A diet to lower or control blood glucose is usually recommended for persons with pre-diabetes or diabetes. Untreated, high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can lead to kidney, heart and nerve damage. According to the Mayo Clinic, a glucose-lowering diet is not a restrictive diet. It is a low-fat, low-calorie diet that provides essential nutrients and emphasizes eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh or frozen fruit without added sugars are your best choices if you're trying to control your blood sugar, according to the American Diabetes Association, or ADA. If you eat canned fruit, make sure that it is canned in light syrup or juice. Fruit juice and dried fruit are also good, but they are not as filling. Good fruits include apples, bananas, cantaloupe, cherries, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, oranges, grapefruits, nectarines, figs, kiwi, pears, peaches, plums, pineapple and raspberries.
Vegetables
Many vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates, so you can eat more of them. As with fruits, fresh and frozen without added fat, sugar or sodium is recommended. If you eat canned vegetables, buy only those with "low-sodium" or "no salt added" on the label. The ADA recommends eating at least three to five servings of vegetables a day. Good choices include asparagus, spinach, broccoli, brussell sprouts, cabbage, green beans, beets, celery, cucumbers, carrots, squash, salad greens, tomatoes, turnips and cauliflower.
Starches
Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, plantains, butternut squash, pumpkin, corn and green peas, dried beans and peas and lentils, are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. However, they are also higher in carbohydrates, which raise blood sugar, so you will need to watch your consumption of starches.
Whole Grains
Whole grain foods are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals. Persons watching their blood sugar should stick to foods such as brown and wild rice; whole grain flour, oatmeal, oats, bread and cereal; whole rye bread and barley.
Meat/Fish/Poultry
According to the ADA, lean meats, poultry and fish are lower in calories and saturated fat and rich in protein. Good choices include chicken, turkey, salmon, trout, shrimp, cod, haddock, tuna, organ meats, such as liver, kidney and heart, veal, sirloin or tenderloin, trimmed of the fat and lean pork, such as ham or Canadian bacon.
Dairy
Fat-free or low-fat milk, plain nonfat or nonfat light yogurt without added sugar and unflavored soy milk are the best dairy choices if you are watching your blood glucose.
Sweets/Alcohol
You can eat sweets even if you are watching your blood sugar, just have them in moderation. You can also use artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, stevia, sucralose, neotame and acesulfame K. Because it can quickly raise blood sugar, the ADA recommends avoiding alcohol altogether. If you must drink, limit your consumption to two or less drinks per day if you're a man; one or fewer drinks if you're a woman.
