What's on this page
- Eating well for gestational diabetes
- Eating well for your pregnancy
- Understanding carbohydrates
- Choosing carbohydrates
- Eating regular meals and snacks
- What about other foods?
- Choosing healthy fats
- Putting together a healthy meal
- Planning healthy snacks
- What to drink?
- Balancing food and blood glucose levels
- Healthy pregnancy weight gain
- Who can help you?
Eating well
Eating the right balance of healthy foods can help to keep your blood glucose levels in the target range. Eating well also provides nutrition for you and your growing baby. This will support a healthy pregnancy weight gain. Test
Eating well for gestational diabetes
To eat well for gestational diabetes:
Choose the foods you need for good nutrition in pregnancy
Choose the right amount and type of carbohydrate foods at meals and snacks
Choose the right amount and type of carbohydrate foods at meals and snacks
Limit foods and drinks high in sugar
Eat regular meals and snacks, spread out over the day
Choose healthy fats
Healthy eating for gestational diabetes
Helpful resources
Information in your language
You can find information about eating well for gestational diabetes in your language:
- العربية – – Arabic
- বাঙালি – Bengali
- 简体中文 – Chinese (simplified)
- 繁體中文 – Chinese (traditional)
- हिन्दी – Hindi
- नेपाली – Nepali
- ਪੰਜਾਬੀ – Punjabi
- Türkçe – Turkish
- اردو – – Urdu
- Việt – Vietnamese
Gestational diabetes - Caring for yourself and your baby
Download our booklet for more information.
Carbohydrate foods are sometimes called carbs.
Eating well for your pregnancy
Eating well provides the nutrition you need for a healthy pregnancy and gives your baby the best start.
You need the right balance of foods from the different food groups. These food groups are:
- bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles and other grains
- vegetables and legumes
- fruit
- meat, fish, poultry, cooked eggs, nuts, seeds and tofu
- milk, yoghurt, hard cheese and dairy alternatives (with added calcium).
You can use the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating to make sure you are getting the right balance of foods from the different food groups each day. This helps you to get the nutrients you need, including those needed in higher amounts such as iron, folate and iodine.
A dietitian can help you with information on good nutrition for you and your growing baby, while making food choices to manage your gestational diabetes.
Understanding carbohydrates
Understanding carbohydrates can help you to manage your gestational diabetes.
Carbohydrates are found in many different foods. They provide your body with energy. Carb foods can also provide fibre, vitamins, and minerals for good nutrition during pregnancy.
The carbohydrate in your food breaks down into glucose in your body. This glucose enters the blood to be used for energy.
Carbohydrate foods are the main foods that affect the level of glucose in your blood. Watch our Carbohydrate, glycemic index and fibre video below.
Choosing carbohydrates
Some carbohydrate foods are better choices than others.
Carbohydrate foods to choose
These carbohydrate foods provide important nutrients for you and your growing baby. Choosing the best type and eating the right amount of these foods is important for managing your blood glucose levels. Include these foods:
Breads, flatbreads, crispbread
Starchy vegetables
Fruit
Pasta, rice, noodles and grains
Legumes
Milk and yoghurt
High fibre breakfast cereals
Carbohydrate foods to limit or avoid
These foods contain carbohydrate as sugar, or are highly processed. They are low in important nutrients and can cause blood glucose levels to rise too high.
Try to avoid these foods:
Sugar, jam, honey and syrups
Biscuits, cakes, donuts and pastries
Low-fibre or sweetened breakfast cereals
Chocolates, sweets and confectionery
Soft drinks, cordial, sports drinks and fruit juice
Potato crisps, corn chips and crackers
Ice cream, custards and desserts
Takeaway foods such a burgers, fries, pizzas and pastries.
Choosing the best type of carbohydrates
Carbohydrate foods break down into glucose at different rates – some fast, some slow.
