The American Diabetes Association provides general guidelines for persons with diabetes. A healthy diabetes diet includes balanced portions of starchy foods, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, protein and dairy. The guidelines from the American Diabetes Association, as well as the American Dietetic Association, provide guidance to help you make healthy food choices aimed at improving your health.
Diet Basics
The American Dietetic Association recognizes everyone's diabetes condition is unique, stating that no single, universal diabetes diet plan works for all persons. However, as a general rule, a healthy diabetes diet plan consists of properly balanced portions of carbohydrates, protein and fat. This balance of nutrients helps stabilize your blood glucose levels. The American Diabetes Association offers simple guidelines to help you create properly balanced, diabetes-friendly meals.
Breakfast
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes diet breakfast meals should include a balance of half starchy foods, one-fourth fruit and one-fourth protein. Healthy starchy breakfast food options include whole grain toast, a whole wheat English muffin, oatmeal made from whole rolled oats or a homemade bran muffin. For breakfast protein, try lean ham. Ror a non-meat protein substitute, try low-fat cottage cheese sprinkled with cinnamon. For breakfast fruit, try a side of antioxidant-rich berries, or citrus fruit such as oranges and grapefruit.
Lunch and Dinner
The American Diabetes Association recommends your diabetes diet lunch and dinner meals include these proportions: half non-starchy vegetables, one-fourth starchy foods and one-fourth protein. Examples of non-starchy vegetables are spinach, romaine, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, onions, peppers and mushrooms. Starchy foods that make great lunch or dinner options include whole wheat pasta, brown or wild rice, whole grain breads, beans, and sweet potato. For protein, try lean skinless grilled chicken or turkey. Or try salmon, a fish rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The American Diabetes Association recommends including a half cup of fruit and 8 oz. of nonfat milk with every lunch and dinner.
Healthy Choices
As a general rule, you should choose whole grain food items over refined grain food items -- refined grains lack much of the fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamin E and most of the B vitamins that whole grains contain. You should also choose lean meat over fatty cuts of meat and nonfat or low-fat dairy products over whole-fat dairy products. Processing raises a food's glycemic index, which reflects how fast a carbohydrate raises blood sugar, so choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables over canned.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Create Your Plate
- American Dietetic Association, Eat Right: Diabetes and Diet
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Breakfast on the Go
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Diabetes Superfoods
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Non-Starchy Vegetables
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
