Figuring out how to eat in a way that best manages diabetes can be a challenging process. Even when you've carefully devised a meal plan to follow, you may still be hungry after eating. Fortunately, certain foods are considered "free foods" on a diabetic diet, meaning you can eat moderate amounts of them frequently without worrying about raising your blood sugar too much.
Free Food Criteria
Any type of food that contains fewer than 20 calories and 5 g or less of carbohydrates counts as a free food on a diabetic diet. You can enjoy some kinds of free foods as often as you want, and those include salad greens; sugar-free gelatin; condiments, such as mustard and vinegar; and seasonings like garlic, spices and herbs. When eating other types of free foods, such as fruits and vegetables, limit your consumption of them to three times per day and eat them at different times during the day rather than all at once, MayoClinic.com advises.
Vegetables
Several varieties of vegetables count as free foods. You can eat a 1/2-cup serving of cucumber, rhubarb or cabbage up to three times daily, and you can also indulge in a 1/4-cup serving of carrots up to three times per day, because all of these vegetables are diabetic free foods. Vegetables that don't contain much starch are excellent food choices for managing diabetes, because they contain lots of vitamins and minerals that promote good health overall. The American Diabetes Association adds that leafy green vegetables are also good choices because they're low in carbohydrates, although not quite low enough to be considered free foods.
Condiments
Several condiments count as free foods on a diabetic diet. Some of the condiments include 1 tbsp. of, up to three times every day, are: pickle relish, ketchup, honey mustard, Parmesan cheese, fat-free margarine, fat-free mayonnaise and fat-free or low-fat salad dressing. You can also eat 2 tsp. of free foods such as light jam or jelly, sugar-free syrup or barbecue sauce up to three times daily.
Cranberries
While most fruits contain too many calories and carbohydrates to be considered free foods for diabetics, cranberries stand alone as a free food, and you can enjoy a 1/2-cup serving of cranberries up to three times per day. "Diabetes Care" reported in its September 2003 issue that people with Type 2 diabetes who drank 200 ml of cranberry juice daily for three months lowered their blood sugar and lipid levels, so consuming cranberries may benefit your health as a diabetic beyond their value as a free food.