Choosing carbohydrate foods that break down slowly can help you keep your blood glucose levels in the target range. The glycemic index (GI) tells you how slowly or quickly carbohydrate foods affect blood glucose levels.
- High GI carbohydrates cause blood glucose to rise quickly.
- Low GI carbohydrates cause a slower, lower rise in blood glucose.
The best type of carbohydrates to choose are those with a lower GI. Try to include lower GI carbohydrate foods with your meals and snacks.
How much carbohydrate you eat is important. Too much carbohydrate, even if it is lower GI, can cause your blood glucose levels to rise too high.
Quick tip
Not all foods with a low GI are healthy choices.
Look for low GI foods that are:
- low in saturated fat
- low in sodium (salt)
- high in fibre
- less processed.
Lower GI foods
Use this list to include lower GI foods when planning your meals. You can add these foods to your healthy shopping list.
Bread
Whole grain/seeded breads, high-fibre mixed grain wraps, fruit/raisin bread, multigrain crisp-bread, roti or chapatti made with lower GI atta. Look for bread with the GI symbol.
Rice
Basmati rice, low GI white rice, low GI brown rice.
Pasta
All types of wheat pasta, cooked ‘al dente’ (not overcooked).
Noodles
Vermicelli, hokkein, udon, buckwheat, soba, fresh rice noodles.
Breakfast cereal
Traditional or steel cut rolled oats, natural muesli, high-fibre whole grain cereals.
Grains
Quinoa, barley, pearl couscous, buckwheat, bulgar, freekeh.
Vegetables and legumes
Orange sweet potato, corn, low GI white potatoes (look for the GI symbol), yam, cassava, taro, lentils, chickpeas, split peas and kidney beans.
Fruit
Most fresh fruit and canned fruit in natural juice.
Dairy foods
Milk, yoghurt, buttermilk or soy milk (choose those with added calcium).
What about other foods
Other foods with little or no carbohydrate also provide important nutrients for you and your baby. These foods will have no effect or very little effect on your blood glucose levels.
Fats and oils (eat in small amounts)
These foods include:
- oils
- spreads
- avocado.
Protein foods (eat in moderation)
These foods include:
- meat, chicken and fish
- tofu
- eggs
- cheese
- nuts.
Non-starchy vegetables (eat plenty)
These include:
- salad vegetables e.g., tomato, cucumber, celery, capsicum, onion
- green leafy vegetables e.g., spinach, lettuce, bok choy, choy sum
- other vegetables e.g., cauliflower, broccoli, leek, carrot, green beans, peas, zucchini, okra, eggplant, cabbage, asparagus and peas.
Other foods and drinks
- Some fruits such as strawberries, lemons, limes and passionfruit
- Herbs and spices
- Water, mineral water and soda water
- Condiments such as vinegar and mustard.
What about alternative sweeteners?
There are a range of alternative sweeteners available to replace sugar. You do not need to use these when you have gestational diabetes. If you choose to use alternative sweeteners, they are considered safe for use in small amounts in pregnancy. Ask your dietitian for more information.
Choosing healthy fats
The foods we eat contain different types of fats. Some are healthier than others. Healthy fats are important for your health and your baby’s growth and development.
Try to limit the unhealthy fats and choose the healthy fats in small amounts.
To choose healthy fats:
Use oils such as olive, extra virgin olive, canola or sunflower oil
Include nut butters and spreads made from healthy oils
Add avocado, nuts and seeds to your meals and snacks
Try to include 2 serves of cooked fish a week (see food safety guidelines for information about fish to limit)
To eat less of the unhealthy fats:
Choose lean meats, skinless chicken and reduced fat milk and cheese.
Try to avoid butter, ghee, cream, sour cream and coconut milk/cream.
Avoid takeaway and processed foods such as fries, pizza, burgers, pastries, processed meats, packaged savory snacks, biscuits, cakes and chocolate.
Eating regular meals and snacks
Eating regular meals and snacks can help you to manage your blood glucose levels.
