Steps
Stick to the Basics
Eating a balanced diet can help improve your diabetes.
Do:
- Eat 5 servings of vegetables a day. Try to include most colors of the rainbow.
- Stock your pantry with basic ingredients that can be turned into different meals (whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds).
Limit:
- Fruit. It's okay to eat a small amount of fresh fruit now and then, but be careful not to overdo it. Fruit contains natural sugars that can raise your blood sugar.
Avoid:
- Packaged foods that have more than a few ingredients and/or ingredients you don't recognize. If you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't be eating it!
- Added sugars, artificial sweeteners, refined oils, and processed flours.
Cut Down on Added Sugars
The less sugar you eat, the less you'll crave it. Just keep in mind it takes time for cravings to die down.
How to cut back:
- When a sugar craving hits, eat a piece of fresh fruit.
- Avoid foods with "added sugars" on the label. This includes “natural” sugars like honey and agave, as well as artificial sweeteners.
- Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks, such as soda, Kool-Aid, sweet tea, and sweetened coffee.
- Avoid "diet" or "zero-sugar" drinks and foods.
- Get rid of any sweet things (candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, soda, sugary drinks, etc.) in your home. It'll be easier to say no if they're not in reach.
Choose Better Carbs
To minimize blood sugar spikes, eat high-fiber, low-sugar carbohydrates like:
- Nonstarchy vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, salad greens, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, etc.)
- Whole grains (barley, brown rice, millet, oatmeal, buckwheat, etc.)
- Legumes (beans, lentils, etc.)
- Dairy
Avoid refined or simple carbohydrates like:
- Foods made with flour (bread, pasta, pizza crust, pastries, crackers, etc.)
- White rice
- White potatoes
- Sweet desserts
- Most breakfast cereals
Have Protein at Every Meal
Eat a portion of protein about the size of your palm with each meal. This will help your body digest food more slowly and keep sugar from being absorbed too quickly.
What types of protein to eat:
- Experiment with different protein-rich foods. Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), nuts and seeds, quinoa, eggs, fish, and poultry are all good options.
- Choose fish that are lower in mercury (salmon, cod, flounder). Avoid fish like tuna and swordfish, which are high in mercury. Read more here.
- Limit red meat like beef, pork, and lamb. They can raise your cholesterol.
Know which foods to eat—and which to avoid.
