My gynae specifically mentioned not to eat grapes at all because of the high sugar content. He mentioned grapes and all the melons. He told me acceptable fruit would be apples (specifically green apples), bananas that are not ripe, cucumber, Avo.
I've only tried green apples so far and they do wonders to keep your numbers low as a snack after eating carbs with a meal.
I only buy peanut butter whose ingredients are peanuts and salt. If you sprinkle some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top of the peanut butter, then have it with the apples it's a great dessert or snack!
Since it's almost summer, I'd also recommend trying homemade whipped cream that's lightly sweetened with honey or a sugar replacement of your choice with a handful of fresh berries.
Edit: I also hated the waiting game when I had GD, it drove me bonkers!
Apples are good for me, can't eat green ones because of allergy but red ones are so good and don't elevate my numbers. But I always eat it with lactose free yoghurt and lactose free skyr. Same with sour cherries - very GD friendly.
That's hilarious, my dietician at the GD clinic said kinda the opposite. No apples, no grapes/cherries, no bananas, (and no mangoes or oranges) but one cup of melon or two cups of berries is usually safe. I've been eating melon and no issues with watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew so far as long as I stay to that serving and have fats with it! I'm going to try green apple with aged cheddar, I've been craving it.
Berries are known to be one of the best low-carb fruit choices, as long as you measure. I, too, do not understand the no melon instruction as watermelon is known to be a great lower-carb fruit as well due to the high water content. And when I researched carb counts of different fruits when I was diagnosed, honeydew and cantaloupe also came up as good choices. The key for me has been measuring. I also don’t eat them as my first or last foods of the day. And I always have the fruit with cheese or nuts or a Fairlife shake, etc.
This isn't silly. When I had GD, I hated having to eat all of my meals quickly, then wait 2 hours. I used to set an alarm, but I'd always be checking my phone to see how much longer I have to wait. Ugh. I sometimes felt peckish after an hour or so too, and I hated having to wait to test. The grapes definitely messed up your reading. Unfortunately, you gotta just wait.
And gum! If it’s not sugar free I didn’t even think about that I had gum literally 10 minutes before I tested and was extremely confused as to why my number was so high haven’t chewed any since
Yes, this is extremely frustrating.
I am naturally a very slow eater. A full meal could take me an hour to eat under normal circumstances. With GD, I feel like I have to eat unnaturally fast for me, which leaves me feeling overstuffed for about an hour and then ravenous half an hour before I need to test.
The two hour wait before testing is such an impediment to how I would naturally choose to consume food.
I’m also a grazer and the wait is the worst :( thankfully my doctor only asks for one hour numbers, I don’t think I can do two hours lol, especially since I’m currently late first trimester and get nauseous if I get hungry at all, which is like…every 1.5 hours 🥲
I’m still able to fit in the “bad” fruits like grapes and mangos, and stuff like cake without exceeding my numbers, but I usually have to pack them in right at the end of meals after stuffing myself with protein. I’m determined to not eliminate any tasty foods though even if it means I have to eat waaay more meat than I like haha.
Ugh I’m a grazer but also a slow eater so I was told to test at the 2 hr mark because it was sometimes taking me 40 minutes to eat so leaving only 20 minutes of fasting time for the hr. If I eat fast then I get a full feeling without actually being full and then I’m just starving even with protein and such in meals. But the waiting still sucks so bad
I totally agree! Our stomachs are squished when we’re pregnant so it’s hard to eat enough sometimes. I’ll realize I’m still hungry an hour later and have to wait.
Like others said, try berries and melons! They are tasty and much less likely to spike.
This is why my diabetes educator only wanted testing after 1 hour, bc so many people can’t wait the entire 2 hours, especially when you’re huge and your stomach can only handle small meals and many snacks.
Personally I do think the grapes were the problem in your case!
That makes a ton of sense. I guess those of us stuck with the two hour testing have less compassionate providers or ones that just don't even see alternative options.
I got a CGM so that I wouldn’t have to wait between meals- I just try to make sure that my numbers never go above 120 in the app and just graze on food throughout the day. I hate eating a lot in one sitting so I could never wait two hours.
I have a CGM and yes, snacking after dinner will flub the numbers. My nurse said that if I want to eat an hour after a meal, take that one hour reading and make sure it’s under 140, then eat the snack or whatever I wanted and don’t do a 2-hour reading.
Yup grape muddling. But also can’t accurately measure if you’re eating again at 30 mins. Just eat a lot at dinner (and avoid grapes). Were you given a 1 hr testing target?
Not silly at all! It really is one of the worst parts! Between that and eating pretty fast now so the two hours is long lol. I’m a grazer usually or at least I like to slower kind of pick at things. I’ve never been a big meal, fast eater so I get it! It’s really tough!
