Starches provide important nutrition. Some types of starches -- oatmeal and kidney beans, for example -- make better choices than others such as white bread. A healthy diabetes diet includes balanced portions of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, starchy foods, protein and dairy products. Starchy foods should make up one-half of your breakfast meals, and one-fourth of your lunch and your dinner meals.
Basics
Carbohydrates include three main types: sugar, fiber and starches. All carbohydrate-containing foods affect your blood glucose levels. In other words, if you eat a carbohydrate, your blood glucose levels will rise. For this reason, you may hesitate to include carbohydrates in your diet. But high-quality starchy food carbohydrates, unlike refined or simple carbohydrates, will unlikely cause your blood glucose to rise to a potentially dangerous level. Starch from complex carbohydrates break down slowly in your body so that sugars do not get absorbed too quickly in your bloodstream.
Starchy Vegetables
Starchy vegetables make an excellent source of high-quality starch on a diabetes diet. On a diabetes diet vegetables are classified into two groups: starchy vegetables and non-starchy vegetables. Examples of starchy vegetables recommended by the American Diabetes Association include corn, green peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, plantains and parsnip. Starchy vegetables, though they contain more carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes make healthy choices because they are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Legumes
Legumes, such as beans and lentils,provide healthy starches in your diabetes diet. In fact, the American Diabetes Association calls beans a diabetes superfood. Beans provide an excellent source of protein, as 1/2 cup of cooked beans contains as much protein as 1 oz. of meat, but without the saturated fat. Beans and lentils are also excellent sources of soluble fiber, a nutrient that may help stabilize your blood glucose levels by helping to slow down your body's absorption of sugars. In addition, soluble fiber may help lower your blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Whole Grains
Whole grains provide an excellent source of high-quality starch on a diabetes diet. Whole grains are high in soluble fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamin E, most of the B vitamins and phytochemicals. The American Diabetes Association recommends that you choose whole grain breads and pastas. Look for breads and pastas that list their first ingredient as whole wheat flour. Avoid foods made primarily from refined grain flours. Other examples of whole grain foods include oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, popcorn and buckwheat.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Diabetes Meal Plans and a Healthy Diet
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Create Your Plate
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Glycemic Index and Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Non-Starchy Vegetables
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Whole Grain Foods
