In many respects, a healthy diabetes diet is similar to the typical healthy diet for the average adult. Both strive to help you fulfill your nutritional needs without consuming excess calories. Both require that you limit your intake of unhealthy fats and added sugars. A healthy diabetes diet should emphasize low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods such as fresh fruit, nonstarchy vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy products.
Unhealthy Fats
Because having diabetes puts you at an increased risk of developing heart disease, you should limit your intake of saturated fat to about 15 g per day. Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy products over ones made from whole milk and eat fish, skinless chicken and lean cuts of beef rather than fried chicken and hamburgers. Avoid cooking with butter and palm oil, as both are high in saturated fat. Also avoid using margarine, shortening and hydrogenated oils, as they contain trans fat. Limit your intake of trans fat to 2 g a day. Cook with sources of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, soybean oil, corn oil and canola oil.
Refined Grains
Avoid consuming foods made from refined grains, such as breads and pastas made with white flour or enriched wheat flour. Refined grains are high in starch, but low in vitamins and minerals. Instead of refined grains, choose whole grains such as wild rice, brown rice, whole oats, quinoa, and breads and pastas made with 100 percent whole wheat flour. Whole grains, like refined grains, contain starch, so they will elevate your blood glucose; however, whole grains are also rich in essential nutrients such as fiber, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids, vitamin E, most of the B vitamins, magnesium, chromium and folate.
Desserts and Other Sweets
Strictly limit your intake of added sugars. Foods with added sugars – such as desserts, pastries, baked goods and candy – are not part of the diabetes meal plan. They are filled with empty calories, offering little or no nutritional value. Furthermore, most desserts and other sweets are carbohydrate-dense, meaning they contain a high amount of carbs in a small serving size. Because desserts and other sweets are high in carbs, consuming them will cause a significant increase in your blood glucose levels. Consume desserts and other sweets occasionally, and in very small portions.
Considerations
Keep in mind that the goals of your diabetes diet are to help stabilize your blood glucose levels, maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and promote a healthy body weight. In terms of helping to maintain healthy and stable blood glucose levels, it is important to restrict your intake of total carbs, which include sugar, starch and fiber. In general, it is recommended that you consume about 45 g to 60 g of total carbs per meal.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Making Healthy Food Choices
- MayoClinic.com; "Nutrition and Healthy Eating – Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines"; February 22, 2011
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Fat and Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Whole Grain Foods
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Carbohydrates
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness – Diabetes Superfoods
