By Pregnant women may feel shaky, tired, and dizzy when their blood sugar levels drop during pregnancy; pregnancy is also more challenging to endure when they are already struggling with nausea, food aversions, or long intervals between meals. Low blood sugar can occur when meals are skipped, eaten late, or do not include enough protein, fiber, or healthy fats to maintain blood sugar levels between meals.
Fortunately, food choices and meal timing can make a difference in maintaining steady energy levels during the day. For this reason, we want to provide pregnant women with the knowledge and resources needed to maintain consistent energy levels throughout each day by providing nutrition guidelines based on reliable sources.
These guidelines suggest eating regularly and consuming foods high in slow-releasing carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, while also avoiding extended periods of time without food. Therefore, the goal is to eat better instead of simply adding additional sources of sugar to your meals; the final result will be an increased ability to maintain your energy level more evenly throughout the day.
Why blood sugar can dip during pregnancy
Blood sugar levels may be affected by pregnancy due to changes in how your body processes glucose. Long periods without food, increased activity levels, vomiting, nausea or taking diabetes medications can cause low blood sugar levels. Symptoms of low blood sugar can include shakiness, sweating, headache, feeling hungry, dizziness, tiredness and trouble concentrating. If you experience severe symptoms you should seek medical advice immediately.
Therefore, developing a good meal plan while pregnant should include planning for regular meals, snack options that work for you, and mixing carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats. Both the NHS and ACOG recommend balanced eating patterns as opposed to eliminating carbohydrate sources completely; however the NHS recommends that lower GI starchy foods, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and regular meals be included.
15 best foods to help keep blood sugar steady
1. Oatmeal
When you look at what’s the best breakfast option, plain oats stand out. They are digested slowly by your body and keep you feeling full all morning. Start with rolled oats or plain porridge, then add in some kind of protein like Greek yogurt, milk, nuts, or seeds to create a more balanced meal. According to the NHS, plain porridge (or other low-GI starches) is one of the better options for breakfast.
2. Whole-grain bread
Whether you are using brown, granary, or seeded bread; wholemeal will have a far higher fibre count compared to white. This can have a positive impact on your energy levels as it will help provide you with more steady energy throughout the day. For example, a slice of brown bread with peanut butter or egg has a much greater benefit than a slice of white with jam.
3. Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein during pregnancy (and can be cooked for breakfast, lunch, or dinner). In addition to being a great source of protein, eggs can help balance the amount of carbohydrates in a meal; this is particularly important if you deal with dips in blood sugar.
4. Greek yogurt or skyr
Unsweetened Greek yogurt (or skyr) provides a great source of protein and has a creamy texture without causing blood sugar spikes. Berries, chia seeds, and/or nuts can be added to Greek yogurt or skyr to create a satisfying snack- not like a typical “diet” food. The NHS nutrition guidelines also include plain yogurt and other dairy-based protein sources.
5. Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, cashews, and/or pistachios make for great snacks and have healthy fat and protein. These nutrients help slow the digestion process and even out any potential energy dips. A handful of nuts is generally sufficient for a good-sized snack.
6. Nut butter
Nut butters (like peanut butter/almond butter) are very easy to eat in large quantities; be mindful of this when snacking. A couple of great ways to incorporate nut butters into snacks would be spread on whole grain bread, dip apple slices into nut butter, and put on crackers. Nut butters are calorie-dense, so avoid large servings.
7. Legumes
Legumes (including beans, chickpeas and lentils) are some of the best staples to have during pregnancy since they offer fiber, protein and carbohydrates that will release slowly into the bloodstream.
They make excellent additions to soups, salads, curries, and wraps.
8. Avocado
Avocados are also an excellent source of healthy fats and make any type of meal more satisfying. They are easily used as toppings on toast or eggs or added to grain bowls and they compliment foods made with lower-GI carbohydrates.
9. Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are great options if you want a sweet fruit, but want to maintain steady blood-sugar levels. They contain fiber and colour without the same effect on your blood sugar as most sweet snacks do.
10. Apples or pears
These are great fruits for snacking while you’re travelling (they fit easily in your car, bag or at work). Pair apples or pears with nut butter or cheese to create a well-balanced mini-meal (a small meal).
11. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are comforting carbohydrates and are a great source of nutrition since they break down slowly in the body. They are more filling than most refined starches and can be prepared as baked, mashed or roasted potatoes.
12. Quinoa
Quinoa is a smart option for creating lunch bowls because it has both fibre and some protein in it. Quinoa also pairs nicely with vegetables, chicken, beans and salmon.
13. Brown rice
Brown rice is a better choice than white rice when you’re looking for more sustained energy throughout the day. Brown rice works particularly well when paired with vegetables and protein. According to the NHS, brown rice is one of the slower-digesting starchy foods and will help you manage your blood glucose levels better.
14. Chicken or turkey
Lean poultry is really an excellent source of protein when trying to add protein but not having meals is too “heavy” feeling. This works well for lunch wraps, salads, rice bowls, or sandwiches.
15. Salmon or sardines
Oily fish like salmon can provide protein and healthy fats, which can be an excellent addition to your pregnancy meal plan. The NHS states lean protein is a good protein source to follow when following the gestational diabetes meal plan and provides an example of lean protein that would meet your needs during pregnancy. Be sure to refer to the safe fish to eat during pregnancy for your area.
How to combine these foods together easily
By combining foods as opposed to thinking in isolated foods is the best way to mix and match foods. An example of this is using oats alone will probably not fill you up but using oats with Greek yogurt and nuts will keep you satisfied for a few hours.
Whole grain toast with peanut butter is better than just whole-grain toast. An apple on its own is okay but an apple with cheese or nut butter will be more conducive to maintaining a stable blood sugar level. This “combination of carb plus protein plus fat” method is also discussed in ACOG, NHS, and some hospital dietary handouts and recommendations regarding food in pregnancy.
One guideline that you can use to help create these types of meals is to consider incorporating at least these three main components each time that you eat:
- slow release carbohydrates
- proteins
- healthy fats
This is an excellent way to keep from feeling the rollercoaster of spikes and drops in energy during your day.
One-Day Easy-to-Make Meal Plan to Help Prevent Low Signs of Blood Sugar for Pregnant Women
This meal plan is built on how to maintain stable energy levels throughout the day by eating regularly with no fuss or stress about how much to eat or when to eat. The one-day meal plan is similar to the standard meal pattern recommended by pregnancy nutrition education resources.
Breakfast
Oatmeal made with milk, topped with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and nut butter.
Mid-morning snack
Apple and peanut butter.
Lunch
Whole grain sandwich with chicken, salad, and avocado, with a side of cucumber or cherry tomatoes.
Afternoon snack
Plain yogurt with a small handful of nuts.
Dinner
Salmon or chicken, brown rice or quinoa, and steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots.
Bedtime snack
Whole-grain toast with nut butter or crackers and cheese, if you tend to wake hungry. Some pregnancy diet pamphlets recommend having a small lower-carbohydrate meal at night to keep blood sugar levels stable overnight if you tend to have overnight dips in blood sugar levels.
When To Seek Medical Help
If you are pregnant and have frequent episodes of low blood sugar or severe episodes of low blood sugar, speak to your health care provider. From their medical guidance, Mayo Clinic indicates that there may be an underlying cause for patients that experience several incidences of extreme low blood sugar. For patients with episodes of extreme low blood sugar, please get emergency medical care immediately if you lose feeling in your body to the point where you are unable to consume food, or if your are experiencing a seizure or from other causes cannot eat.
Generally, a person should never attempt to resuscitate (by putting food or fluid in the mouth of someone that has stopped breathing), equally to a person should not be given food or beverages to someone who is awake when they may enter into a state of loss of consciousness.
Final Thoughts
As an expectant parent dealing with low blood sugar management, you probably don’t need to over-complicate your food intake beyond simply being consistent about eating throughout the day. Follow a meal schedule that includes regular portions of well-balanced meals, simple snacks containing slow-releasing carbohydrates in combination with protein or healthy fats. Foods such as oatmeal, eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts and beans, avocados, berries, quinoa and salmon are great examples of foods that will help you avoid those frustrating “crashes.”
By creating a consistent routine of meals and snacks as well as planning ahead and selecting snacks that will help stabilize blood sugar levels, you’ll be able to feel calmer, stronger and more in control of your body during this time in your life. If you are continuing to experience low blood sugars or they seem extreme, definitely reach out to your provider.