Nutrition per 100g
Cola for Gestational Diabetes
Cola is a carbonated soft drink that is sweetened with sugar and flavoured with botanical extracts, citrus oils, vanilla, and caramel colouring. Originally formulated as an herbal tonic, modern regular cola has become one of the most widely consumed sweetened beverages across the globe. It is distinctly characterized by its effervescence, dark hue, and blend of sweetness, acidity from phosphoric acid, and mild bitterness. Regular cola contains dissolved sugars that provide immediate sweetness alongside modest amounts of caffeine. Because it provides liquid energy with virtually no essential micronutrients, understanding its nutritional composition is valuable during pregnancy.
At a glance
Pregnancy safety
LimitBlood sugar impact
lowCarbs / 100 g
10.6gIs Cola safe with gestational diabetes?
When following an eating plan for gestational diabetes, regular cola presents distinct nutritional challenges because it consists almost entirely of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates. A 100 ml serving provides 42 calories and 10.6 g of carbohydrate, all of which comes from sugar, with zero protein, zero fat, and zero dietary fibre. Drinks that contain free sugars enter the digestive system without the physical barrier of whole-food plant matrices. As a result, even modest volumes can quickly contribute meaningful amounts of dietary carbohydrate. Many individuals choose to reserve regular cola for specific occasions or explore unsweetened carbonated alternatives.
Pregnancy safety
Limit how much Cola you eat during pregnancy
Limit total caffeine to 200 mg per day across all foods and beverages (a 330 ml can contains roughly 30 to 40 mg).
Guidance from the NHS and ACOG recommends limiting caffeine consumption to no more than 200 mg daily during pregnancy.
This is about food safety in pregnancy, not blood sugar — it applies whatever your readings look like. Confirm it with your midwife or doctor.
How does Cola affect blood sugar during pregnancy?
Regular cola has an estimated glycemic index of 63, which falls into the medium range. However, because the sugars are completely dissolved in liquid, gastric emptying occurs rapidly. Without dietary fibre, protein, or dietary fat to slow down carbohydrate digestion, the glucose and fructose enter the bloodstream swiftly. For many people with gestational diabetes, liquid carbohydrates tend to produce a sharper and faster rise in blood glucose readings compared to solid foods containing identical carbohydrate amounts. Testing blood sugar levels after drinking even small servings can help clarify personal glycemic responses, which often vary between individuals.
What is a safe portion of Cola for gestational diabetes?
A standard commercial can contains 330 ml and delivers approximately 35 g of sugar, which is a substantial carbohydrate load for one sitting. For someone navigating gestational diabetes, a more cautious portion is limited to 100 ml, which contains 10.6 g of carbohydrates and delivers a low glycemic load of 7. Measuring this volume into a small glass rather than sipping directly from a can or bottle helps maintain visual awareness of quantity. If you crave the taste, mixing 50 ml of cola with 150 ml of plain sparkling mineral water yields just over 5 g of carbohydrates.
How should I combine Cola to manage blood sugar during pregnancy?
Drinking regular cola on an empty stomach tends to produce the fastest absorption of its dissolved sugars. If you decide to consume a small portion of cola, pairing it alongside a meal rich in lean protein, healthy fats, and dietary fibre may help moderate the speed of carbohydrate uptake. For example, enjoying a 100 ml serving with grilled chicken salad, roasted walnuts, or an omelette provides protein and fat that delay stomach emptying. Alternatively, you might discuss unsweetened flavoured waters, decaffeinated herbal infusions, or lemon-infused seltzers with your dietitian or diabetes educator as satisfying everyday beverages.
Last reviewed: August 31, 2026
Important Safety Information
Every pregnancy is different, and gestational diabetes is managed differently depending on your readings, your medication and how far along you are. The ratings and portions on this page are general information — not a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a medical device — and they cannot see your results.
- Low blood sugar:
- If you take insulin or diabetes medication, eating less carbohydrate than your team planned for can push your blood sugar too low. Treat a reading below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), or symptoms such as shaking, sweating, confusion or a racing heart, with fast-acting carbohydrate immediately and retest after 15 minutes. Never use this page as a reason to skip or shrink a meal you were told to eat.
- Carbohydrate and ketones:
- Cutting carbohydrate hard to force a number down is not safe in pregnancy — it can produce ketones. Published guidance sets a minimum of 175 g of carbohydrate per day in pregnancy. Readings that stay above target for several days need your care team, not a smaller portion.
- Medication and insulin:
- The portions here are generic and know nothing about your insulin doses, your metformin, or the steroids given to mature your baby's lungs — all of which change how a meal affects you. Never adjust a dose or a mealtime based on this page.
- Food safety in pregnancy:
- Blood sugar is not the only thing that makes a food suitable while you are pregnant. Some foods with excellent glycemic numbers still carry mercury, vitamin A, listeria or alcohol risks, and those are judged separately from the ratings shown here. Check your national pregnancy food-safety guidance before adding an unfamiliar food.
- What these ratings can and cannot tell you:
- Glycemic index values, impact ratings and maximum servings are population averages taken from published tables. Two people eating the same food can get very different readings, so your own meter is the only measurement that describes you. Nutrition figures are indicative per 100 g and vary with brand, ripeness and preparation.
Contact your care team the same day if: your readings stay above target for several days; you have a reading below 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L) or needed someone else's help to treat a low; you test positive for ketones; or your baby is moving less than usual. Seek emergency care for confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, or a low you cannot bring back up.
By using this guide, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. How we write, source and review this content: editorial policy.
Sources & Editorial Review
Content independently developed by Dalo Labs ApS, informed by the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Care in Diabetes, ACOG's gestational diabetes guidelines, and the IADPSG consensus criteria. Not endorsed by or affiliated with any referenced organization. · Last reviewed: August 2026
- American Diabetes Association — Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026
- ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 190 — Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (reaffirmed 2026)
- USDA FoodData Central — Nutritional Database
- Atkinson et al. — International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values 2021 (Am J Clin Nutr)
Help with every meal, not just this one
SugarCurve plans your week, turns cravings into recipes and shows how your readings respond to what you eat, so following your care team's advice takes less guesswork, day after day.
- Weekly meal plans
- Recipes for your cravings
- Your numbers, in charts
- Reports for your care team
7 days free, then a subscription. Cancel anytime before the trial ends.