Include carbohydrate foods at your meals and snacks as they are the main source of energy for you and your growing baby.
Spreading carbohydrate foods over regular meals and snacks can help keep your blood glucose level in the target range. Eating too much carbohydrate at any one meal or snack can cause your blood glucose levels to rise too high.
Start with including some carbohydrate foods, spread out over 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks each day.
Your dietitian can help you to work out how much carbohydrate to include at meals and snacks and give you advice on serve sizes.
Pick your meal
- Avocado toast
- Pasta bolognese
- Fish and vegetables
- Curry with rice
- Grilled meat, burghul and salad
- Curry, dahl and rice
1-2 slices whole grain toast topped with avocado or nut paste, plus a glass of reduced-fat milk
1 cup cooked pasta with lean beef/chicken sauce, served with garden salad and a drizzle of olive oil dressing
1 serve of cooked fresh fish served with 1 cup cooked sweet potato, 1 small corn cob, steamed green vegetables and lemon wedges
Lean meat/chicken/fish curry served with 1 cup cooked basmati rice or ⅔ cup chickpea curry with ½ cup rice, served with salad or green vegetables
Grilled meat/chicken with 1 cup steamed rice/lentils or burghul, served with yoghurt and salad
1 cup dhal with ½ cup cooked basmati rice, vegetable curry steamed non-starchy vegetables
Follow pregnancy food safety guidelines as advised by your health professionals when preparing meals and snacks.
More meal ideas for a range of cultural groups are available here in English and in language.
Tips for putting together healthy meals on a budget
You can make healthy meals that are budget friendly by trying the following tips:
- make a weekly meal plan
- shop with a list to avoid buying extras
- buy in bulk when pantry items are “on special”
- freeze leftovers for lunch
- buy fruits and vegetables in season
- use frozen vegetables when out of season or cheaper
- buy generic bands of staples like pasta, milk, rolled oats, canned tomatoes and olive oil
- cook at home rather than eating out
- look for recipes that use legumes like lentils and chickpeas.
Planning healthy snacks
Choosing healthy snacks can help keep your blood glucose levels in the target range. They can provide extra nutrition for you and your baby. Healthy snacks include fruit, milk, yoghurt and nuts. Talk to your dietitian about the timing of meals and snacks.
Snack ideas
Choose one or two of these snacks between your meals:
1 medium piece of fruit e.g. apple, orange, a small banana or pear
2 smaller pieces of fruit e.g. mandarins, plums or kiwi fruit
1 cup of reduced fat milk or soy milk (with added calcium)
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt with berries or passionfruit
1 small (100g) tub fruit yoghurt
1 cup unsweetened buttermilk
4 Vitaweets™ or Vita Grains™ with avocado, tomato and reduced-fat cheese
1/2 cup oven-roasted chickpeas with spices
1 packet Happy Snack Company Roasted Chickpeas™
2 Ryvitas™ with canned tuna and sliced tomato
1 slice wholegrain toast with avocado
1 apple, sliced and topped with nut butter
1 pear, sliced and served with reduced fat cheese
Small handful (30g) unsalted nuts with 1 tablespoon dried fruit.
1 slice wholegrain fruit toast
1 small corn cob or ½ small golden sweet potato.
Remember
You can add extra food to your snacks such as carrot sticks, strawberries, or a small handful of unsalted nuts.
What to drink?
Drinks to choose
Water is the best everyday drink. You can choose water, plain mineral water or soda water. Add slices of fresh lemon or lime for some extra flavour. A small amount of tea and coffee can be included during pregnancy – ask your dietitian for more information.
Drinks to avoid
Drinks such as soft drink, cordial, sports drinks and fruit juice are high in sugar. These drinks can cause your blood glucose levels to rise too high and should be avoided.
The Australian guidelines recommend that women who are planning a pregnancy or pregnant should not drink alcohol. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.
