Adding snacks into your diet is an essential part of managing gestational diabetes. It's important to avoid long periods between meals in order to stabilize your blood sugar and to prevent spike dips in your levels throughout the day. In addition to having 3 meals, most experts recommend also having 2 or even 3 snacks daily. For example, if you have breakfast at 7:30 am, lunch at 12:30pm and dinner at 6:30pm, then try integrating in a snack between breakfast and lunch around 10:30, and another snack in between lunch and dinner around 3:30 and possibly another quick bite around 8:30pm. If you find yourself not feeling hungry for a snack, then try eating smaller portions at meal time.
Small amounts of frequent food intake is one of the best ways to improve your over all blood sugar readings.
As a general rule of thumb- try to keep the carbs to 15 grams or less at snack time. The following quick recipes are nutritionally balanced low carb snack ideas that include extra fiber and or protein for additional blood sugar stabilization. Consider picking out a few "go-to" snacks from the list below, as having healthy options on hand can prevent you from opting for a less ideal choice out of convince or hunger.
1. Ants on a Log: I love this simple, classic snack that's both crunchy and creamy and savory and sweet. To prepare it, add 2 TBSP of natural (sugar-free) peanut butter to 2-3 stalks of celery and top with 5-6 raisins per stalk.
2. Ranch dip with veggie sticks: Similar to a salad but funner and snackier, dipping your favorite raw veggie in ranch makes a great low-carb, high-fiber snack. Carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers all work great. You can use store bought ranch (Primal Kitchen is a good brand, but any will do), or try this recipe to make your own dip (trust me you'll never go back): https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/quick-and-easy-homemade-ranch-dressing/#wprm-recipe-container-24866.
3. Cucumber slices with cream cheese & everything bagel seasoning: I'm not sure if this snack has a specific name, it makes a tasty treat that's GDM friendly and has great bagel vibes! Since cream cheese is ultra-low carb, feel free to pile it on. To make, slice up a cucumber and top with a generous amount of cream cheese, then sprinkle on everything bagel seasoning for a crunch and satisfying snack.
4. Parmesan crisps with guacamole: Parmesan crisp crackers are a great low-carb option. They're tasty on their own, but make an extra delicious and somewhat more filling snack when dipped into guacamole (which is also a GDM-friendly choice due to being high in fiber and low in carbs). These can be found at most grocery stores, but if you want to save some money, try this DIY recipe making your crisps- you won't believe how easy it is: https://dinnerthendessert.com/parmesan-crisps/
5. Vietnamese Pizza (Bánh Tráng Nướng)- for a more filling snack that cooks up in just a few minutes, give Vietnamese "pizza" a try. Made with rice paper wrappers and usually topped with an egg and sauces, this Vietnamese street food is really nothing like a pizza, but does have a crunchy outer crust. Try this recipe with a few topping variations from I Am A Food Blog: https://iamafoodblog.com/vietnamese-pizza/
6. Cheese, fruit and nut platter: make yourself a fun and fancy snack plate with cubes of your favorite cheese, 1/4 cup nuts of your choice and 1/2 cup fruit (grapes, berries or a mandarin orange work well flavor-wise). You can also add in other snacky ingredients like olives or gherkin pickles.
7. Deviled Eggs- eggs are a pantry staple if you have GDM, as they provide a ton of nutrition with minimal carbs. Hard boiled eggs are a great go-to snack on their own, but if you want to take it up a level consider "deviling" your eggs. Here's a great video from chef Billy Parisi with four deviled egg variations (all GDM friendly): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXMT3tg701E
8. Popcorn: Did you know that 3 cups of popcorn only has about 15 grams of carbs? So, if you're in the mood for a salty crunchy snack, look to popcorn instead of chips. Toss some nutritional yeast on top for a boost of extra protein and fiber.
9. Blue green smoothie: smoothies can be a good snack option if you're struggling with food and smell aversions. They're also a great way to get your veggies in. For a low carb smoothie recipe, add 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup blueberries, 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tablespoon of almond butter, 1 cup spinach leaves and 1/3 cup ice to a blender and enjoy.
10. Siete Grain-free chip nachos: Siete brand makes high-quality grain-free tortilla chips that are naturally low carb. You can find them at most grocery stores these days. Although they're on the pricier side, they're definitely worth the splurge if you have GDM and love chips! Top 12 or so chips with cheese, beans, meat, avocado, sour cream and salsa to create a delicious nacho-snack with about 15 grams of carbs.
11. Turkey BLT lettuce wraps: Skip the bread, but still enjoy all the good stuff with this flavorful and super low carb snack. Spread some mayo onto a big piece of lettuce. Next heat up a piece of two of deli turkey with a slice of swizz cheese on top in the microwave for 30 seconds or until steaming. Put that on top of the lettuce and mayo, and top with a piece or two of bacon, some tomato slices and maybe a few slices of avocado. Yum!
12. Berries and cream - looking for a something sweet? Add 1 cup of berries to a bowl and top with whip cream. You can use Ready Whip right out of the can, or make your own using heavy cream and vanilla extract with this quick and easy recipe from Healthy Recipes Blog: https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/keto-whipped-cream/. For an extra pop for flavor, sprinkle on a little cinnamon, coconut flakes or even shaved dark chocolate.
13. Corn Thins- similar to a rice cake (but skinnier and made with... well, corn), corn thins can be the basis of a great snack. You can find them at most grocery stores, or check them out here: https://www.cornthins.com/en-us. Two thins have about 9 grams of carbs. Try topping them with avocado, melted cheese, humus or nut butter.
14. Edamame beans- a classic sushi restaurant appetizer, steamed edamame beans are not only GDM-friendly (1 cup has 15 grams of carbs), but they're also high in protein, calcium and other important nutrients. You can find edamame beans in the frozen veggie section of the grocery store. Simply follow the cooking direction on the package, top with salt, and enjoy!
15. DIY Trail mix- if you need something that you can through in your bag or keep in your glove box, this one's for you. Although most trail mixes that you buy pre-packaged can high in sugars, making your own mix is easy, economical and GDM-friendly. Check out this low-carb recipe for inspiration from Summer Yule: https://summeryule.com/keto-trail-mix-recipe-low-carb-trail-mix/
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