Planning a diet as a Type 2 diabetic does not have to be complicated or disheartening. Creating a meal plan that is customized to your tastes and schedule can help you not only simplify your life and control your blood sugar levels, but according to the American Diabetes Association, it can also help control your blood pressure, weight and cholesterol levels.
Step 1
Choose a variety of healthy foods. Choose foods that can both stabilize your blood sugar levels, but also keep you satisfied. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should focus on vegetables, fruits and whole grains for the bulk of your diet. The natural fiber in these foods can help keep your blood sugar from spiking, as well as can keep you feeling fuller after each meal.
Step 2
Plan menus that allow you to eat at regular controlled intervals during the day. A successful diabetes diet menu is planned to allow you to eat at the same times every day. Your menu should allow three main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), as well as at least two snacks. This should allow you to eat approximately every 3 hours. Plan your menus so that each meal is eaten at the same time each day. This ensures that your body has the resources necessary to keep your blood sugar from dropping too low.
Step 3
Be consistent about the foods you eat. According to the Mayo Clinic, when planning a diabetes menu, you want to ensure that you consume approximately the same levels of carbohydrates and calories each day. This helps keep your blood sugar under control, as well as your weight. Being consistent about your food does not mean your meals have to be boring. You can still eat a wide variety of foods, as long as you calculate out the calories and carbohydrate contents of each meal to keep them consistent.
Step 4
Control portion sizes. One of the most important aspect of planning a menu for Type 2 diabetes is controlling your portion sizes. Eating too much can put you in the fast lane for having a serious problem with your blood glucose levels. By eating smaller portions of food over more meal periods during the day, you can stay full while keeping your blood sugar levels in check.
Step 5
Use an exchange list. One popular way of choosing foods for a diabetes diet menu is using a device called an exchange list. An exchange list groups foods by categories (such as fruits, dairy or protein) and by serving size. Each exchange is designed to have approximately the same levels of calories and carbohydrates as the other exchanges on the list. This allows you to easily trade and swap out different food options for meals, while still keeping your diet balanced and your blood glucose levels under control.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are still intimidated by making your own meal plan for diabetes, talk to your nutritionist or doctor. They can help you develop a meal plan that both fits your lifestyle, as well as keeps your diabetes under control.