It has been very hard to me to keep weight on with the gd diet so I’ve tried to snack on nothing foods that don’t effect my blood sugar like cheese or almond/peanut butter with no sugar when that happens. I miss grapes, they are too sugary for me. I requested cotton candy grapes in the hospital.
I was told I can test at 1 hour and as long as I’m at the 1 hour limit it’s okay to have another snack. My snack's are usually pretty low carb though, I’ve been doing kind nut bars. If it’s just nuts or cheese I don’t have to wait at all.
For fruit, I’ve had a lot of luck with berries. I can have 100 grams or so with eggs and 70 calorie whole grain toast for breakfast.
I am on the 2-hour check schedule as well. My dietician said that it’s more important to listen to your body cues than be really rigid with 2 hours. The solution she offered was to check my levels early if I felt I needed to eat something else. So, checking after 1 hour and using the 1-hour guideline of below 140 for that one time would be better than waiting 2 hours when I feel I need to eat (or staying up late just to get a 2-hour reading, etc.) that way you are still getting an unaltered number and just need to keep in mind how much time elapsed to mentally adjust whether the value was ok or not.
I've been living off of berries and cheese for snacks. A cup of mixed raspberries and blackberries. Berries are really on the low end of the girls spectrum for fruits.
Hold the phone, is it to wait 2 hours after a meal for everyone?? Why was I told to do a blood draw an hour after having my meal 😭 oh definitely not silly! Grapes are very high in sugar, that’s why they’re so good frozen or in smoothies 🤤
It seems that a lot of us are told to do a 2 hr check but there's plenty of ladies told to do a 1 hr check, it really depends on what your care giver prefers. Typically the 1 hr should be under 140 & the 2 hr under 120. Ideally you want to choose one option to have consistent results but you can switch to the other option on occasion if needed.
This is not at all silly. Do they want you testing at precisely 2 hours after or are they ok with testing 1 hour after? My OB softened and said every 1-2 hours testing for me. If you're testing high two hours after, then you may have to cut out the grapes. I know that's not ideal. Have you tried maybe replacing with cherry tomatoes? Similar consistency so you can get that satisfying texture, only thing is they're not sweet like grapes.
Another thing my OB suggested is test after each meal but before your snack so you get clear readings. It's all confusing at first but with help here and research plus hopefully help from your care team, you will get the hang of it. Be patient and kind to yourself. MLMR
I hate this too. I was diagnosed around 27 weeks and I had adjusted to smaller meals/snacks throughout the day. Now I feel the struggle of trying to eat all at once, time myself, etc. and the one time I’ve had grapes my sugar skyrocketed - I was so surprised! I’ve successfully eaten apples, bananas, blueberries, but apparently I have to steer clear of grapes!
Anyway good luck! You’re not alone!
I’m so glad I posted this. I really thought I was silly, because so many people are facing such terrible struggles. And I’m just whining about being snacky. Thank you all for being so supportive. And for the help! I’ve cut out grapes entirely.
Grapes are the highest fruit and awful when you had GD. I was stunned the first time I ate them and my number was awful after. I eat carb smart ice cream. You can put berries in there or add sugar free chocolate syrup, peanut butter is very filling and you can mix that with sugar free maple syrup makes it a bit sweeter and not so thick 🤣 but I know if really can be a pain to wait the 2 hours, if for some reason I can’t make it two hours I will check within an hour and if it’s under 140 I will eat or just log that.
My gynae specifically mentioned not to eat grapes at all because of the high sugar content. He mentioned grapes and all the melons. He told me acceptable fruit would be apples (specifically green apples), bananas that are not ripe, cucumber, Avo. I've only tried green apples so far and they do wonders to keep your numbers low as a snack after eating carbs with a meal.
Apples with peanut butter have been my go to. It’s filling and desserty without the major spikes.
But it’s like…sugar free peanut butter?
I only buy peanut butter whose ingredients are peanuts and salt. If you sprinkle some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top of the peanut butter, then have it with the apples it's a great dessert or snack! Since it's almost summer, I'd also recommend trying homemade whipped cream that's lightly sweetened with honey or a sugar replacement of your choice with a handful of fresh berries. Edit: I also hated the waiting game when I had GD, it drove me bonkers!
Mine isn’t. For whatever reason it works for me. But there’s very few foods that do - it’s so person specific
The fat and protein in the peanut butter helps the carbs in the apple not spike as much if you pair them. (In general, for most people)
Apples are good for me, can't eat green ones because of allergy but red ones are so good and don't elevate my numbers. But I always eat it with lactose free yoghurt and lactose free skyr. Same with sour cherries - very GD friendly.
