A healthy diabetes diet includes balanced portions of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, starchy foods, protein and dairy products. Your personalized diabetes diet plan should account for your individual taste preferences as well as any dietary restrictions. However, following some general food standard guidelines will help you prepare diabetes-friendly meals.
Starchy Foods
According to the American Diabetes Association, you should choose whole grain foods over refined grains or processed food items. Following this food standard will help ensure that your body gets important nutrients. Refined grain foods do not provide as many nutrients as whole grains, including essential fatty acids, vitamin E, most of the B vitamins and fiber. The standard for starchy vegetables and legumes is that they should not contain any added fat, sugar or sodium. So, check the labels before you purchase canned foods such as lentils, green peas or corn.
Protein
The standard for high-protein foods on a diabetes diet is that they should include low amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. The American Diabetes Association recommends that you choose lean, skinless chicken breast or turkey. Removing the skin from poultry cuts down on calories and saturated fat. You can also choose lean or extra lean cuts of beef, trimmed of visible fat. Fish, naturally low in calories and saturated fat, makes a good choice. Some varieties, including salmon and herring, contain heart-healthy essential unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3. Beans and soy-based foods also provide low-fat protein. Plant-based protein sources contain carbohydrates, but poultry, meat and fish do not.
Dairy
When it comes to dairy products, the standard is that they should be low-fat or fat-free. Dairy products make excellent sources of calcium and protein, but whole-milk varieties prove high in fat, cholesterol and calories. Good dairy choices include non-fat milk, plain non-fat yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese. If you switch from whole milk to 1 percent milk, you will save 70 calories and 4 g of saturated fat per serving.
Fruits and Non-Starchy Vegetables
Citrus fruits and fruits with edible skins make the healthiest fruit choices. Fruits with edible skins -- such as apples and pears -- and fruits with edible seeds -- such as strawberries and blueberries -- tend to contain more dietary fiber than other types of fruits. Citrus fruits, rich in soluble fiber, also possess low glycemic indexes, meaning they will less likely cause unhealthy spikes in your blood sugar levels. When possible, avoid processed fruits and vegetables. Processed fruits and vegetables possess a higher glycemic index than fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and may also contain added sodium.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Making Healthy Food Choices
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Whole Grain Foods
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Lean Meats
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Diabetes Superfoods
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Dairy
