In medical terms, a diabetes diet is known as nutrition therapy. To maintain control of blood glucose levels, diabetics must carefully plan their meals to avoid overeating, eating at irregular times and making unhealthy food choices. This can be especially challenging for meals outside the home, whether it’s an occasional night out or the packed lunch you carry to work every day. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, your health-care provider or dietitian can help you figure out what you should eat to keep your blood glucose levels in check.
Healthy Options
A diet plan for diabetics isn’t a “diet” so much as one of the healthiest forms of eating for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. According to the Mayo Clinic, Americans should follow a diabetes diet because it promotes portion control, nutritional variety and consistent mealtimes. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are main components of the diet, as are smaller servings of lean proteins and low-fat dairy products. Approximately half of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, including whole grains, vegetables, fruit and low-fat dairy products. Help control your glucose levels by eating the same number of carbohydrates each day, at set intervals throughout the day.
Cold Lunches
Wraps and sandwiches offer a way to pack vegetables — and nutrients — into your lunch. Use a whole-wheat pita or other whole-grain bread. Fill or stack it with lean turkey or chicken, baby spinach, sliced tomato, thinly sliced peppers, cucumber and avocado. Instead of mayo, opt for hummus or mustard. Skip potato chips to avoid empty calories and saturated fat. Instead, choose sides such as whole pieces of fruit, or heads of broccoli with a serving of low-fat dip. Another nutrient-dense meal is a composed salad. Try dark leafy greens, a variety of vegetables, a sprinkling of goat or feta cheese crumbles, a hard-boiled egg or sliced tuna steak, dried cranberries and a dash of virgin olive oil.
Warm Lunches
If you have a way to re-heat your lunch, homemade soups make midday meal planning easy. Making soup from scratch allows you to control the ingredients — including the sodium levels. Once or twice a month, make extra-large batches of a few different soups, storing them in individual portions in the freezer. Lean beef stew, red lentil soup and chicken soup with rice are a few options. Homemade burritos are another quick, warm lunch option. Fill a large whole-wheat tortilla with single servings of baked black beans, fresh tomato salsa, low-fat cheddar cheese and sliced grilled chicken or tuna. A side of homemade guacamole adds another flavor dimension.
Considerations
Having diabetes puts you at greater risk of developing heart disease, especially if you’re overweight. Eating proper portion sizes at every meal not only helps you control your blood glucose levels, it can facilitate weight loss and help you maintain a healthy weight. Avoid foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients. Eliminate as much saturated fat from your diet as possible. This means cutting full-fat dairy products, non-lean meats and processed snacks and baked goods from your diet. Make sure the slice of cheese you put on your sandwich is low-fat. Choose healthy fats that lower your LDL cholesterol, including the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon or tuna.
References
- “Mayo Clinic: The Essential Diabetes Book”; Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D., Medical Editor; 2009
- “American Dietetic Association Guide to Eating Right When You Have Diabetes"; Maggie Powers, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.; 2003
- “Dr. Buynak’s 1-2-3 Diabetes Diet”; Robert J. Buynak, M.D.; 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-eating Plan
