10 Diabetes Friendly Bowl Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the 10 best foods for a diabetic? ›

How should a person with diabetes start the day? Eat a big breakfast. Eating a large meal in the morning and smaller meals for lunch and dinner may promote weight loss, lower glucose levels, and decrease daily insulin dose in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a 2022 review.

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

Drinking water regularly may rehydrate the blood, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce diabetes risk ( 20 , 21 ). Keep in mind that water and other zero-calorie drinks are best. Avoid sugar-sweetened options, as these can raise blood glucose, drive weight gain, and increase diabetes risk ( 22 , 23 ).

You limit dairy products, red meat, sweets, added sugars, sodium (salt), and highly processed foods. Some additional guidelines include focusing on seasonal produce and reading food labels to help you avoid added sodium and sugar.

"A low-sugar Greek yogurt with berries and a few nuts is a great balance of protein, fiber, and fat to help keep blood sugar stable, and research shows foods like strawberries and wild blueberries can help improve insulin resistance as well," Harris-Pincus says.

Natural peanut butter is considered safe for people with diabetes. It's best to avoid the “low-fat” varieties of peanut butter. They sound healthy—but most brands simply add more sugar to make up for less fat. This can spike blood sugar levels and leads to more daily carbohydrates.

Eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast followed by a substantial lunch and a small dinner — the so-called "three-meal diet" (3Mdiet) — promotes weight loss and significantly improves glucose control in type 2 diabetes, a randomized, controlled trial suggests.

You'll want to stay away from foods that are highly processed or have lots of added salt or sugar. That includes junk foods like potato chips, cheese puffs, candy, and cookies. You don't have to banish these foods from your diet. But when you do eat them, keep the portions very small.

What is fast acting food for diabetics? ›

Fast-acting carbs: Glucose tablets, glucose drinks, full-sugar soft drinks or squashes, jellies (not diet), sweets. Medium-acting carbs: Bread, pasta, potatoes, yams, breakfast cereal, couscous. Slow-acting carbs: Pearl barley, peas, beans, lentils, sweetcorn, pumpkin.

Include more nonstarchy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and green beans. Include fewer added sugars and refined grains, such as white bread, rice, and pasta with less than 2 grams of fiber per serving. Focus on whole foods instead of highly processed foods as much as possible.

Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) may help people lower or manage their blood sugar levels. Examples include whole grains, nuts, legumes, some fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and lean proteins.