Although people with diabetes sometimes indulge in sweets or rich entrees, choosing staple dietary foods that stabilize blood glucose from day to day must take priority. If you have type 1 diabetes, you'll need to balance the fat, protein and carbohydrates in the foods you eat, according to your doctor's suggestions.
If you have type 2 diabetes, following a low-fat diet will help to control your weight and minimize diabetes complications. In order to use your diabetic diet to control your disease, the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, advises eating regular meals with similar amounts of nutrient values from a variety of dietary foods.
Starchy Foods
The majority of foods to eat for healthy carbohydrates, fiber and other nutrients come from the grain, legume and starchy vegetables category. The American Diabetes Association, or ADA, specifies whole grains as the most nutritious form of these carb foods that include whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice and barley.
A diabetic diet should also include legumes such as kidney, navy and pinto beans, split peas and lentils every few days. Additional starchy vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas, parsnips and corn. Stick to 1-cup serving sizes to control carbs, fat and calories.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
While you must limit your intake of starchy dietary foods, you can enjoy free rein with most other vegetables. Artichokes, green beans, jicama, tomatoes, bok choy and pea pods hint at the variety you can include in a diabetic diet. According to the NIH, the most nutritious foods to eat in this category include spinach, broccoli and carrots without added fat, salt or sugar.
Fruits
Use fruits as dietary food sources of fiber, which diabetic diets should emphasize, and as healthy sweets. For the highest fiber, the USDA Nutrient Database suggests Asian pears, unsweetened raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and peaches. Enjoy 1-cup servings of whole fruit, 1/2 cup of fruit juices and 2 oz., or just a sprinkling of, raisins and other dried fruit, counsels the ADA.
Dairy Products
Eating 1-cup servings of dairy foods every day will help you balance your carbohydrates and get your daily value of calcium. The NIH recommends choosing dairy items with 2 percent or lower fat content. Nonfat milk and yogurt will add the least fat and calories to your diet.
Protein Foods
To get low-fat protein into your diet, choose foods to eat from the fish and poultry section of the grocery store, the NIH counsels. Low-fat and high-protein fish include perch, flounder and haddock. Poultry contains less fat with the skin removed. Beef round steak and pork loin also offer substantial amounts of protein. Keep portions to about 3 oz.
