The best meal plan for keeping your diabetes under control is a carbohydrate-controlled plan. Carbohydrate is the main nutrient influencing your blood sugar levels, and this nutrient is found in many foods, such as grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, fruit, milk, yogurt and sweets. The American Diabetes Association recommends keeping your carbohydrate intake between 45 and 60 grams per meal. Some diabetics even benefit from further lowering their carb intake. Checking your blood sugar levels before and after meals is the optimal way to determine carbohydrate intake for your meal plan.
Breakfast
Breakfast can be a problem for many diabetics because of its usually high carbohydrate content. Breakfast cereals, toasts, bagels, jams, orange juice, fruits, yogurt and milks all contain carbohydrates. To design a meal plan that is suitable for people with diabetes, aim for no more than 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates. For example, a slice of bread, 2/3 cup of sugar-free yogurt and a small piece of fruit each provide 15 g of carbohydrates. Mix and match to get the right amount of carbohydrates that will help you keep your blood sugar levels under control. For example, you could have two slices of whole grain toasts with 2 tbsp. of peanut butter and a glass of milk, or 2/3 cup of yogurt mixed with 2 servings of fruits, such as strawberries and a small banana, and a handful of almonds for a total of 45 g of carbohydrates each.
Lunch
Your meal plan for diabetes at lunch should also include 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates, although some people get better blood sugar control by keeping their carb lower, such as below 30 or 15 g. You can have a sandwich with two slices of whole-grain bread prepared with slices of turkey, cheese and lettuce leaves, accompanied with a small yogurt for a total of 45 of carbs. If your blood sugar levels are better controlled with a lower carbohydrate intake, you can try a salad made with an abundance of leafy greens and nonstarchy vegetables, a serving of fish, poultry or meat, and a vinaigrette made with olive oil and your favorite vinegar.
Dinner
Servings of 1/3 cup of cooked rice, 1/3 cup of cooked pasta, 1/4 baked potato or 1/2 cup of beans or lentils each provide 15 g of carbohydrates. Therefore, a dinner containing 45 g of carbohydrates could be 1 cup of rice with a stir-fry made with nonstarchy vegetables and chicken. You could also serve meat with a salad and a small baked potato for about the same amount of carbohydrates. If you want to base your meal plan on a lower carbohydrate intake, simply reduce the portion of carbohydrate-rich foods and include more generous servings of nonstarchy vegetables, protein or healthy fats, such as avocado, olive oil, nuts or seeds.
Snacks
Most meal plans for people with diabetes recommend that snacks contain about 15 to 30 g of carbohydrates. You can choose a small piece of fruit, a few crackers, a yogurt or a glass of milk, each option providing around 15 g of carbohydrates. You can combine these foods with a serving of protein to make your snack more satiating, whether it is a small handful of almonds, 1 ounce of cheese, a few ounces of tuna or 1 to 2 tbsp. of nut butter. If you want to minimize the impact of your snack on your blood sugar levels, choose foods with a low-carb content, such as nuts, nut butter, cheese, tuna or vegetables.
