Diabetes and Nutrition

To manage your blood glucose, you need to balance what you eat and drink with physical activity and diabetes medicine, if you take any. What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are all important in keeping your blood glucose level in the range that your health care team recommends.

Eating well and being physically active most days of the week can help you:

• keep your blood glucose level, blood pressure, and cholesterol in your target ranges
• lose weight or stay at a healthy weight
• prevent or delay diabetes problems
• feel good and have more energy

The key to eating with diabetes is to eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups, in the amounts your meal plan outlines. The food groups are:

• vegetables
  • non starchy: includes broccoli, carrots, greens, peppers, and tomatoes
  • starchy: includes potatoes, corn, and green peas
• fruits—includes oranges, melon, berries, apples, bananas, and grapes
• grains—at least half of your grains for the day should be whole grains
  • includes wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, and quinoa
  • examples: bread, pasta, cereal, and tortillas
• protein
  • lean meat
  • chicken or turkey without the skin
  • fish
  • eggs
  • nuts and peanuts
  • dried beans and certain peas, such as chickpeas and split peas
  • meat substitutes, such as tofu
• dairy—nonfat or low fat
  • milk or lactose-free milk if you have lactose intolerance
  • yogurt
  • cheese

To access the full article and additional information regarding nutrition and diabetes, click here.

Useful links:

1. Recipes & Nutrition | ADA (diabetes.org)
2. Eat Well | Living with Diabetes | Diabetes | CDC
3. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan - Mayo Clinic
4. Prediabetes Diet | Johns Hopkins Medicine