Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps our muscles, liver and fat cells pull excess glucose out of the blood for energy. If you have diabetes, you either do not make enough insulin or your body does not respond properly to the insulin you do have. Diabetics often have to follow a careful diet to help manage their disease.
Carbohydrates
If you have diabetes, you need to monitor your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are broken down by the digestive tract fairly rapidly to form blood glucose. According to the Patient Education Institute, between 50 and 60 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates. Ideally, consume complex carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits and whole grains, as these carbohydrates break down more slowly and are less likely to cause a sudden spike in blood glucose levels than those from simple carbs, such as refined white bread and rice.
Fats
When planning a healthy menu for diabetes, watch the fat content of your foods. One of the major complications of diabetes is atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries caused by too much cholesterol in the blood. Control your cholesterol level by limiting your saturated fat content to less than 7 percent of your calories and keep your overall fat intake to less than 30 percent of your daily calories. This means you should avoid high fat dairy products, red meat and butter.
Protein
Sources of lean protein are important in a diabetes diet. Good sources of lean protein include beans, legumes, skinless poultry and fish. Getting protein from vegetable sources adds fiber to your diet, which can help keep your blood glucose levels under control. Fatty fish, such as mackerel, herring, lake trout and flaked fish such as albacore tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is a type of fat that can lower your cholesterol levels and help prevent atherosclerosis. Aim for at least two servings of 3.5 oz. of fatty fish weekly.
Plate Planning
The American Diabetes Association has a plan for allotting the right proportion of different foods at lunch and dinner. With this plan, half of your plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, green beans, carrots or lettuce. One-fourth of your plate should contain starchy foods, especially starches that come from whole grains, such as brown rice. The remaining portion of the plate should contain lean protein, such as skinless chicken breast or eye round roast. This plan helps ensure you are eating different kinds of foods in the right proportions.
