If you're hungry, you may feel the urge to grab whatever food seems fastest and most convenient. Meal-planning and healthy choices can help keep your diet diabetes-friendly. High-fiber foods and non-starchy vegetables prove both satiating and nutritious. Choose healthy ways to fill up on a diabetes diet.
Filling Fiber
Dietary fiber comes in two types: soluble and nonsoluble. While the two types of fiber offer distinct nutritional benefits, both provide greater satiety than do foods low in fiber. Foods that contain high amounts of fiber help satisfy your hunger because they provide bulk. The bulk of high-fiber foods gives you the feeling of fullness without adding a lot of calories to your daily menu. In fact, a high-fiber diet may help you shed extra pounds and keep them off.
High-Fiber Foods
The American Diabetes Association states that you should consume 25 g to 30 g of dietary fiber per day. Recommended high-fiber foods on a diabetes diet include whole grain foods items such as whole grain pasta, bread or cereal; a variety of beans and legumes such as black beans, chickpeas and lentils; fruits and non-starchy vegetables with edible skins or seeds such as apples, pears, berries, bell peppers and cucumbers; and unsalted, unsweetened nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pecans. (See Reference 3).
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Eating non-starchy vegetables is a great way to fill up when you are on a diabetes diet. Non-starchy vegetables contain very few calories and carbohydrates. On a diabetes diet, portion control proves crucial. But if you're hungry, eat all the non-starchy vegetables you want. The American Diabetes Association states that non-starchy vegetables are the one type of food on a diabetes diet that don't demand strict serving sizes. Feel free to load up your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as romaine, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and carrots.
Balanced Diet
Keep plenty of high-fiber foods on hand and keep your meals balanced. Starchy foods should make up 1/2 of your breakfast with the balance split between fruit and protein. Your lunch and dinner meals should include 1/2 non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 starchy foods and 1/4 protein. An example of a healthy breakfast meal when hungry is oatmeal made from whole rolled oats and non-fat milk topped with fresh blueberries. For lunch or dinner, try a Mexican salad with romaine, tomatoes, onions, sweet red peppers, black beans and lean skinless chicken.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Diabetes Meal Plans and a Healthy Diet
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; November 19, 2009
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Non-Starchy Vegetables
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Create Your Plate
