If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor may have instructed you to change your eating habits. Whether you take insulin to manage your diabetes or you are controlling your blood sugar using diet alone, eating a variety of nutritious foods is a must. By making over your eating habits and creating a new diet plan, you can help manage your diabetes in a healthy way without feeling deprived of your favorite foods.
Step 1
Switch out refined carbohydrates for the healthiest carbohydrates possible, like low-fat dairy, beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, according to MayoClinic.com in the article "Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-Eating Plan." Refined carbohydrates, like baked goods, will cause your blood sugar to spike.
Step 2
Substitute foods that are high in saturated fat with lower fat foods. Instead of buttering your bread at dinner, dip it in olive oil, which contains monounsaturated fat instead of saturated fat.
Step 3
Eat fish like mackerel, lake trout and salmon twice a week and limit fatty cuts of pork and beef, according to the American Heart Association.
Step 4
Drink water or seltzer instead of sugary sodas and fruit juices that contain sugar. Squeezing a lemon or lime wedge into the water may help add a small amount of sweetness into the water.
Step 5
Choose vegetables that are not starchy, like carrots, spinach, green beans or broccoli as side dishes for dinner as opposed to more starchy vegetables, like potatoes, which contain more carbohydrates.
Tips and Warnings
- Limit your alcohol intake to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
- Consult your doctor before changing your diet plan.
