Foods for diabetics must work together to control blood sugar levels and weight gain. Eating a variety of low-fat and low-sugar foods from all the food groups will help you strike a balance among protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin and mineral content. According to MayoClinic.com, getting more fiber and eating more whole grains, in particular, will assist you in managing your diabetes.
Meat and Fish
Some daily protein sources, such as fatty beef or chicken, can disturb your blood sugar and push your saturated fat intake toward excess. To manage your diabetes, choose lean pork loin, beef round or sirloin, and turkey or chicken without the skin. The American Diabetes Association suggests eating fish several times a week, to counteract your meat intake. Halibut, salmon, trout, flounder, haddock and orange roughy have greater unsaturated fat content than meats and poultry.
Dairy Products
Foods for diabetics should come from the lowest-fat sources in each food group. The ADA points out that, among calcium-rich dairy products, nonfat varieties carry the most benefits. One cup of nonfat yogurt or milk provides as much as 40 percent of your daily value of calcium in as few as 83 calories.
Whole Grains
The fiber in whole grains helps you control your weight and blood sugar and lower your risk of heart disease complications, to which diabetics are prone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list brown rice, whole-wheat bread, bulgur, oatmeal, barley and popcorn among whole grains.
Whole-wheat or rice breakfast cereals make ideal foods to eat for weight management. The ADA suggests buying varieties with more than 2g of dietary fiber and less than 6g of sugar per suggested serving.
Legumes
Satisfy many of your fiber, vitamin and mineral needs by eating legumes several times per week, urges the ADA. High-fiber legumes such as lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas and black, kidney, lima, navy, garbanzo and pinto beans double as alternative protein sources. Eating them in place of meat lowers your saturated fat intake and raises your dietary fiber intake at the same time.
Fruits and Vegetables
Bright colors lead you toward greater nutrition in the fruit and vegetable food groups, according to the ADA. Try mineral-rich papayas, mangoes, sweet potatoes and spinach. Balance your diet by eating vitamin-rich oranges, raspberries, blueberries, carrots and broccoli. MedlinePlus suggests fitting two to four servings of fruits and three to five servings of vegetables into your diabetic diet every day.
