Diabetic Diet

A diabetic meal plan aims to control blood glucose and blood lipid levels.

A diabetes diet is a nutritional guide to help people with diabetes maintain a normal blood glucose level and stay as healthy as possible.

Diabetes is a condition where the body either doesn’t make enough insulin, or can’t use the insulin it makes effectively. Insulin is a hormone that acts as a key that opens the cells to let sugar (glucose) in to provide energy for the cell to function. Without enough working insulin glucose builds up in the bloodstream.

A diabetic diet focuses on balanced meals with controlled portions that get digested into the body in a slow, controlled way, so that blood sugar levels don’t spike after eating. It is composed of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. It also limits processed foods, sugary drinks, and refined carbohydrates. The goal of the diet is to manage blood sugar levels in the blood and to maintain a healthy weight.

Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. The diabetic diet will not only try to control blood glucose levels, but also cholesterol levels to help minimize risk on the body.

The diabetic diet is an important part of diabetes care. There is no one diet that works for everybody. Healthcare providers and registered dieticians are important resources to help the patient find the diet that works best for them. The best diabetic diet is the one that the patient can prepare, enjoy, and stay with.

There is no single diabetic diet that works for every person with diabetes. Age, gender, activity level, and underlying medical conditions all need to be considered in planning a diet that works for a particular patient and that the patient is willing to accept.

Some diet options include:

• Carbohydrate counting
  • Carbohydrates are the main source of sugar and provide significant calories in the diet. The amount of carbohydrate is known for each food, and counting carbs is a plan to determine how many calories can be consumed as carbohydrates and how they are divided throughout the day.
• Plate method
  • A 9-inch plate is used for meals with the plate divided to allow a balanced meal
    • ¼ of the plate for carbohydrates like starches and grains
    • ¼ of the plate for lean protein
    • ½ of the plate for non-starch vegetables
• Meal timing
  • Eating meals at the same time each day may be helpful to control calorie and carbohydrate intake. This is also important for people who take pills to lower their blood sugar. If a meal is missed, their blood sugar may drop to dangerously low levels.

The goal of a diabetic diet is to allow those with diabetes to eat most of the same foods and meals as the rest of the family, but with added attention to the timing of meals and portion sizes.

Glycemic index for diabetes

Using the glycemic index may be helpful in choosing foods in a diabetic diet. The glycemic index measures how quickly a food containing carbohydrates will raise blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index, like refined grains (e.g. white bread, processed breakfast cereals), sugary foods and drinks (e.g. soda, fruit juice, candy) and some fruits (watermelon, pineapple) will cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.

Foods with low glycemic index are digested and absorbed more slowly and cause a slower and gradual rise in blood sugars, and allow better diabetic control. These foods are also helpful in weight control and managing cholesterol.

• Most vegetables, including green leafy vegetables, carrots, peppers, and broccoli
• Fruits like apples, pears, oranges, berries, and others
• Legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• Whole grains like oats, barley, quinoa, and whole grained breads and pastas
• Nuts
• Dairy products
• Lean proteins including some meats and fish
• Healthy fats like avocados and olive oil

Foods with high glycemic index cause blood sugars to spike and should be avoid, if possible. Examples include:

• White bread, bagels, croissants, crackers, rice cakes
• White rice and instant rice
• Packaged breakfast cereals like corn flakes
• Potatoes, including instant mashed potatoes
• Sugary fruits like pineapple and watermelon
• Drinks with sugar added like sodas or fruit juices
• Processed food snacks like chips and pretzels, French fries, cookies, cakes and candy

Instead of strict rules, a liberalized diabetic diet allows flexibility in what you eat, within reason, as long as blood sugars are managed and maintained in the normal range. It focuses on balancing favorite foods in moderation, along with making healthy choices to keep diabetes under control while allowing quality of life to be maintained or improved.

A liberalized diabetic diet usually requires blood sugars to be monitored regularly, maintenance of portion control, and help from a dietician to make certain that the diet that is chosen is reasonable.

Patients who have both diabetes and high cholesterol need to have a diet that manages blood sugar levels and heart health. Foods high in saturated fats and trans fats like fried foods, processed meats, and butter should be limited in the diet and replaced with healthy foods such as olive oil, nuts, and fish.

Patients who have diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Controlling cholesterol levels, another risk factor for those diseases, is important when designing a healthy diet.

Healthcare providers and registered dieticians are important resources to help develop a diet plan that is effective and will also be acceptable for the individual to follow.

People on a diabetic diet may have small amounts of sugar, as part of a healthy and balanced nutrition strategy. Moderation is key, and while all sugary foods like candy or soda do not have to be eliminated, the focus should be to limit them if at all possible. Carbohydrates in the diet should most often come from whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Alcohol may be acceptable in moderation, but should be discussed with your healthcare provider or dietician. Moderation means one drink per day for a woman, or two per day for a man. Alcohol may interact with some diabetes medications and lower blood sugar to dangerously low levels.