You can eat spaghetti on a diabetes diet. If you have diabetes, you should choose whole-grain spaghetti over refined-grain spaghetti. Avoid spaghetti made with refined flour such as white flour or enriched wheat flour. According to the American Diabetes Association, whole-grain pasta provides healthy starch for persons with diabetes.
Whole Grains
Whole-wheat spaghetti and other foods made with whole grains are high in dietary fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamin E and most of the B vitamins. Foods made from refined grains lack the nutrients found in whole grains. Spaghetti counts as a starchy carbohydrate on a diabetes diet. Foods that contain carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to rise, so it is important to practice portion control. A 1/2 cup serving of whole-grain spaghetti has approximately 15 g of carbohydrate.
Spaghetti Sauce
Make you spaghetti healthier by topping it with marinara or another tomato-based sauce. Tomatoes, in any form, are considered a diabetes superfood. Tomato sauce provides an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin E and iron. A 1 cup serving of tomato sauce contains 17.1 mg of vitamin C, 3.48 mg of vitamin E and 2.5 mg of iron. Tomato sauce contains relatively few calories. One cup contains about 59 calories. Avoid creamy spaghetti sauces that tend to be high in calories and saturated fat.
Diabetes Diet
A healthy diabetes diet includes balanced portions of fruits, nonstarchy vegetables, starchy foods, protein and dairy. According to the American Diabetes Association, one-fourth of your lunch and dinner meals should be starchy foods, such as whole-grain spaghetti. Nonstarchy vegetables should make up half of your meal, and protein should make up one-quarter of your meal. So when you prepare a spaghetti dish, make sure it includes a lean source of protein and plenty of nonstarchy vegetables.
Menu Ideas
Try adding a variety of nonstarchy vegetables to your spaghetti, such as broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, eggplant, baby corn, sweet red peppers, sugar snap peas, asparagus, zucchini or onions. For healthy lean protein, try adding skinless chicken breast, homemade lean turkey meatballs or low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese. Another option is to serve spaghetti as a side to salmon with veggies. For this dish, keep you spaghetti simple -- top with basil, pepper and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Whole Grain Foods
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Diabetes Superfoods
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Create Your Plate
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Non-Starchy Vegetables
