You've probably heard the statement that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it break the pattern of an eight- to twelve-hour fast from the night before, it's a good way to get your metabolism restarted for the day ahead. Diabetics need to eat breakfast to stabilize their blood glucose levels and keep them from dropping or spiking during the morning hours. And, you don't have to eat just cereal; there are a lot of quick and easy options that will help stabilize blood glucose levels.
Traditional Breakfast Foods
As long as you're not lactose intolerant, there are plenty of convenient choices of breakfast foods. Look for whole grain cereals that are low in fat and sugar. Low fat dairy products are clearly labeled. Low sugar cereals generally contain less than 2 grams of sugar per 100 grams of cereal. Good choices include all-bran cereals (6 grams of sugar), shredded wheat (4 grams of sugar), raisin bran (18 grams) or oatmeal (4 grams). Add cinnamon, dried fruit or nuts to make it more interesting. Whenever possible, use non-fat or low-fat milk instead of whole milk. While low-fat milk may not directly contribute to better management of diabetes, it's a good idea to cut calories from fat wherever possible to help manage your weight.
More important than grams of sugar is the glycemic index of breakfast cereals. The glycemic index relates to how quickly after digestion the food makes blood glucose levels spike--the lower the number the better. Good choices include oatmeal (GI = 48), all-bran cereals (51) and puffed wheat cereals (67).
Cutting Back on Fat and Cholesterol
Many diabetics suffer from not one, but many diseases. Metabolic X is a combination of conditions that often occur together and are managed collectively. They include high levels of insulin, high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol. By making good choices for one condition, you can often make good choices for others.
Even if you're on a low cholesterol diet, it's alright to occasionally eat eggs. One large egg contains 213 mg of cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, the recommended cholesterol intake is 300 mg of cholesterol a day, or less. But, keep in mind that these are just guidelines. A more realistic approach is averaging your cholesterol intake over the course of a week. So, assuming that the rest of your meals are low in cholesterol, eating the occasional egg for breakfast is fine. Minimize the amount of saturated fat by cooking with polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, and using soft margarine on toast.
Non-traditional Breakfast Foods
If cereal isn't your thing or you don't like milk, there's nothing preventing you from getting creative with breakfast foods. Try cottage cheese and fruit, an omelet made with just the egg whites, a breakfast burrito made with eggs, chopped green peppers, onions and tomatoes, or homemade bran muffins. You can also fill up with a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
