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Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan Print

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Diabetes diet: Create your healthy- Advertisement

eating plan
Your diabetes diet is simply a healthy-eating plan that will
help you control your blood sugar. Here's help getting
started, from meal planning to counting carbohydrates.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

A diabetes diet simply means eating the healthiest foods in

moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes.

A diabetes diet is a healthy-eating plan that's naturally rich in

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nutrients and low in fat and calories. Key elements are fruits,
vegetables and whole grains. In fact, a diabetes diet is the best
eating plan for most everyone. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or
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Why do you need to develop a healthy-eating not-for-profit mission.
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If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your doctor will likely Policy Opportunities Ad Choices
recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy-
eating plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar
(glucose), manage your weight and control heart disease risk Mayo Clinic Marketplace
factors, such as high blood pressure and high blood fats.
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When you eat extra calories and fat, your body creates an offers on books and newsletters from Mayo
undesirable rise in blood glucose. If blood glucose isn't kept in Clinic.
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glucose level (hyperglycemia) that, if persistent, may lead to long-
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making healthy food choices and tracking your eating habits.
The Mayo Clinic Diet Online
For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make
it easier to control blood glucose and offers a host of other health
benefits. If you need to lose weight, a diabetes diet provides a
well-organized, nutritious way to reach your goal safely.

What does a diabetes diet involve?

A diabetes diet is based on eating three meals a day at regular
times. This helps you better use the insulin that your body
produces or gets through a medication.

A registered dietitian can help you put together a diet based on

your health goals, tastes and lifestyle. He or she can also talk with
you about how to improve your eating habits, such as choosing
portion sizes that suit the needs for your size and activity level.

Recommended foods
Make your calories count with these nutritious foods. Choose
healthy carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, fish and "good" fats.

Healthy carbohydrates

During digestion, sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches

(complex carbohydrates) break down into blood glucose. Focus
on healthy carbohydrates, such as:

Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes, such as beans and peas
Low-fat dairy products, such as milk and cheese

Avoid less healthy carbohydrates, such as foods or drinks with

added fats, sugars and sodium.

Fiber-rich foods

Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't
digest or absorb. Fiber moderates how your body digests and
helps control blood sugar levels. Foods high in fiber include:

Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts
Legumes, such as beans and peas
Whole grains

Heart-healthy fish

Eat heart-healthy fish at least twice a week. Fish such as salmon,

mackerel, tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids,
which may prevent heart disease.

Avoid fried fish and fish with high levels of mercury, such as king
mackerel.

'Good' fats

Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can

help lower your cholesterol levels. These include:

Avocados
Nuts
/
 Canola, olive and peanut oils

But don't overdo it, as all fats are high in calories.

Foods to avoid
Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by
accelerating the development of clogged and hardened arteries.
Foods containing the following can work against your goal of a
heart-healthy diet.

Saturated fats. Avoid high-fat dairy products and animal

proteins such as butter, beef, hot dogs, sausage and bacon.
Also limit coconut and palm kernel oils.
Trans fats. Avoid trans fats found in processed snacks, baked
goods, shortening and stick margarines.
Cholesterol. Cholesterol sources include high-fat dairy
products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and
other organ meats. Aim for no more than 200 milligrams (mg)
of cholesterol a day.
Sodium. Aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Your
doctor may suggest you aim for even less if you have high
blood pressure.

Putting it all together: Creating a plan

You may use a few different approaches to create a diabetes diet
to help you keep your blood glucose level within a normal range.
With a dietitian's help, you may find that one or a combination of
the following methods works for you:

The plate method

The American Diabetes Association offers a simple method of

meal planning. In essence, it focuses on eating more vegetables.
Follow these steps when preparing your plate:

Fill half of your plate with nonstarchy vegetables, such as

spinach, carrots and tomatoes.
Fill a quarter of your plate with a protein, such as tuna, lean
pork or chicken.
Fill the last quarter with a whole-grain item, such as brown
rice, or a starchy vegetable, such as green peas.
Include "good" fats such as nuts or avocados in small
amounts.
Add a serving of fruit or dairy and a drink of water or
unsweetened tea or coffee.

Counting carbohydrates
Because carbohydrates break down into glucose, they have the
greatest impact on your blood glucose level. To help control your
blood sugar, you may need to learn to calculate the amount of
carbohydrates you are eating so that you can adjust the dose of
insulin accordingly. It's important to keep track of the amount of
carbohydrates in each meal or snack.

A dietitian can teach you how to measure food portions and

become an educated reader of food labels. He or she can also
teach you how to pay special attention to serving size and
carbohydrate content.

If you're taking insulin, a dietitian can teach you how to count the
amount of carbohydrates in each meal or snack and adjust your
/
insulin dose accordingly.

Choose your foods

A dietitian may recommend you choose specific foods to help you

plan meals and snacks. You can choose a number of foods from
lists including categories such as carbohydrates, proteins and
fats.

One serving in a category is called a "choice." A food choice has

about the same amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories
— and the same effect on your blood glucose — as a serving of
every other food in that same category. For example, the starch,
fruits and milk list includes choices that are 12 to 15 grams of
carbohydrates.

Glycemic index
Some people who have diabetes use the glycemic index to select
foods, especially carbohydrates. This method ranks carbohydrate-
containing foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels.
Talk with your dietitian about whether this method might work for
you.

A sample menu
When planning meals, take into account your size and activity
level. The following menu is tailored for someone who needs
1,200 to 1,600 calories a day.

Breakfast. Whole-wheat bread (1 medium slice) with 2

teaspoons jelly, 1/2 cup shredded wheat cereal with a cup of 1
percent low-fat milk, a piece of fruit, coffee
Lunch. Roast beef sandwich on wheat bread with lettuce, low-
fat American cheese, tomato and mayonnaise, medium apple,
water
Dinner. Salmon, 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, small baked
potato, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup green beans, medium white
dinner roll, unsweetened iced tea, milk
Snack. 2 1/2 cups popcorn with 1 1/2 teaspoons margarine

What are the results of a diabetes diet?

Embracing your healthy-eating plan is the best way to keep your
blood glucose level under control and prevent diabetes
complications. And if you need to lose weight, you can tailor it to
your specific goals.

Aside from managing your diabetes, a diabetes diet offers other

benefits, too. Because a diabetes diet recommends generous
amounts of fruits, vegetables and fiber, following it is likely to
reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of
cancer. And consuming low-fat dairy products can reduce your
risk of low bone mass in the future.

Are there any risks?

If you have diabetes, it's important that you partner with your
doctor and dietitian to create an eating plan that works for you.
Use healthy foods, portion control and scheduling to manage your
blood glucose level. If you stray from your prescribed diet, you run
the risk of fluctuating blood sugar levels and more-serious
complications.

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Feb. 19, 2019

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