A diabetes meal plan is the recommended meal plan for people with diabetes. The diabetes meal plan consists of a selection of foods you can eat during meals and during snack times while fitting your schedule as well as eating habits. The diabetes meal plan is carefully designed to improve your blood glucose levels as well as blood pressure and cholesterol levels and also to watch your weight. The diabetes meal plan is balanced with the right amount of insulin and oral diabetes medication and should be combined with regular exercise to control blood glucose levels.
A dietitian can suggest you with the diabetes meal plan which is best for you to improve your general health while also protecting you from other diseases such as cancer and heart disease. A diabetes meal plan can include fruits, whole grains, beans, poultry, fish, vegetables, non-fat dairy products and can also include lean meat. This line-up of healthy foods can not only benefit the diabetic but also family members who can take the same foods for a healthy living.
A diabetes meal plan must be detailed and complete and should include weekly meal plans for breakfast, dinner, lunch and snacks which will guide you to a diabetes friendly lifestyle. The meal plan can disallow carbohydrate containing foods but their are carbohydrate containing foods that are low in glycemic index and which can be included in the meal plan. Examples of these foods are corn, yam, kidney beans, lentils, dried beans, sweat potatoes, peas, whole wheat bread, rye bread, carrots and all bran cereal.
A diabetes meal plan may also be a 7 day suggestion one day of which may include a cup skim milk, one medium orange and one cup cheerios cereal for breakfast, a morning snack of one cup of melon, a lunch consisting of grilled shrimp skewers or white bean salad, one cup skim milk, one whole wheat pita bread and one sugarless fudgsicle. Dinner may consist of one half cup cooked brown rice, spiced carrots, a tomato herb flank steak and one half banana. A snack may include two tablespoons of prepared hummus and three ounces of celery sticks.