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When you are first diagnosed with gestational diabetes, many women find themselves googling every food that they put in their mouth to track their carb intake. That quickly becomes exhausting and leads to diet burnout.
And let’s be real, a lot of foods that are advertised as low-carb are gross. Your diagnosis doesn’t have to be a nine month sentence to bad food.
In this article, we will be looking specifically at low carb chip options for gestational diabetes, as well as how to incorporate your normal, favorite snacks into a blood sugar friendly diet.
How Many Carbs Can I Have As A Snack?
It is generally recommended to stick to 15-20 grams of carbohydrates at snacks when you have gestational diabetes.
Everyone’s bodies are different, so lean into what works well for you. If you can tolerate a higher carb snack without a blood sugar spike, go for it!
Can I Eat Regular Chips With Gestational Diabetes?
Yes, you don’t have to buy any special foods when you have gestational diabetes. Chips are a carbohydrate, and like all carbohydrates, can usually be incorporated into a blood sugar friendly diet.
In fact, a strict low carb diet may limit the number of essential nutrients that you are able to obtain from food. Some women actually feel better when they eat carbs regularly. Plus, trying to follow a low carb diet (or any diet for that matter) may strain your relationship with food.
So yes; eat your chips! Keep reading for more guidance on how to incorporate them into a healthy gestational diabetes eating pattern.
Low Carb Chips for Gestational Diabetes
While you can eat your favorite chips during your pregnancy, some people prefer to opt for low carb chips for gestational diabetes. If that’s you, stick around while we walk you through the best low carb chip alternatives that contain primarily simple ingredients.
Whisps
These little crisps are literally just dried cheese. They’re crunchy, wonderful, and have 1 gram of carbohydrates per serving.
Pork rinds
Pork rinds have 1 gram of carbohydrates per serving and are available in several flavors. These are also a top pick for pregnancy due to their high glycine content, which can help promote a healthy uterus and postpartum healing. It may even help lower your chances of developing pre-eclampsia.
Hilo Life Chips
Hilo Chips are chips made from almond flour, which is naturally low in carbohydrates. The nacho cheese variety only has 5 grams of carbohydrates. It also packs 240mg (20% DV) of your daily calcium needs, making it a great choice to promote optimal bone health.
Wild Protein Chips
Wild Protein Chips are a unique product and worth mentioning on our low carb chips list. These chips are made from chicken breasts, bone broth, and egg whites while maintaining the crisp texture of a traditional chip.
Plus, they come in several varieties, including Himalayan Pink Salt, Buffalo, Sea Salt and Vinegar, and Barbeque.
Each serving contains 8 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of protein.
Flock Chicken Chips
Think of these like pork rinds, but made from chicken. Each serving of Flock Chicken Chips contains 13 grams of protein and zero carbs, making it a great option to help promote blood sugar balance.
Low Carb Vs. Whole Foods
Life is all about balance, and diabetes is no different. There may be some low carb products that make your life wayyy easier when it comes to managing your blood sugars.
With that being said, eating whole foods usually offers more nutrients than products that are created with the intention of resembling it’s higher carb counterparts while maintaining a decent flavor and texture.
When the goal is strictly low carb, other essential nutrients often get lost. Plus, buying commercially made low carb products can quickly get expensive.
Let’s talk about some whole food, salty snacks to balance your blood sugars without having to resort to low carb chips for gestational diabetes.
Pairing Foods for Blood Sugar Balance
First, a little nutrition review: Calories are the energy source that your body uses for all of its daily functioning. There are three sources of calories that we get from foods: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Carbohydrates are the only food that has a significant role in raising blood sugar. On the other hand, protein and fat can help reduce your blood sugar spikes.
When carbs are eaten alongside a protein or fat, it can help prevent a sharp spike in your blood sugars. That is the key to incorporating your favorite foods when managing gestational diabetes.
This means that you don’t have to eat only low carb foods with gestational diabetes! Now that you know how carbs, fat, and protein affect blood sugar, you can pair them strategically to manage your diabetes without any diet foods.
So what does this look like practically?
- Lay’s chips + cottage cheese
- Almonds + grapes
- Sweet potato chips + guacamole
- Smoked gouda cheese with whole grain crackers
- Trail mix (yes, even with the M&Ms)
- Avocado toast on sourdough bread
- Chia pudding
- Apple with peanut butter
Final Thoughts
You are not limited to only low carb foods when you have gestational diabetes. However, some people may feel more comfortable opting for a chip with fewer carbs.
Many low carb chips have a TON of extra ingredients, but there are a few on the market that are made primarily with simple ingredients and whole foods.
Our top 5 low carb chip options include:
- Whisps
- Pork rinds
- Hilo Life Chips
- Wild Protein Chips
- Flock Chicken Chips
With a little nutrition education and a lot of experimenting to see how YOUR body uniquely responds to food, you can nourish your body well through your pregnancy and gestational diabetes.
For more support with managing your blood sugars, check out our article on Top 9 Desserts for Gestational Diabetes.