Nine Ways to Eat Better With Diabetes

Here are nine ways to change your diet that will help you manage your diabetes better and improve your health. These tips apply to people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but the specifics of your nutrition management will differ depending on which type you have and should be discussed with a qualified nutritionist. 

Diabetes tip #1:  Choose plant-based foods over animal-based foods. Eating a Mediterranean-style diet -- which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and olive oil and low in red meat, poultry and animal fats -- has been found to reduce the need for blood-glucose lowering medications in people with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes tip #2:  Go for whole grains rather than refined ones. Refined grains such as white flour, rice and pasta don’t offer much nutritional value and can send blood glucose soaring. Whole grains like oat flour, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, on the other hand, are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.


Diabetes tip #3:  Use a healthier spread on bread. Avoid products that contain a lot of saturated fat, like butter and cream cheese, and regular margarine, which contains trans fats.  Your best substitutes are trans-fat-free margarines or those that contain plant stanols or sterols.

Diabetes tip #4:  Get your D from dairy. In addition to providing calcium, dairy products are a good source of vitamin D. Recent research has linked vitamin D deficiency with a greater likelihood of developing serious complications like cardiovascular disease if you have type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes tip #5:  Substitute a sweet potato for a white one. Sweet potatoes recently made the American Diabetic Association’s (ADA) list of “superfoods” and it’s easy to see why: They have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes, meaning they don’t raise your blood glucose levels as much. They’re also rich in carotenoids, which are important for eye health; the natural plant compound chlorogenic acid, which may help reduce insulin resistance; and potassium, which lowers blood pressure.

Diabetes tip #6:  Cook with canola oil instead of corn oil. Canola oil is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, which can lower harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and maintain beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Diabetes tip #7:  Favor fatty fishes. Eating fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol as well as cut down on inflammation in the blood vessels, which raises heart disease risk.

Diabetes tip #8:  Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol taken in moderation can benefit some people and has been associated with longer lifespan. However, alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, especially if you are taking a blood glucose-lowering medication.

Diabetes tip #9:  Shake the salt habit. Excess sodium causes the body to retain fluid, which can raise your blood pressure as well as your risk of heart attack and stroke. Instead of sprinkling table salt on food, try spices, herbs, or a squeeze of lemon; avoid processed foods like jarred spaghetti sauces, luncheon meats, canned soups and condiments.

Johns Hopkins Health Alert