Carbohydrates in food cause blood sugar levels to rise. People with diabetes have difficulty controlling blood sugar because of an inability to make or to properly use insulin. To control blood sugar, people with diabetes need to control the amount of carbohydrates in their diet. Carbohydrates are found primarily in starches, fruits and milks.
Starches
Starches are the primary source of carbohydrates in the diet. A typical starch serving provides 15 g of carbohydrates. Starchy foods include peas, corn, lima beans, winter squash, pasta, rice, bread, crackers, cereal, dried beans, lentils, oats and barley. Whole-grain starches are preferred over refined grains because of their fiber content, according to the American Diabetes Association. Fiber in whole grains provide additional vitamins and helps slow down digestion to limit spikes in blood sugar. Examples of whole-grain starches include whole-wheat bread, whole-grain cereals, oatmeal, millet, buckwheat, whole-grain crackers, quinoa and brown rice.
Fruits
All fruits contain carbohydrates. Each serving of fruit provides 15 g of carbohydrates. Whole fruits are better choices than juice because the added fiber in the whole fruit helps minimize spikes in blood sugar and aids in hunger control. When choosing canned or dried fruit, it is better to choose unsweetened varieties to limit the sources of concentrated sweets.
Milk and Yogurt
Some dairy products contain carbohydrates, including milk, yogurt, buttermilk, condensed milk, chocolate milk, evaporated milk and eggnog. Each serving provides about 12 g of carbohydrates. People with diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease and should choose low-fat and nonfat milk and yogurt products to limit their intake of saturated fat. Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease.
Other Foods
Sweets are another source of carbohydrates in the diet. MayoClinic.com recommends that when diabetics eat sweet desserts, they use those desserts as replacements for other carbohydrate-containing foods and eat them with a meal to minimize elevations in blood sugar. Examples of other carbohydrate-containing foods include soft drinks, hot chocolate, lemonade, cake, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, muffins, granola bars, pretzels, animal crackers, ice cream, pudding, doughnuts, candy bars and chocolate syrup.
