Recipes for Diabetic Women in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Certain diseases result in dietary limitations. A clear example is diabetes, especially during pregnancy. Here you'll find some ideas to cook delicious dishes while also taking care of your health.

In this article we’ll provide you with some recipes for diabetic women in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The special nutritional requirements of pregnancy add to the difficulties that already come with having diabetes. This makes planning your diet even more complicated.

However, with the help of a professional and taking proper care of your diet, you can cope with it perfectly.

First let’s define diabetes and understand what causes it in the body. Diabetes is a condition that causes a chronic or permanent state of excess blood glucose. Usually, this is due to a lack of insulin production, the hormone responsible for metabolizing glucose.

However, there may also be a resistance to the action of insulin or an excess in the generation of glucose. In the same way, this can also affect how other nutrients are metabolized.

What symptoms does diabetes present?

Depending on the type of diabetes you have, the symptoms may vary. However, the most frequent are:

• Extreme thirst or hunger and unusual weight loss.
• Fatigue and irritability
• Frequent infections
• Vision problems
• Cuts or bruises that take time to heal

Pregnant women are at risk of gestational diabetes. There is a high presence of glucose in the body from the 24th week of pregnancy that can cause this, without the need for the mother to have diabetes before being pregnant.

Gestational diabetes can also be caused if the placenta blocks the action of insulin. This is called insulin resistance. However, its causes aren’t entirely clear.

How does it affect the baby? The excess glucose transferred to the baby can be harmful to his or her health. The baby isn’t able to metabolize it due to low insulin production, and it will accumulate as fat.

Another consequence may be macrosomia. This disease produces “fat” babies who usually have shoulder problems at birth. Their likelihood of suffering from respiratory conditions is also greater, as is the likelihood of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

Recipes for diabetic women in the first trimester of pregnancy

After this introduction, we must clarify that diabetes presents certain limitations when it comes to eating. The main thing is to watch your consumption of carbohydrates and sugar.

Here are some recipes for diabetic women in the first trimester of pregnancy that can be very helpful:

Rice with black beans and bacon

Ingredients (4 servings)

• Water
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup sweet pepper, either red or green
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and in pieces, drained
• 6 strips of Spanish sweet pepper

Preparation: 

• Bring water to a boil and place the oil in a medium skillet. Fry the onion, garlic, pepper, cilantro and rice for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and beans. Mix and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add the boiling water, salt and bacon. Cook over moderate heat until almost all the water evaporates.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir only a couple of times and let it sit until the rice is tender.
• Garnish with strips of bell pepper and serve.

Veracruz-style fish

Ingredients (8 servings):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 peeled tomatoes, seeded and chopped into small squares
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp powdered cloves
• 1 jalapeño cut into strips, seeded and with the weight vein removed, or 1/4 cup canned jalapeño
• 1 tbsp capers
• 6 stuffed green onions, sliced
• 2 lbs red snapper fillet or other white meat fish, cut into 8 pieces

Preparation: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place the oil over medium heat in a pan and fry the garlic and onion for 3 or 4 minutes. The garlic shouldn’t brown.
• Add the tomatoes, cinnamon and powdered clove.
• Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
• Add the jalapeño, capers and olives and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
• Place the fish in a baking pan with non-stick cooking oil and cover with the sauce.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the fish is ready.

Vegetable omelet

Ingredients:

• 5 small potatoes, peeled and cut
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups red or green peppers cut into thin slices
• 5 medium sliced mushrooms
• 3 beaten eggs
• 5 beaten egg whites
• Pepper with garlic salt and other herbs to taste
• 3 ounces grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp low-fat parmesan cheese

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft.
• Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and cook over medium heat.
• Sauté the onion until golden brown. Add vegetables until they soften, but don’t brown them. 
• Beat the eggs and egg whites in a medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic and mozzarella cheese.
• Add the egg mixture to the vegetables.
• Spray a saucepan or pan with vegetable oil and pour it into the egg and cheese mixture. Sprinkle the low-fat Parmesan cheese on top. 
• Stir until the surface is firm and golden brown (between 15 and 30 minutes).
• Drain, cool and serve.

As you can see, you can cope with diabetes with a varied and healthy diet. With these recipes for diabetic women in the first trimester of pregnancy, you can have rich and balanced meals at the beginning of your pregnancy.

Always keep in mind, however, that you should never miss your check-ups with your doctor.