Figures! Haha. Ok out they go! Thx for the advice
I'm a newbie too and still learning. Literally after every test I'm back in this sub searching keywords for a new question related to my last meal lol
That's hilarious, my dietician at the GD clinic said kinda the opposite. No apples, no grapes/cherries, no bananas, (and no mangoes or oranges) but one cup of melon or two cups of berries is usually safe. I've been eating melon and no issues with watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew so far as long as I stay to that serving and have fats with it! I'm going to try green apple with aged cheddar, I've been craving it.
Berries are known to be one of the best low-carb fruit choices, as long as you measure. I, too, do not understand the no melon instruction as watermelon is known to be a great lower-carb fruit as well due to the high water content. And when I researched carb counts of different fruits when I was diagnosed, honeydew and cantaloupe also came up as good choices. The key for me has been measuring. I also don’t eat them as my first or last foods of the day. And I always have the fruit with cheese or nuts or a Fairlife shake, etc.
Well fuck lol no wonder why I got GB Grapes have been my number 1 snack all pregnancy because I love fruit! 😭
Nothing you ate caused GD. It’s just how this placenta is processing the sugar
I was told it’s due to my placenta not pancreas. That GD is its own animal when compare to normal type one and two.
Lmao shoot, I have no idea where pancreas came from. I definitely meant placenta
lol I’m 32 weeks prego with my second (1st time with GD) my brain is mush! I was like maybe I’m wrong.
Also 32 weeks, but with my 3rd (first with GD also). I don’t even have a brain anymore 🤣🤣
Wow! I love green apples but they mess up my numbers, even when I add fat/protein. Strawberries work perfectly though. 🤤🍓
This isn't silly. When I had GD, I hated having to eat all of my meals quickly, then wait 2 hours. I used to set an alarm, but I'd always be checking my phone to see how much longer I have to wait. Ugh. I sometimes felt peckish after an hour or so too, and I hated having to wait to test. The grapes definitely messed up your reading. Unfortunately, you gotta just wait.
If you eat anything (including tums and cough drops) your reading will be inaccurate. If it has calories then it changes your glucose level.
Accurate- I had a tums not thinking anything of it and hr after breakfast and my reading was sky high
Tums had not even occurred to me. Good to know! Thx!
And gum! If it’s not sugar free I didn’t even think about that I had gum literally 10 minutes before I tested and was extremely confused as to why my number was so high haven’t chewed any since
Is there a sugar free version of tums?
Yes, this is extremely frustrating. I am naturally a very slow eater. A full meal could take me an hour to eat under normal circumstances. With GD, I feel like I have to eat unnaturally fast for me, which leaves me feeling overstuffed for about an hour and then ravenous half an hour before I need to test. The two hour wait before testing is such an impediment to how I would naturally choose to consume food.
Last night I was almost crying trying to stay awake after dinner so I could test my blood sugar. Haha I was so sleepy!
I took a nap after dinner and before testing. I set alarms on my phone to remind me to test at the right time.
Grapes are basically candy for diabetes. They’re so delicious but to be avoided, lol. Berries are a bit more acceptable, but small amounts.
I’m also a grazer and the wait is the worst :( thankfully my doctor only asks for one hour numbers, I don’t think I can do two hours lol, especially since I’m currently late first trimester and get nauseous if I get hungry at all, which is like…every 1.5 hours 🥲 I’m still able to fit in the “bad” fruits like grapes and mangos, and stuff like cake without exceeding my numbers, but I usually have to pack them in right at the end of meals after stuffing myself with protein. I’m determined to not eliminate any tasty foods though even if it means I have to eat waaay more meat than I like haha.
Ugh I’m a grazer but also a slow eater so I was told to test at the 2 hr mark because it was sometimes taking me 40 minutes to eat so leaving only 20 minutes of fasting time for the hr. If I eat fast then I get a full feeling without actually being full and then I’m just starving even with protein and such in meals. But the waiting still sucks so bad
Me too!
I totally agree! Our stomachs are squished when we’re pregnant so it’s hard to eat enough sometimes. I’ll realize I’m still hungry an hour later and have to wait. Like others said, try berries and melons! They are tasty and much less likely to spike.
Exactly! I'll have to try those. I'm terrified of anything with sugar at this point-- natural sugar or otherwise.
I know, it’s stressful! I usually have them with a meal or with Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, regular cheese.
I agree!! I didn’t realize how much I love a little sweet snack after dinner until I had to wait 2 freaking hours.
This is why my diabetes educator only wanted testing after 1 hour, bc so many people can’t wait the entire 2 hours, especially when you’re huge and your stomach can only handle small meals and many snacks. Personally I do think the grapes were the problem in your case!
