To manage your diabetes, eating the right amount of carbohydrates will help you maintain your blood sugar levels within the desirable range. For most diabetics, a carbohydrate intake ranging between 45 g and 60 g at each meal, as recommended by the American Diabetes Association, is appropriate to keep your blood sugars under control. If you need to avoid gluten, which is a protein mostly found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and the many foods that may contain these grains, carefully read the ingredient list. Also, pay attention to the carbohydrate content per serving.
Breakfast
Traditional breakfasts are rich in carbohydrates and gluten. To keep your diet gluten-free, avoid common breakfast cereals, bread and oatmeal. You can either replace these foods with a certified gluten-free alternative, or get your carbohydrates from foods that are naturally free of gluten. For example, you can prepare hot cereal with quinoa and flavor it with unsweetened applesauce, fruits, plain yogurt and nuts. You can aslo prepare scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese and get your carbohydrates from a fruit salad topped with a dollop of plain yogurt. Another option would be to mix cottage cheese with berries and a few tablespoons of natural peanut or almond butter. For cottage cheese, nut butter and yogurt, carefully read the ingredient list to ensure they are free of gluten and wheat.
Lunch
Most people bring a sandwich for lunch, but unless you are willing to pay a few more dollars to get gluten-free bread, sandwiches are not the best option. Instead, you can brown-bag a large salad filled with leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables, such as bell pepper, green onions and cucumbers, and topped with a source of gluten-free protein, such as a chicken breast, canned tuna or slices of lean beef. To get your carbohydrates, you can add beans, lentils, corn, rice or fruits to your salad, or accompany your salad with a fruit salad or yogurt. Track you carbohydrates to stay within the 45 g to 60 g range. You can also bring and reheat leftovers from last night for a quick and balanced diabetic and gluten-free meal.
Dinner
A healthy diabetic gluten-free dinner should comprise a large amount, which would correspond to about half of your plate, of non-starchy vegetables. Complete your meal with a source of lean protein, such as a salmon fillet, turkey sausages, shrimp or pork chops, and with a source of gluten-free carbohydrates; sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, millet or corn tortillas. Always read the ingredient list and stick to unprocessed, unseasoned foods to avoid gluten contamination. Use small amounts of olive oil, canola oil or other vegetable oils to cook your vegetables and protein.
Snacks
A healthy diabetic snack should not provide more than 15 g to 30 g of carbohydrates. For example, you could have a piece of fruit, a gluten-free yogurt or a small serving of leftovers. If you prefer to keep your snack low in carbohydrates, go for 1 to 2 oz. of cheese, vegetable sticks, a handful of nuts or 1 to 2 tbsp. of nut butter. For nuts, select uncoated and unseasoned nuts and choose natural nut butter to avoid gluten contamination.
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