper slices
Jicama sticks
Zucchini spears
Lettuce for wraps
Baby spinach for green smoothies
Non Perishable Snack Shopping List
Nuts (unsalted, preferably raw; 1/4 cup serving)
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Walnuts
Seeds (unsalted, preferably raw; 1/4 cup serving)
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Sunflower seeds
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
Roasted chickpeas
Dry roasted edamame
Roasted lentils (you can buy these or make your own roasted lentils)
Nut butter single serving packs
Kale chips (you can buy these or make your own kale chips)
Popcorn
Crackers made from whole grains, nuts and/or seeds
Protein bars
Aloha protein bars – vegan, organic and gluten-free
CLIF whey protein bars
KIND protein bars
Gestational Diabetes Meal Planning
Wondering what to eat for your meals? Here’s how you can make meal planning easier.
Looking for more personalized advice? I’d love to help! Reach out and let’s talk about nutrition coaching. We can work together to create a meal plan to help you reach your goals.