Measuring the effects of carbohydrates can help you manage glucose levels. The glycemic index is a tool that assigns a value to foods based on how quickly and how high they cause blood glucose levels to rise.

Foods with a low glycemic index release glucose slowly and steadily.

If you are diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, try to focus on low glycemic index foods since high-glycemic index foods can cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

It is important to eat a healthy diet if a person has gestational diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends using the diabetes plate method to help a person eat the right balance of nutritious foods.

To use this method, a person should fill half of a 9-inch plate with nonstarchy vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with a carbohydrate, such as a whole grain or starchy vegetable.

Best foods to eat on a gestational diabetes diet:

To help you understand how the foods you are eating might impact your blood glucose level, here is a visual guide of the glycemic index for more than 100+ common foods including:

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Cereals.

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Breads.

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Beans and Legumes.

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Fruits.

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Vegetables.

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Protein.

- High, Medium and Low Glycemic Index Nuts & Oils.

- High and Medium Glycemic Index Snacks.