Diet for Diabetics

You don’t have to be a gourmet cook or even prepare everything from scratch to follow a diabetic diet. Talk to your diabetes educator or nutritionist about dietary recommendations.

Diabetic recipes can be delicious as well as nutritious. Avoid high blood sugar and low blood sugar by following a well-designed meal plan.

The thought of having to convert to eating a diabetic diet can be intimidating, especially to someone who is newly diagnosed with diabetes. After all, what makes a recipe appropriate for a person with diabetes? What’s the best way to meet nutritional needs without compromising taste, convenience, and pleasure? Take heart! You can follow diabetic recipes, eat well, and still avoid the roller coaster pitfalls of low blood sugar and high blood sugar.

Knowledge Goes a Long Way in the Kitchen

Time invested in learning about healthful eating as it relates to your diabetes will leave your taste buds satisfied and assist in keeping blood sugar under control. Take time early on to educate yourself; you’ll be surprised to find that eating a diabetic diet will become second nature rather quickly. You’ll know what foods are best for you when you’re experiencing low blood sugar and also which foods are most likely to result in a high blood sugar count.

You don’t have to be a gourmet cook or even prepare everything from scratch to follow a diabetic diet. Talk to your diabetes educator or nutritionist about dietary recommendations.

Exchange Diets

Foods that are similar in nutritional profile are grouped together in an exchange diet, and portions are such that each serving will have the same amount of carbohydrate, fat, and protein as any other in the same group. Foods can be “exchanged” or traded with others in a category while still meeting your desired nutritional goals. Exchanges can be applied if you’re eating out or trying out new diabetic recipes.

Counting Carbohydrates

Many people with diabetes are encouraged to help manage their disease by tracking the carbohydrates in their diets. Carbohydrates are most quickly turned into sugar for use by the body. Counting carbohydrates can be very helpful when determining insulin dosages.

Feeling Alone?

Some people mistakenly think they will never again be able to enjoy mealtime. The recommendations for healthy eating for a person with diabetes follow the same general guidelines as a well balanced diet for the general population, and can promote better habits for the entire family.

Although the problems associated with low blood sugar and high blood sugar are different, both need to be avoided as much as possible. Read nutrition facts on food labels, find diabetic recipes you like, and get on the road to better health.

  • Diet for Diabetics Nutritionists agree that all individuals with diabetes should follow the nutritional outline of the food pyramid and avoid too much carbohydrates.
  • Diabetes Meal Plan A diabetes meal plan, the recommended meal plan for people with diabetes, is designed to improve your blood glucose level, cholesterol level and blood pressure.
  • Eating Out When You Have Diabetes Eating out is possible even when you have diabetes. You just need to remember a few things to ensure that diabetes does not get in the way of your having fun.
  • Can You Eat Fast Food When You Have Diabetes? Fitting diabetes and fast food into your diet may require a little extra creativity. It can now be done -- as long as you know these fast food nutrition facts.
  • Diabetic Main Courses Diabetic foods can be nutritional whether following traditional or sugar free recipes. Assess nutritional values when preparing main course dishes and other diabetic foods.
  • Snacking When You Have Diabetes Healthy snacks generally include low fat snacks. Learn how to eat healthfully, include snacks and evaluate fast food nutrition.
  • Diabetic Exchange Diets Understanding the food pyramid and nutrition labels can help you use the principles of a diabetic exchange diet for enjoyable, healthful eating.
  • Diabetic Diet FAQs Answers exist for many of your questions, and those who've been there are often willing to share diabetes tips and what works for them. Here are some frequently asked questions related to diabetes and diet.
  • Processed Meats Linked to Diabetes A team from the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed numerous studies and their finds suggest that the real culprit is not so much red meat, it's processed foods, like hot dogs and cold cuts (lunch meats).