Diabetics often regulate their blood sugar levels with regular snacks and by keeping food on hand in the event of a sudden change in glucose levels. To stay on a more even keel throughout the day, plan meals in advance that provide the right balance of nutrients, including healthy proteins. Choosing lean proteins to add to meals will ensure you create a diet plan that provides you with the nutrition you need for good health.
Types of Proteins
Not all proteins are created equally, so make sure you eat enough of the right kinds. Proteins are considered complete or incomplete depending on the amount of essential amino acids they contain. Complete proteins come from animal sources, including meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Incomplete proteins come from plant sources such as rice, beans, nuts, legumes and seeds. Combining some incomplete proteins, such as rice and beans, helps you create a protein serving that is more complete, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Consider adding incomplete proteins to your diet, along with lean proteins, to decrease your dependence on high-fat, high-cholesterol animal products for your protein needs.
Create Your Plate
The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics structure meals using the Create-Your-Plate method. To do this, divide your plate into three sections: half should contain non-starchy vegetables, such as peppers, broccoli, spinach and tomatoes; one quarter of the plate should contain lean proteins; and one quarter should contain starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, rice, bread or pasta. Add a piece of fruit and glass of low-fat or fat-free milk to complete your meal. If you don’t drink milk, add one more serving of a carbohydrate.
Breakfast
For breakfast, get your protein from turkey bacon, lox, lean ham or yogurt. Have oatmeal or a fortified whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. A single whole-grain pancake or waffle with a fruit spread is a better choice than bacon and eggs.
Lunches
A sandwich of whole-grain bread, lean turkey, ham or chicken breast and plenty of lettuce, tomatoes, onions or other veggies is a good choice. Add a cup of a non-creamy vegetable soup. Add grilled salmon to a salad or use fat-free mayonnaise to make a tuna salad.
Dinner
For dinner, try one-pot dishes that combine non-starchy vegetables, a starchy carb and protein. Pasta dishes and stir-fries with rice or noodles let you regulate the amount of carbohydrates in the dish to create a balanced meal. Add refried or black beans and rice to a burrito to create a balanced dish. The tortilla and rice will provide your starchy carbs, the beans your protein, and salsa, avocado, lettuce and tomatoes your veggies. Add fat-free sour cream and low-fat cheese for more protein. Fish tacos are an even better source of lean protein.
Snacks
Choose low-fat snacks, avoiding processed foods in favor of veggies, nuts and lean dairy. A cup of yogurt with some granola, veggie slices with hummus, cottage cheese with fruit or a handful of unsalted nuts are good choices.
