Diet For Diabetics

A Diet for diabetics does not have to be rocket science.  If you follow the basic idea I’ve laid out here, you will see that it does not have to be a painful diet to live by.  It makes you feel good to eat good food.  Be mindful of what goes in your body and read the nutrition labels on all foods you get at the store.   Before I get into the sample diet, here is a super easy and streamlined crash course in basic diabetic nutrition.

SOLIDS

Bad Fats (increase risk of heart disease and raise cholesterol)
Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Trans Fat- AVOID THESE IN YOUR DIET

  • Lard
  • Butter
  • Fatty milk, cream, and cheese
  • Egg Yolks
  • Chicken Skin and Organ Meats
  • Ground beef
  • French Fries (sorry)
  • Twinkies
  • Other processed foods like some crackers

Good Fats (lower risk of heart disease and help raise good cholesterol..especially Omega 3s like salmon)
Omega 3 Fatty acids, Polyunsaturated Fat, Monounsaturated fat- EAT MORE OF THESE IN YOUR DIET

  • Avocado
  • Nuts and seeds and their oils (all kinds)
  • Peanut Butter (a diabetic staple)
  • Mayo
  • Salad Dressings
  • Fish of all kinds especially salmon

Carbohydrates-  There are Good carbs and bad carbs.  You want to eat good carbs obviously.  Good carbs are natural.  You get fiber from plants…fruits and veggies.  Fiber is good for cholesterol and digestion and overall health.

Good Carbs (as unprocessed as possible with as much fiber as possible) EAT MORE OF THESE

  • Whole Grains (certain breads, cereal, pasta)
  • Beans (Fresh over canned- too much sodium and preservatives in canned beans)
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Legumes
  • Fruits (apples are my favorite)


Bad Carbs (little to no fiber, lots of white flour and processed ingredients) AVOID THESE

  • Sugary Baked goods with white refined flour ( snack cakes)
  • Candy
  • White starchy rice
  • Pretty much any white grains like buns, and white bread is pretty bad

LIQUIDS

  1. Drink Lots of water, water keeps your kidneys healthy and lowers your risk of kidney problems.  Water also helps you feel fuller when drank with a meal.  I try to drink at least two liters a day, and way more in the summer.
  2. DO NOT DRINK SODA, PERIOD.  IF YOU MUST, KEEP IT TO THE DIET SODA, AND ONLY AS A TREAT.  SODA IS AN AWFUL CONCOCTION.
  3. Coffee has antioxidant properties that are good for you, and so do most teas.  Try to avoid caffeinated coffee and teas, though, because caffeine has a weird effect on blood sugar, can raise it through the roof sometimes, sometimes nothing happens…best to just avoid caffeine, it keeps you from being fidgety.
  4. Fruit Juices are generally best to avoid.  Orange juice, apple juice, etc.. is almost all sugar.  I just eat the orange, or apple and get the fiber and vitamins without the sugar.  If you are thirsty, your body is telling you it wants water, so just drink water, It is the smart thing to do.
  5. The diabetes establishment tends to say its OK to drink 2 beers (or drinks) a day if you are a man, and 1 beer or drink a day if you are a woman.  I personally try to drink water, because water is what your body really wants.  There are some who say a small amount of alcohol on a daily or semi daily basis is good for you and your kidneys / liver.  I personally think that people say that because they want to drink some alcohol.  Do what you think is right, but read the labels on your diabetes pills, most of them caution against alcohol.

Diet For Diabetics Sample Meal Plan

Tip- Try to get some fat, some protein, some carbs, some fiber and some water with every meal.  Count your carbs and keep track of your blood sugar.

Breakfast- (after morning walk)

First, drink one full glass of water

One slice of Double Fiber Bread (Orowheat makes it).  Toast the bread, add 1 or 2 tablespoons peanut butter.

Strawberries, and blueberries in a little bowl.  Usually about 4 big strawberries and a handful of blueberries

one cup of Eighth Continent soy milk

If you are feeling wacky, eat one square of Hershey’s special dark chocolate or 1 or 2 dark chocolate covered almonds for dessert (CVS pharmacy has the best ones).

This is an awesome, healthy diabetic breakfast that I eat on a rotating basis with other similar breakfasts.  It will give you energy, and keep you going until snack time comes two hours later.

Before work, get some hot coffee or tea (decaf).  Sweeten if you must with splenda or stevia.  Add some cinnamon for bouquet.  I usually add a small amount of half and half (it is ok to break the rules sometimes, but weigh the consequences out…. a little cream in a healthy diet is ok, but look at how most people eat!)

Pre Lunch Snack-(2 Hrs after breakfast)

One Bag wasabi and soy sauce almonds

one bottle of water (You will need it after the wasabi almonds!)

one full “tree” of broccoli with small amount of ranch dip (self control with the ranch, people, self control.)

