Being overweight and diabetic puts you at risk of coronary heart disease, according to author Hope Washaw on her book "The Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible: A Complete Guide to Planning, Shopping, Cooking, and Eating." If you are overweight, try focusing on cutting down on fats by avoiding meats, dairy and oils. Instead, focus on low-fat and lean proteins and use healthy fats sparingly. If you're at a healthy weight already, your main concerns should be to shop for food that helps you keep your blood sugar stable.
Step 1
Create a master shopping list of all possible staple foods that are good for people with diabetes. This will make it easier to shop, so you can just check out what you're missing. You can also download master lists that already include acceptable foods and might even give you suggestions for things you haven't tried before.
Step 2
Stick to low-fat and skim milk and dairy products. Dairy contains sugar, so it's best avoided or kept to a minimum. Diabetes.com recommends buying low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. Stick to skim milk and unsweetened soy milk.
Step 3
Buy lots of whole grains. According to Washaw, whole grains are high in fiber, which can help slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Good options include whole grain breads, oatmeal, sugar-free cereal, black and pinto beans and low-sugar granola bars.
Step 4
Look for sugar in canned and frozen foods so you can avoid it. Many innocent-looking products, such as ketchup and soups, contain sugar. Sugar also comes under many different names, so look for things like dextrose, corn syrup, maltodextrin, molasses, sucrose and maltose.
Step 5
Stock up on fruits and vegetables. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams and corn are OK, but make sure you also get plenty of high-fiber vegetables and fruits. According to Diabetes.com, good options include spinach, broccoli, berries, tomatoes, apples and carrots.
References
- The Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible : A Complete Guide to Planning, Shopping, Cooking, and Eating; Hope Warshaw and Nancy Hughes; American Diabetes Association; 2001
- Waitrose: Diabetes
- Diet Blog: 25 Names for Sugar
Member Comments