A healthy and balanced diet is an essential component of your diabetes treatment plan. Although it can be overwhelming at first to make the dietary changes needed to improve your blood-sugar control, people with diabetes do not have to give up their favorite foods. If you have diabetes, you can eat almost any foods, as long as you do it in moderation and control your serving size and carbohydrate intake.
Leafy Greens, Tomatoes and Asparagus
You can eat as much as you want of any of the nonstarchy vegetables. Nonstarchy vegetables include leafy greens, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, cabbage, bean sprouts, turnips and eggplant, but do not include starchier vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn. Nonstarchy vegetables will help you get the anti-oxidants you need to stay healthy and the fiber that will help you feel fuller with less food, which is a big advantage if you're trying to control your weight.
Meat, Poultry and Fish
Meat, poultry and fish are good sources of protein, and protein is very important to help you feel satiated. Protein is also found in cheese, eggs, nuts, nut butter, tofu and other vegetarian protein alternatives made from soy. Including a source of protein at each of your meals will help you prevent tempting cravings, which will make it easier for you to reach and maintain your healthy weight. With diabetes, keeping your weight in the healthy range can help you improve your blood-sugar control by lowering insulin resistance.
Olive Oil, Avocado and Nuts
Healthy monounsaturated fats can help you add flavor to your diet, while improving your blood-cholesterol levels. Olive oil, avocado and nuts are the best sources of monounsaturated fats and are also rich in vitamin E, an anti-oxidant that can protect your heart health. Drizzle your salad or vegetables with olive oil, prepare a guacamole to dip your vegetables, add a couple of tablespoon of peanut butter to your oatmeal, or have a handful of almonds for your snack.
Fruits, Yogurt and Whole Grains
Fruits, yogurt and whole grains are rich in carbohydrates. You can have these foods, as long as you control the serving size to get no more than 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates per meal. Fresh fruits, plain yogurt and whole grains are the best sources of carbohydrates, because they are digested more slowly and will keep your blood sugar levels from rising too quickly. You can get your 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates by mixing and matching the following serving of foods that each provide 15 g of carbohydrates: a slice of whole grain bread, 1/3 cup of brown rice, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, a small piece of fruit or 2/3 cup of plain yogurt.
