Gestational diabetes is no joke. It’s a serious condition and one that can be incredibly difficult to manage, especially when those pregnancy cravings are going full-throttle. Luckily, Keto is having a major moment in the health space, which is why we’re seeing an explosion in low carb, low sugar food options.
The best choice for gestational diabetes, and healthy eating in general, is always going to be to prepare food yourself. It’s the only way to truly be in control of what you’re putting in your body, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes we all need ready-to-eat meals and snack options, which is where the below list of options comes in.
When dealing with a condition like gestational diabetes it’s more important than ever to carefully read nutrition labels and ingredients and, when in doubt, always consult with your doctor.
More About Nutrition:
Gestational Diabetes Snacks For When Those Pregnancy Cravings Hit
Performance Kitchen
Performance Kitchen makes ready-to-microwave (or put in the oven) meals that are actually not only good for you, but affordable. You can shop by diet, so you can easily see what will suit your pregnancy heath and tasty bud needs.
Catalina Crunch
Catalina Crunch is known for their low carb cereals and cookies (we're obsessed and snack on them all the time). Now they've launched savory mixes . Beyond just being low in carbs, they're high in fiber and protein making them perfect for managing blood sugar levels and hunger in general.
Sunsweet Original Ones Dried Prunes
Prunes are naturally rich in fiber (which is why they're often used to fight constipation) and have a low Glycemic Index (GI). GI is a measure of how a certain food affects your blood sugar levels. The lower this number, the slower the digestion of that food. Prunes have a score of 29, meaning they release energy very slowly. When you consume them, they lower the rate at which your food leave your stomach, keeping you feeling full longer. We love this option from Sunsweet because the prunes are individually wrapped - remember too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing and this packaging helps keep that in check.
Saffron Road
Saffron Road makes high protein, high fiber non-GMO, chickpea-based crunchy snacks using clean ingredients. We love using these to top our salads instead of croutons.
Bubba's Fine Foods
Bubba 's Fine Foods Keto line is low in net carbs, grain-free, refined sugar-free and non-GMO. They have both savory and sweet options to calm any pregnancy craving you might have.
Better Bagel
Saying bye-bye to white bread is very tough for most people when they're told they have gestational diabetes. Better Bagel makes the transition easy with their low carb, high protein alternative.
Eat Me Guilt Free
Eat Me Guilt Free is another option for low carb and high protein bread. They make alternatives to toast and tortilla wraps. We suggest loading them with veggies, eggs and other high fiber, high protein options to keep your blood sugar controlled and your body running smoothly.
GOOD TO GO
GOOD TO GO Soft Baked Bars have only two grams of sugar or less, but they manage to satisfy a sugar craving. They're also Keto certified, gluten-free, grain free, peanut free, non-GMO project verified and vegan. The brand is also a B-corp and 1% for the Planet member.
Territory Foods
Territory Foods is not only amazing during pregnancy, but they're sanity-saving postpartum when you're stressed and in need of clean, healthy meals. They have chef-prepared options to fit just about any diet including low carb, paleo, keto, whole30, vegetarian, plant-based and more. Meals are fully prepared and there are over 50 options to choose from every week. They're delivered fresh (some require heating, some can be eaten cold).
Koia
Water - and lots of it - is best when you're pregnant, but sometimes that just doesn't hit the spot. That's where Koia comes in. M ade using simple ingredients that people recognize like almonds and coconut, they recently launched a fruit smoothie line , which contains 80 percent less sugar than leading fruit smoothie brands. They also have a line of protein shakes made with fiber for sustained energy, 18g plant protein and only 4g-6g sugar per bottle.
GOOD GOOD
Made with real fruit, low calories and no added sugar, GOOD GOOD makes vegan jams in four flavors – Blueberry, Apricot, Strawberry and Raspberry – and Keto Krunchy Bars in flavors like Raspberry Cheesecake and Cashew Nougat, all of which are low in net carbs and free of artificial sweeteners.
Unbun
Unbun offers low-carb, grain-free bread alternatives made with ingredients like egg whites, almond flour, coconut flour, ground flax, psyllium husk and apple cider vinegar - basically nothing funky. Everything is high in fiber and protein and they now, in addition to bread and bagels, also have pizza crusts, and tortillas.