“What can I eat?” This is the most commonly asked question when a person has been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Actually, there is no such thing as a ‘diabetes diet’. In fact, people living with type 2 diabetes can eat most any healthy food.
This article will provide the basic guidelines for making healthier food choices and provide links to more detailed information on the subject of nutrition planning.
Foods that you should eat more of include:
- Healthier carbs (whole grain cereals and breads, brown rice or pasta)
- Vegetables (especially dark green leafy ones such as spinach or kale)
- Fruits
- Nuts and legumes (beans, peas and lentils)
- Low-fat dairy products
- Heart-healthy fish such as salmon
- Healthier fats such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado
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Foods you should eat less of include:
- Saturated fats and trans fats
- Candy, regular pop and desserts
- Salt (which is commonly found in processed foods)
- Fatty cuts of meat
- High fat dairy products
A good place to start learning about foods to include in your diet is by reading the following Introduction to Healthy Eating article.
The plate method can help people with weight management by controlling portion size, and it can also help with managing carbohydrate intake.
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Other excellent nutrition planning tips include:
- Manage your carbohydrates since these break down into glucose once digested. Common sources of carbohydrate foods include starches and grains, fruit, milk, yoghurt, some vegetables, and table sugar.
- Because people with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of heart disease and other complications, it is also important to eat more heart-healthy foods and less fats, salt and calories.
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