The Best Foods for Diabetes – And Foods To Avoid

Healthy eating, along with regular physical activity, can help you look after your diabetes. It can also help you manage your weight and other risk factors, such as high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Healthy eating for people with diabetes is no different from what is recommended for everyone else. There is no need to prepare separate meals or buy special foods – the whole family can enjoy the same healthy meals.

To make healthy food choices:

» eat regular meals in the amounts that are right for you

» choose high-fibre, lower glycemic index carbohydrate foods

» limit foods that are high in saturated fat and choose healthy fats

» include lean protein foods with your meals

» choose foods low in added salt (sodium) and avoid adding salt to your food.

» fill a quarter of your plate with a carbohydrate food that has a lower glycemic index (GI), such as pasta, basmati rice, quinoa, noodles, legumes (such as chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils), barley, corn, low-GI potato/sweet potato. Include healthy fats and oils as part of a balanced meal – such as olive oil in cooking or as a salad dressing, avocado as a spread or nuts in a stir-fry or salad.

According to Dr Michael Mosley: “We’ve been taught to pile our plate with starchy foods but it’s the white, refined carbs in this food group that can really make your blood sugars soar,” he says. “If you’re healthy, you can certainly eat starchy foods but if your blood sugars are raised, you might want to cut them down.”

What kind of vegetables should I eat?

Dr Mosley recommends filling your plate with lots of vegetables instead of loading up on rice, pasta and bread. “Vegetables contain carbs but are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. If we increase [our intake of vegetables], nutrient levels go up and unnecessary processed foods go down.”

Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Joyce Haddad, also advises people with type 2 diabetes to increase the number of vegetables they eat with low-GI selections.

“Cauliflower is one vegetable that’s really versatile so it would be my first vegetable to be recommended,” Haddad, director of A Dietitian’s Mission, tells SBS.

“If you eat 100 grams of cauliflower, you’re only getting less than five grams of carbohydrates. Another vegetable that’s great for people with type 2 diabetes to eat is celery: it’s a really healthy snack option as it’s only got three grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams.”

Eggplants may also help stabilise your blood sugar levels. The high fibre content of this vegetable can slow the rate of digestion and absorption in the body. A slower absorption rate can keep blood sugar levels steady and prevent spikes.

Studies also suggest that the natural plant compounds found in vegetables like eggplant could reduce sugar absorption and increase insulin secretion. Both of these functions may help lower blood sugar.

“Fruit is great if you’re healthy but if you have weight to lose, then switching to less sugary fruits like apples and berries might be wise.”

What about fruit?

Fruit may be a contentious issue for those living with diabetes, according to Dr Mosley. That’s because not all fruit is created with equal sugar contents.

“Fruit is great if you’re healthy but if you have weight to lose, then switching to less sugary fruits like apples and berries might be wise.”

For example, mangoes are quite high in natural sugars: one average-sized mango contains 45 grams of sugar. To put that in comparison with other fruits, one cup of grapes has 23 grams; a cup of raspberries has five grams; a whole avocado contains 1.33 grams of sugar.

“If you are young and slim so you can get away with it [but] you can’t particularly [consume lots of mangoes] if you have problems with your blood sugar levels.”

Is meat okay?

Dr Mosley also advises that 20 per cent of a diabetes-friendly diet should consist of high-quality lean protein.

Diabetes NSW offers protein guidelines online for people living with type 2 diabetes. It states that lean meat is okay if you consume less than 350 grams per week. But beans and lentils, tofu, and fish and seafood can be eaten more often as they are heart-healthy protein sources. Eggs can be consumed but restricted to under seven per week.

Processed meats should be limited.

Diabetes Australia explains that lean protein foods do not break down into glucose, so they do not directly raise blood glucose levels. However, the organisation states that some protein sources also contain carbohydrates (legumes, yoghurt and lentils) and therefore, may still have an effect on blood glucose levels.

It’s also important to note that people with diabetic nephropathy should exercise caution when eating protein and salt, as these foods are typically restricted.

If in doubt, get support

While it’s not necessary for people with type 2 diabetes to cut foods from their diet entirely for the sole purpose of weight loss, it’s a good idea to be aware of the sugar content of food so you can moderate the quantity consumed accordingly.

Haddad also reminds people with type 2 diabetes to remember that even though there are some general tips common among all healthy diets, a personalised approach that focuses on an individual’s holistic diabetes picture is best.

“Healthy eating shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach,” Haddad explains. “It definitely needs to be personalised.

“…You just have to find the right people to help you on this journey. If you need help, get support from health professionals who will make the process [of dieting and weight loss] easier for you.”