Balancing food and blood glucose levels
Sometimes, your blood glucose levels can still be too high even with healthy eating and regular physical activity.
It is important not to cut out carbohydrates as your baby needs carbohydrate as their main source of energy for growth and development.
If your blood glucose levels are above your target range, contact your diabetes health professionals. You dietitian will work with you to see if any food changes can help.
If your blood glucose levels are still above the target range, your diabetes health professionals may suggest medication. Needing medication just means your body needs a bit of extra help to keep your blood glucose levels in the target range.
Keeping a food diary
Keeping a diary can help you understand the effects of food and physical activity on your blood glucose levels.
Write in your diary:
- the time
- what you have eaten (including amount and type of carbohydrate foods)
- what activity you have done
- your blood glucose level (at your recommended monitoring time).
Use this diary to discuss your blood glucose levels with your dietitian. This information can also help you and your diabetes health professionals troubleshoot any blood glucose levels which are above the target range.
Other reasons for high blood glucose levels may include checking too soon after a meal, not washing your hands, being less active than usual or being stressed or unwell.
Food safety
Remember, food safety is important during pregnancy. To prevent food poisoning and keep you and your baby healthy:
- Avoid high risk foods such as soft cheeses, unpasteurised dairy foods, pre-cooked cold chicken, soft serve ice cream, deli/sandwich meats, bean sprouts, rockmelon, tahini, pre-prepared salads and pâte.
- Avoid raw or undercooked meat, chicken, seafood or eggs.
- Follow food cooking and storage instructions.
- Prepare raw and cooked foods separately.
- Cook and reheat food until steaming hot.
- Keep cold foods refrigerated.
- Prepare all salads (including fruit salad) at home.
- Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly.
- Choose fish carefully and limit shark/flake, swordfish and deep sea perch because of the risk of these being too high in mercury.
More information about food safety is available from your dietitian, maternity service, state or territory health department.
Healthy pregnancy weight gain
Healthy weight gain during pregnancy is important for you and your baby. It is usual to gain some weight during your pregnancy, as your baby grows. How much weight you should gain depends on your weight before you were pregnant.
Not gaining enough weight can mean that your baby may not be getting all of the nutrition they need.
Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can increase the risk of high blood pressure, having a large baby, birth complications or needing a caesarean section. Extra weight gain can also make it more difficult to manage your blood glucose levels.
The table below shows the recommended weight gain targets for pregnancy. Use a BMI calculator to work out your pre-pregnancy BMI. These weight gain targets do not apply to women having a multiple pregnancy, and recommendations may vary for women from different cultural backgrounds.
Discuss your pregnancy weight gain targets with your health professional. Talk to them if you feel you are not gaining enough weight or gaining too much.
| Pre-pregnancy BMI | Weight range | Pregnancy weight gain (kg) | Monthly weight gain 2nd and 3rd trimester (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 18.5 | Underweight | 12.5 – 18 | 2 |
| 18.5 – 24.9 | Healthy weight | 11.5 – 16 | 1.5 |
| 25 – 29.9 | Overweight | 7 – 11.5 | 1 |
| > 30 | Obese | 5 – 9 | 1 |
Have your weight checked regularly throughout your pregnancy.
Who can help you help you?
Managing gestational diabetes is a team effort, involving you, your partner, your family, and health professionals.
Your team of health professionals will usually include a dietitian. They can work with you to help you make food choices to manage gestational diabetes.
If you need help to find a dietitian, ask your health care team. You can search for a dietitian near you at dietitiansaustralia.org.au or go to healthdirect.
For more information and support call the NDSS Helpline on 1800 637 700 and ask to speak a dietitian for information, advice or to find out what services are available in your area.
Need an interpreter? Call the Translating and Interpreter Service (TIS) 131 450. State your language. Wait to be connected and ask for 1800 637 700.
Find out more about healthy eating after pregnancy.
