What should you eat if you have diabetes? If you're confused by this question because you've heard a lot of conflicting information, you're hardly alone. Fortunately, the answer should be quite simple: Eat foods that don't raise blood sugar very much. This means low-carbohydrate foods.
Although low-carb diets were routinely prescribed for people with diabetes more than 100 years ago - often with excellent results - recommendations to eat more carbs became the standard once insulin and diabetes medications were available. Unfortunately, diabetes medications can not cure the underlying problem, especially not in type 2 diabetes.
However, going back to the time-honored approach of eating low-carb foods can help control blood sugar in type 1 diabetes and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes, while reducing the need for medications.
In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn exactly what to eat for diabetes.
Disclaimer: Medication reduction may be necessary, and you may need to check your blood glucose more frequently when eating to control diabetes. Please follow up with your healthcare provider for medical guidance. Full disclaimer
1. The diabetes diet: what to eat and what to avoid
There are many delicious foods that you can and should enjoy on a low-carb diabetes diet. Here's a list of the best foods to eat - and the ones to stay away from.
Foods to eat
Protein
- Meat of all types: Ground beef, steak, roast beef, pork chops, ribs, sausage, bacon, pork roast, chicken, turkey
- Seafood of all types: fish, shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, mussels, crab, lobster
- Canned fish of all varieties: tuna, salmon, sardines, anchovies
- Luncheon meat: ham, roast beef, pastrami, salami, pepperoni, turkey, chicken
- Eggs
- Tofu, tempeh
Full-fat dairy products
Natural fats
- Natural oils (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, nut oils of all types)
- Lard
- Tallow
- Chicken fat (schmaltz)
- Duck fat
- Coconut milk
Vegetables
All non-starchy vegetables, including:
Berries (limit to one-half cup per day)
Nuts (limit for weight loss)
Seeds
Condiments
Beverages
Foods to avoid
Avoiding any foods that aren't on the list above will help prevent blood sugar elevations, or spikes. This includes many foods that most people agree are not good for your health, like:
- Sugar in any form: white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave
- Cakes, pies, cookies, ice cream, candy, and other sweets
- Pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs, burritos, and similar foods
- White bread, white rice, pasta, and potatoes
- Soda, punch, sweetened tea and coffee, sweet alcoholic beverages
- Beer
However, there are also some foods on the "avoid" list that may surprise you, such as:
Why should you avoid eating these foods - even those that are typically considered healthy? Because they all raise blood sugar once they have been digested and absorbed by your body ( learn more here).
Diabetes breakfast tips
A good diabetes breakfast needn't be elaborate or time-consuming; in fact, it can even be skipped altogether if you're not hungry. There's also no rule that your first meal must contain traditional breakfast fare, like eggs. Although eggs are always an excellent choice, last night's leftovers are great too - and a huge time saver on busy mornings.
Here are a few quick and easy breakfasts to get your day off to a good start:
