Diabetics Diet Plan

Warning: It is recommended to seek the assistance of a registered dietician and doctor to devise a proper nutrition plan to treat any diabetes. Please view the ADA for more information about a proper diet plan.

A well devised diet plan, along with the intake of insulin or hypoglycemic drugs is integral for controlling diabetes. Medically referred to as the Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), a diabetic meal should involve the intake of required amount of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. This in turn not only helps to supply all nutrients that are essential for your body but also enables to maintain the level of glucose in the blood. A dietician may take into consideration a number of things while devising a diabetic plan, such as the patient’s age, sex, height, weight, diabetes types, and other medical complications in the form of blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In fact, a diabetic diet plan may vary from one person to another. According to the American Diabetic Association (ADA), a healthy diabetic meal plan should be incorporated with:

• Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Whole grain food items
• Fish at least two to three times a week
• Low fat dairy products such as skim milk, non fat cheese and yoghurt
• Dried beans and lentils
• Lean cut meat

Further, the ADA recommends diabetic patients to minimize the consumption of high calorie food items such as cake, cookies, and ice cream.

Type 1 Diabetics

Also known as juvenile diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes is a condition in which the body stops producing insulin. It usually affects children and young adults with heart related ailments. If a person is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, he must have plenty of whole grains, vegetables, and foods rich in healthy carbohydrates, minerals, fiber, and vitamins in the diet plan.

A type 1 diabetic diet plan is categorized into three different types:

1. Exchange meal plan that is perfect for diabetic people who want to shed off their unwanted weight.
2. Constant carbohydrate diet plan, which helps to balance the quantity of carbohydrates that you intake each day.
3. Carbohydrate counting diet plan – a blend of the exchange diet plan and constant carbohydrate diet plan.

A type 1 diabetic diet plan mostly encourages you to intake:  

• Three to five servings of vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and carrots
• Two to four servings of fresh fruits
• Low fat dairy products
• Two to three servings of fish or meat

Apart from these, a person with Type 1 diabetes should limit the intake of saturated fat, such as bacon, butter, and cheese. Equally important is to reduce the consumption of alcohol and sugar.

Protein and Blood Sugar for Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and primarily occurs when the body does not secrete enough insulin. The body’s inability to make well utilization of insulin may also sometimes lead to this type of diabetes. Majority of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese and hence the diet plan for type 2 diabetes is usually focused to stabilize blood sugar levels and control weight. The type 2 diabetic meal plan should be created on the basis of a number of factors such as your blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels, cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels, BMI, age, and the type of medication you intake.  
A balanced type 2 diabetes diet plan should mainly include low glycemic foods:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Plums
• Peaches
• Cherries
• Oatmeal
• Long grain rice
• Bulgur

In addition, make sure that you completely avoid sugared food, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol to bring your type 2 diabetes under control.

Gestational Diabetics Diet

Gestational diabetes, otherwise known as Gestational Diet Mellitus (GDM), is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, especially during its later stage, and normally disappears after the pregnancy. A healthy gestational diabetes diet plan should comprise a right balance of foods from every food category. Here is a sample diet for gestational diabetes.

Breakfast

• 2 slices of whole grain bread or whole wheat muffin served with butter
• Half cup of fresh juice

Snack

• One apple
• Cheese

Lunch

• Whole grain bread or whole grain crackers
• Bean soup
• Low fat cheese

Snack

• One cup raw vegetables or 15 to 20 raw almonds
• One cup grapes

Dinner

• Grilled chicken breast or fish of your preference
• 1 cup steamed broccoli or carrots
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup low fat milk

Snack

• Air popped pop corn or smoothie made using strawberries and low fat milk

Since the diet plays an important role in the treatment of a gestational diet, it is important to consult with a dietician in order to help you design a healthy diet plan.

List of foods for diabetics to eat
Foods diabetics should avoid