Egg wrap to chickpea dhoklas; 3 nutritious recipes to manage blood sugar levels during pregnancy

Gestational diabetes diagnosis can spring up as an unwelcome surprise in the middle of your pregnancy, causing apprehension and concern about what you should do next. Gestational diabetes, as the name suggests, affects expecting mothers and occurs when your body is not able to make enough insulin during pregnancy. It is diagnosed at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy after a blood test. The condition gets cured after giving birth, but women who are diagnosed with it are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes later in their life. If you too have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you should immediately make appropriate lifestyle changes to prevent pregnancy complications or preterm birth. Eating foods that have good quality complex carbs, protein, healthy fats, can help keep your blood sugar levels stable. In case you need some help with your diet plan during this time, here are some recipes by a nutritionist that can help manage gestational diabetes. (Also read | Diabetes prevention: 6 practical tips to follow a low-sugar diet and reduce sweet cravings)

“Gestational Diabetes is a condition that occurs in pregnant women, where their blood sugar levels become elevated during pregnancy. It is a temporary form of diabetes that typically resolves after giving birth. However, managing Gestational Diabetes can be challenging, as it requires careful monitoring and lifestyle adjustments,” says Shruti Keluskar, Nutritionist, Cloudnine group of Hospitals, Pune.

Keluskar says a healthy and balanced diet can be extremely helpful in managing gestational diabetes and advises to incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your meals.

RECIPES FOR GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Here are 3 recipes for better blood sugar control during pregnancy:

1. Egg Wrap

Ingredients

Eggs – 2

Salt – to taste

Whole wheat Roti – 1

Salad:

Onion – 1

Tomato – ½

Capsicum ½

Green Chilli 1

Coriander – 1 tbsp

Lime juice – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Chaat masala – ½ tsp

Instructions

• For the salad, add sliced onion, capsicum and finely chopped tomatoes, green chilies and coriander leaves to a bowl.
• Season with salt to taste along with lime juice and a sprinkle of chaat masala; toss well.
• Start by adding 2 eggs in a bowl.
• Heat up a pan and drizzle some oil.
• Add in the roti and pan fry it on both sides.
• Reduce the heat to low and add some of the egg mix on top of the roti and flip the roti.
• Allow the egg mix to cook on low heat and flip the roti again.
• Sprinkle some chaat masala and add in the salad.
• Roll the parantha enclosing the filling and serve immediately.

2. Jowar Dodas

Ingredients

Jowar flour – 2 cups

Onion medium

Methi – 1 cup

Carrot – 1/4 cup

French beans – 2 tbsp

Green chilli – 1

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp

Tomato – 1 small

Warm water – 1 cup

Oil/ghee as required

Instructions:

• Take a mixing bowl, add jowar flour and vegetables. Knead semi-soft dough with warm water.
• Divide into 5 equal parts.
• Use parchment/butter paper and brush with oil.
• Roll a thin doda.
• Transfer doda on the hot tawa using help of parchment paper.
• Cook on low flame.
• Use oil or ghee as required.
• Cook until crisp and golden brown.
• Serve with curd.

3. Chickpea Dhoklas

Ingredients

1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup chopped fenugreek

2 tbsp chopped dill leaves

2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste

1/4 tsp asafoetida

½ cup curd

1/4 tsp oil for greasing

1 tbsp chopped coriander

Instructions

• Combine the chickpea, spinach, fenugreek leaves, dill leaves and ginger-green chilli paste and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste using ½ cup of water.
• Transfer it in a deep bowl, add the asafoetida and salt and mix well.
• Before steaming, add the curd and mix gently, let the batter set for 15 -20 minutes.
• Pour batter into a greased thali.
• Steam the dhoklas in a steamer till the dhoklas are cooked.
• Cool slightly and cut it into pieces.
• Serve immediately garnished with coriander.