Diabetic diets must emphasize steady intakes of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This streamlines your shopping list, rather than complicating it. Once you decide on the staple foods you need, you have only to add fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meats to the list to balance your diet. Among protein choices, go with the lowest fat content you can find, such as flounder and skinless chicken. Limit fruits and starchy foods, eat fats and proteins in moderation, and enjoy as many non-starchy veggies as you like, counsels the American Diabetes Association, or ADA.
Whole Grains and Beans
Choose whole, rather than refined, grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, pearl barley and raw bulgur. Add frozen corn and green peas, as well as canned or dry black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils. These starchy staple foods should dominate your shopping list for a diabetic diet, advise the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Prepared soups with less salt and fat often contain these and other grains, legumes and starchy vegetables such as potatoes. Look for baked goods, such as breads, crackers and tortillas with whole wheat, rye or corn, as the first ingredient.
Fortified Cereal
Breakfast cereal deserves a special place on your shopping list due to its broad nutritional offerings. Eating suggested servings of cereal frequently will regulate your carbohydrate intake and keep your levels of dietary fiber, iron and B vitamins high. Consider cereal part of your whole-grain carb allowance, and choose a brand with 3 g of more of dietary fiber and under 6 g of sugar, advises the ADA. Use the milk in your diabetic diet plan to accompany whole wheat, oat, corn rice or barley cereal, or choose an alternative rice or soy drink.
Dairy and Soy Products
Milk, yogurt and enriched soy products, such as soymilk and tofu, provide steady amounts of protein as well as important calcium and vitamins. Staple foods might include nonfat dry milk or shelf-stable soy beverages. Dairy products, especially, allow you to control the fat content in your diabetic diet. Choose 2-percent, 1-percent or nonfat milk and plain, unsweetened yogurt. The NIH considers cheese too high in concentrated fats to include often in a diabetic diet.
Canned Seafood
When you don't have protein foods in the fridge or freezer, fall back on staple foods such as canned water-packed tuna, clams and pink salmon with edible bones. It's not as easy to find healthy packaged meats. The ADA recommends Canadian bacon and deli turkey for your shopping list.
