If you have GDM, eating extra protein is an important strategy for controlling your blood sugars. Here's 10 quick and easy ways to boost your intake.

When you get diagnosed with gestational diabetes the general massage that you'll likely receive from your healthcare team is to cut back on carbs. While this is important, it's not only piece of the puzzle in managing your blood sugar levels. It's also essential to increase your daily intake of protein. High protein foods are thought to stabilize blood sugar levels, as they take longer to digest, and are metabolized into glucose by the body in only small amounts. Protein may also slow down the metabolism of higher carbohydrate into blood glucose.

Adding more protein to your diet can also help you to fuller and more satisfied throughout the day. Several studies have shown this to be true, and I also find it to be the case in my own clinical experience. So if you have GDM and you're struggling to feel satisfied, upping your protein can really help both physically and mentally.

In addition to being beneficial for diabetes control, protein is also an essential nutrient in pregnancy, especially if your in the third trimester. In fact, many pregnant people fall short of meeting their protein requirements during the last few months. I think this is likely because protein rich foods can be expensive, and often take extra time and planning to incorporate into your diet. If that rings true for you, then I hope that this post can provide you with some affordable and easy ways to boost your protein intake!

10 Quick & Easy Protein Rich Foods

Hemp Hearts- Also known as hemp seeds (the hearts are the term of inner part of the seed that's softer and easier to eat), just three tablespoons of hemp hearts contains 10 grams of protein, with just 1 gram of carbs. Although they do come from the Cannabis plant, hemp hearts contain no THC and are safe to consume in pregnancy. Try adding them to your smoothies, or sprinkling them on top of your yogurt bowls, salads or avocado toast.

Edamame Beans- Edamame is the term for fresh young soybeans. They are part of the legume family and have a wonderful buttery flavor. Just 1/2 cup of edamame provides 6 grams or protein and 4 grams of fiber with only 5 grams of carbs, making them a great choice for GDM. You can find them in the frozen section at the grocery store by the peas; just add them to boiling water for 3-4 minutes, toss with salt and enjoy! Try them as a snack on their own, or add them to stir fry dishes and salads.

Parmesan Cheese- While all cheeses are good sources of protein (not to mention calcium- another key nutrient in pregnancy), hard cheese tend to have the highest concentration of protein. One serving of parmesan for example has 11 grams of protein with just 1 gram of carbs. Try adding a quarter cup of parmesan on your meals, or just snack on a fresh chunk (it goes well with walnuts, almonds, strawberries, pear slices, or a few grapes). You can also buy parmesan cheese crackers at the store to snack on, or make your own with this super simple recipe from Eating Well: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257580/parmesan-crisps-2/

Greek Yogurt - Compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt contains a massive amount of protein (about 18 grams in 3/4 cup); plus it's naturally low in carbs. Not only is it great for breakfast, snacks and dessert, but it can also be used to make sauces and dressings. Try this simple all purpose garlic, yogurt lemon sauce recipe from Love and Lemons that goes great with chicken, seafoods, lamb or roast veggies: https://www.loveandlemons.com/garlic-yogurt-sauce/. Or check out these 5 easy salad dressing recipes (including Greek yogurt based ranch and Cesar) from Recipe Tin Eats: https://www.recipetineats.com/yogurt-salad-dressings/

Ricotta Cheese- One cup of ricotta has a whopping 20 grams or protein with only seven grams of carbs, making it a great option for gestational diabetes. You can use it for making high protein, low carb recipes like lasagna, rollatini or even deserts. There's a ton of great recipes out there, but I really like this zucchini ricotta bake from Downshiftology: https://downshiftology.com/recipes/zucchini-lasagna/. Ricotta also makes a great high protein base for toast (which can be nice if you're sick of avocado toast). Here's a few toast ideas using ricotta from Spend with Pennies: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/ricotta-toast/

Hard Boiled Eggs - With zero carbs and 6 grams of protein, eggs are a great everyday food if you have GDM. Boiling up a half dozen eggs to have on hand for the week can help you dramatically increase your protein intake. Try adding them to your salads, snacks, soups and curries, or use them to whip up some egg salad for lunch or a snack.

Frozen Spinach- Did you know that cooking spinach can increase your body's ability to absorb it's nutrients? Frozen spinach has also been found to have a higher folate content than most fresh spinach, which a big deal if you're pregnant. A single cup of frozen spinach give you 6 grams of protein, which can really add a nice boost to your eggs, casseroles and soups. Plus frozen spinach is cheap and lasts for months in the freezer!

Bone Broth- Although the nutritional values vary from brand- to- brand, most commercially available bone broths contain around 10 grams or protein per cup. This makes them a great, sneaky way to increase the protein content of any soup or stew you're making. You can also just sip it like a cup of tea during or in-between meals. Broth (or stock) made with bones also contains the amino acid glycine, which has been suggested to have a positive effect on metabolism and blood sugar control.

Peanuts- Nuts are all good sources of protein, fiber and healthy fats, but peanuts are the nut with highest protein content (7 grams per serving). They also happen to be one of the most affordable too. Just make sure to avoid peanuts (and nut butters) that have added sugar. Try adding to quarter cup of peanuts to your stir fry dishes, salads and trail mixes.

High Protein Wraps- Swapping out your regular tortillas and bread products for ones with added protein can be a game changer if you have GDM. Brands like BFree (https://www.bfreefoods.com/products/high-protein-wraps/), La Tortilla Factory (https://shop.latortillafactory.com/collections/protein-tortillas/products/whole-wheat-protein-tortilla-6-5ct-packages), Primal Bakery (https://theprimalbakery.com/collections/frontpage/products/protein-wrap), and several others all offer high protein wrap options, which happen to be relatively low carbs as well. This makes them the perfect go-to for lunch (think chicken Cesar wrap, tuna salad wrap, or a quesadillas), breakfast (i.e breakfast burritos), or dinner (the options are endless!). You can also try making your own freezer-friendly high-protein wrap with this two-ingredient recipe from Healthy Simple Yum: https://healthysimpleyum.com/lentil-wrap-recipe/

Try adding a few of these options into your meals this week and see if you notice difference in your blood sugar levels!