Persons with diabetes should avoid most commercially prepared shakes. They contain too many calories and carbohydrates to regularly include on a diabetes-friendly diet. But you can make healthy shakes at home, using yogurt, sugar-free ice cream and low-fat or nonfat milk. Whether you drink a shake made at home or at a restaurant, remember to keep your portions small.
Milk
Choose low-fat or nonfat milk in your shake. By using low-fat 1 percent milk instead of whole milk, you will save approximately 70 calories and 4 g of saturated fat per serving. Or use soy milk, which is low in calories and free from saturated fat. Keep in mind that 1 cup of milk -- whether low-fat, nonfat or soy-based -- contains about 12 g of carbohydrate.
Yogurt
Instead of using ice cream, try preparing your shake with plain nonfat yogurt. Ice cream tends to contain a lot of calories and carbohydrate. For example, 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream contains approximately 137 calories and 15.58 g of carbohydrate. Plain nonfat yogurt makes a healthier alternative, as 1/2 cup contains only 77 calories and 8.6 g of carbohydrate. If you do choose to include ice cream in your shake, choose a light ice cream that contains artificial sweetener instead of sugar, as this tends to lower the calorie and carbohydrate count.
Fruit
Fruit makes a healthy choice on a diabetes diet and a great ingredient in a variety of shakes. When possible, choose fresh or frozen fruit. Avoid canned. Processed fruits rank higher than fresh fruit on the glycemic index -- a tool that measures the effect of foods on your blood sugar levels. Canned fruits may also contain added sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup. If you use fruit juice, use 100 percent fruit juice that contains no added sugars. Keep in mind that 1 small piece of whole fruit, 1/2 cup of berries, or 1/2 cup of 100 percent fruit juice generally contains approximately 15 g of carbohydrate.
Considerations
In general, you should consume between 45 and 60 g of total carbohydrate per meal. So if you would like to have a shake with your meal, remember that you may need to make adjustments to your main course in order to ensure that you do not exceed your recommended carbohydrate intake. For variety and extra nutrition, try adding ingredients such as wheat germ, ground flax seed, unsweetened and unsalted ground-up nuts or peanut or almond butter to your shake.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Dairy
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Artificial Sweeteners
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Fruits
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Sugar and Desserts
