How you eat is as important in controlling diabetes as what you eat, according to the American Dietetic Association. To maintain good blood sugars, you need to be consistent when you eat and how much you eat. Eating breakfast at the same time everyday with about the same amount of food, especially carbohydrates, can help you better manage your blood sugars. Carbohydrates include any starch, fruit, milk or yogurt. A doctor or dietitian can determine how much you need at breakfast. But you can start at 45 to 60 g, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Cereal
Cereal makes a healthy breakfast food for a diabetic diet. Look for unsweetened varieties with more than 2.5 g of fiber per serving. Use skim or 1-percent fat milk to limit your calorie and saturated fat intake. People with diabetes have higher rates of heart disease and need to limit their intake of saturated fat. A 45 to 60 g carbohydrate-controlled breakfast with cereal may consist of 3/4 cup of unsweetened whole grain cereal, 1 cup of skim milk and one medium banana.
Hot cereal is another healthy option. Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber and can lower blood cholesterol levels. A 45 to 60 g hot cereal breakfast consists of 1 cup of hot, cooked oatmeal; 1/2 cup of blueberries and 1/2 cup of skim milk.
Bread Products
Bread products, such as whole-wheat bread, English muffins and bagels, also make healthy breakfast foods for a diabetic diet. When looking for bread products, choose those that list a whole-grain as the first ingredient. Whole-grains contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals than refined grains. And eating foods higher in fiber can help you better control your diabetes. Examples of 45 to 60 g carbohydrate breakfast meals with bread products include one slice of toast with 1 tbsp. of peanut butter and one small banana with 1 cup of skim milk, 2 oz. whole wheat bagel with 1 tbsp. of low-fat cream cheese and a 6 oz. container of nonfat sugar-free fruit yogurt or a whole-wheat English muffin topped with one scrambled egg and a slice of nonfat cheese with one medium orange.
Eggs
Eggs provide protein, vitamin A and vitamin D. If you have high cholesterol, you should limit your intake of egg yolks to two a week. You can instead use egg whites or egg substitutes. One healthy 45 to 60 g carbohydrate egg meal option is a vegetable omelet made with two eggs or 1/2 cup of egg substitute. Another option is 1/2 cup of leftover dinner vegetables and one slice of nonfat cheese with two slices of whole-wheat toast and 1/2 cup of orange juice. A third option is a hard cooked egg with 12 whole-grain crackers, a small apple and a 6 oz. container of nonfat sugar-free yogurt.