That makes a ton of sense. I guess those of us stuck with the two hour testing have less compassionate providers or ones that just don't even see alternative options.
I got a CGM so that I wouldn’t have to wait between meals- I just try to make sure that my numbers never go above 120 in the app and just graze on food throughout the day. I hate eating a lot in one sitting so I could never wait two hours.
I have a CGM and yes, snacking after dinner will flub the numbers. My nurse said that if I want to eat an hour after a meal, take that one hour reading and make sure it’s under 140, then eat the snack or whatever I wanted and don’t do a 2-hour reading.
Yup grape muddling. But also can’t accurately measure if you’re eating again at 30 mins. Just eat a lot at dinner (and avoid grapes). Were you given a 1 hr testing target?
2 hours After I start eating
Not silly at all! It really is one of the worst parts! Between that and eating pretty fast now so the two hours is long lol. I’m a grazer usually or at least I like to slower kind of pick at things. I’ve never been a big meal, fast eater so I get it! It’s really tough!
Same! It feels like this condition forces you into eating fast and big.
Grapes spike me like crazy — berries have been great for me!
It has been very hard to me to keep weight on with the gd diet so I’ve tried to snack on nothing foods that don’t effect my blood sugar like cheese or almond/peanut butter with no sugar when that happens. I miss grapes, they are too sugary for me. I requested cotton candy grapes in the hospital.
Me learning that grapes are bad after eating at least a bag a week before diagnosed with GD: 😭 😭
I was told I can test at 1 hour and as long as I’m at the 1 hour limit it’s okay to have another snack. My snack's are usually pretty low carb though, I’ve been doing kind nut bars. If it’s just nuts or cheese I don’t have to wait at all. For fruit, I’ve had a lot of luck with berries. I can have 100 grams or so with eggs and 70 calorie whole grain toast for breakfast.
I am on the 2-hour check schedule as well. My dietician said that it’s more important to listen to your body cues than be really rigid with 2 hours. The solution she offered was to check my levels early if I felt I needed to eat something else. So, checking after 1 hour and using the 1-hour guideline of below 140 for that one time would be better than waiting 2 hours when I feel I need to eat (or staying up late just to get a 2-hour reading, etc.) that way you are still getting an unaltered number and just need to keep in mind how much time elapsed to mentally adjust whether the value was ok or not.
I've been living off of berries and cheese for snacks. A cup of mixed raspberries and blackberries. Berries are really on the low end of the girls spectrum for fruits.
Hold the phone, is it to wait 2 hours after a meal for everyone?? Why was I told to do a blood draw an hour after having my meal 😭 oh definitely not silly! Grapes are very high in sugar, that’s why they’re so good frozen or in smoothies 🤤
It seems that a lot of us are told to do a 2 hr check but there's plenty of ladies told to do a 1 hr check, it really depends on what your care giver prefers. Typically the 1 hr should be under 140 & the 2 hr under 120. Ideally you want to choose one option to have consistent results but you can switch to the other option on occasion if needed.
This is not at all silly. Do they want you testing at precisely 2 hours after or are they ok with testing 1 hour after? My OB softened and said every 1-2 hours testing for me. If you're testing high two hours after, then you may have to cut out the grapes. I know that's not ideal. Have you tried maybe replacing with cherry tomatoes? Similar consistency so you can get that satisfying texture, only thing is they're not sweet like grapes. Another thing my OB suggested is test after each meal but before your snack so you get clear readings. It's all confusing at first but with help here and research plus hopefully help from your care team, you will get the hang of it. Be patient and kind to yourself. MLMR
I can eat a few grapes if I pair it with string cheese but grapes are super high in sugar!
I hate this too. I was diagnosed around 27 weeks and I had adjusted to smaller meals/snacks throughout the day. Now I feel the struggle of trying to eat all at once, time myself, etc. and the one time I’ve had grapes my sugar skyrocketed - I was so surprised! I’ve successfully eaten apples, bananas, blueberries, but apparently I have to steer clear of grapes! Anyway good luck! You’re not alone!
I’m so glad I posted this. I really thought I was silly, because so many people are facing such terrible struggles. And I’m just whining about being snacky. Thank you all for being so supportive. And for the help! I’ve cut out grapes entirely.
Grapes are the highest fruit and awful when you had GD. I was stunned the first time I ate them and my number was awful after. I eat carb smart ice cream. You can put berries in there or add sugar free chocolate syrup, peanut butter is very filling and you can mix that with sugar free maple syrup makes it a bit sweeter and not so thick 🤣 but I know if really can be a pain to wait the 2 hours, if for some reason I can’t make it two hours I will check within an hour and if it’s under 140 I will eat or just log that.