Lunch-(2 Hrs after snack)

Drink some water before your lunch

Chicken and spinach roll up with light mayo, spicy mustard, onions, baby spinach (lots), fresh green beans, fresh ground peppercorns

one part skim string cheese (ok, I lied, I really usually eat 2 of these as my guilty pleasure..)

one medium sized gala apple (or orange)

one serving of almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or pecans

Pre dinner snack-(2 Hrs after lunch) 1 Apple, Orange, or   1/2 Grapefruit, or maybe a diabetic snack bar instead (in general not a habit of mine, but the glucerna ones with cinnamon and frosting are pretty good on occasion.  And Also some cauliflower and carrots cut up in a tupperware.  I eat about a cup or two.

Dinner- (2 Hrs after snack, and right after evening walk) Salmon fillet with asparagus, steamed broccoli, green beans, and maybe a creamy sauce on occasion.  I also recommend drinking water with dinner as well.  I eat a piece of dark chocolate about every third day or so for dessert.  I generally go easy on the carbs at dinner.  This is because I want my blood sugar to be low at bedtime.

Post dinner snack- 1/4 cup low fat yogurt with some blackberries, and guess what else……WATER!

Go to bed about two hours later.  If you need to eat some carbs before bed because of medication, I recommend a couple graham crackers and half a cup of soymilk.  I found these are not too bad on my numbers.  I really dislike eating carbs at bedtime, though,  it ruins your A1c score over time, but that is another subject.

Diet for diabetics shopping list

  1. Loaf of Double Fiber Bread by Orowheat. 16 carbs per slice minus 6 grams fiber = 10 carbs per slice
  2. All natural golden flax roll ups by Damascus Bakeries- 14 carbs per roll up minus seven fiber (whoa) equals only 7 carbs.  Also has omega 3, and tastes good
  3. Half gallon or two of Eighth Continent Soymilk.  If they don’t have it get the regular Silk, not lite. 8 carbs per cup, plus good fats
  4. Peanut butter- I personally love the “simply jif” Tastes really good and has 6 carbs per 2 Tblspoons minus 2 fiber = 4 carbs per 2 tblspoons. 8grams protein.
  5. Apples- Lots of apples all kinds, You should love apples, they are miracle foods.  Small apple is 15 carbs- huge apple is 30- plus some fiber and awesome crunch.
  6. Broccoli- Vitamins, fiber, best when crunchy, semi wet, and cold.
  7. Tomatoes for roll ups
  8. Asparagus
  9. Nuts- all kinds how ever many you can afford.  I found already shelled pistachios at Sprouts market here in Phoenix.  They are expensive, but worth it for those impatient people out there.
  10. Carrots- Awesome source of calcium and actually more carbs than most veggies so don’t get too crazy
  11. Berries- Strawberries, Blueberries, blackberries, load up on berries and make your friends and family eat them too.
  12. Hershey’s Special dark chocolate bar- breaks up into perfect snack size squares, one bar should last a week at least.
  13. Big cylinder of Old Fashioned Quaker oats- not the flavored kind.  27 carbs per 1/2 cup minus 4 carbs equals 23 total carbs.
  14. Deli sliced chicken breast for roll ups.  Lots of sodium, but not that bad if you are not eating all kinds of other sodium all day.  It is all about balance are you starting to see it is not that hard!
  15. Package of weight Watchers Part skim string cheese- a must have, just ask a diabetic
  16. some little snack sized bags of Blue Diamond Wasabi Soy Sauce almonds- 8 carbs minus 4 fiber = 4 carbs (sugarless gum has 2 carbs a peice!)
  17. A Case of bottled water.  The squeeze type ones, and also a few actual gallons of drinking water.
  18. Green Tea, Rooibos tea, any kind of tea you want as long as it is decaf.  Also some decaf coffee.  I have found that Starbucks has the most flavorful decaf of all the decafs I have had.  It is the Pikes place roast flavor.
  19. Buy some stevia and some splenda.  You will find stevia tastes awesome in tea, while splenda rules in coffee.  Also splenda wins in oatmeal, while stevia rules in cold cereal.  You will have your own opinions.
  20. Fresh Salmon Fillets / or other fish fillets
  21. I didn’t mention this in the meal plan, but you should buy some soy burgers too.  Just cook one up, and cut it into strips, put it in a wrap with lots of veggies and hot mustard with some mayo and pepper and there is an awesome healthy meal.

My General Opinion on diabetic food-

Eating right will make you live longer, make you loose weight, make you smarter, and more attractive- so are you ready to start today?  Go grab a fresh green apple and take a bite!  This is life, and it can taste really good!