Balance Order & Harmony

Best Diets When You Have Diabetes

Check All the Boxes

The right diet will help you control your blood sugar, get a handle on your weight, and feel better. Several well-known and popular eating plans may give you the road map to do just that. You'll want to choose something you can follow, with foods you like, so you can stick with it.

2/15

Start With the Basics

Watch your portion sizes and calories. Cut back on fried foods, sweets, sugary drinks, and anything salty or fatty. Focus instead on lots of veggies, with whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruit, and healthy fats. You may need to eat every few hours to keep your blood sugar levels steady. Your doctor or diabetes educator can help you fine-tune a diet so it works for you.

Low-Carb

You don't have to give up carbohydrates because you have diabetes. If you want to try a diet that limits them, like Atkins or South Beach, talk to your doctor about it. Research on the benefits of low-carb diets for type 2 diabetes is still mixed. But a review written by 25 leading experts says this style of eating should be the first step in managing the disease, since it can "reliably reduce high blood glucose."

Mediterranean Diet

This heart-healthy diet uses lots of fruits and veggies as well as fish, chicken, nuts, olive oil, legumes, and whole grains. What you won't eat often: Red meat, butter, and salt. Studies have shown the diet can help keep blood sugar levels under control. You can have wine with meals, but the American Diabetes Association recommends no more than one drink per day if you're a woman, two if you're a man.

DASH

Nutrition experts recommend this eating plan, designed to help lower blood pressure, to lots of people because it emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, and beans. (It does allow for some sweets, too. You should eat those in moderation.) A 2011 study found that it can improve insulin sensitivity when it's part of an overall weight loss program with exercise.

The Zone Diet

Its goal is to keep blood sugar levels stable. Meals are 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. Carbs are ranked as good or bad based on the glycemic index. You'll have foods like chicken and barley, but not potatoes and egg yolks. A 2015 study found it had a positive effect on glycemic control and waist size, so it may be a good choice. Ask your doctor about it.

Weight Watchers

You get a set number of points to "spend" as you eat. Most vegetables have zero points, so you can eat as much of them as you like, while fast foods and desserts are assigned high point values. Studies say it's effective. And the company offers a program for people with type 2 diabetes that includes fitness advice and support from a counselor with expertise in treating the disease.

8/15

Prepackaged Diet Meals

Whether you have them delivered to your home or pick them up at a grocery store, there's a huge variety of ready-made meals out there. Be careful: They can have very long lists of ingredients, and they aren't always diabetes-friendly. Some brands, like Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, do offer meals tailored for diabetes. Talk to your doctor to help narrow down your choices.

Paleo

The idea behind this trendy diet is to eat the way early humans did before modern farming, when we were hunter-gatherers. That means no dairy, refined sugar, grains, or legumes, and no processed vegetable oils like soybean oil or canola oil. You can have fruits and veggies, lean meats (preferably grass-fed), fish, nuts, and seeds. It may sound healthy, but there's little scientific data looking at how it affects diabetes.

Gluten-Free

Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, rye, and barley. People with digestive disorders like celiac disease need to avoid it. Popular belief is that going gluten-free will help you lose weight, improve digestion, and boost energy. But these claims aren't backed up by science. Plus, gluten is in everything from salad dressing to vitamins. There's no need to follow this diet unless your doctor advises it.

14 Best Foods to Keep in Your Fridge

Plan Ahead

You’re hungry and staring into your fridge, but is there anything healthy in there? Stock up on a few key staples to make sure there’s something good waiting for you.

Turkey

It’s low in fat and sodium, and high in protein. And versatile, too: Wrap some turkey breast in a whole-wheat tortilla for a snack or take it to work for lunch.

Salsa

Make some yourself -- it’s a healthy, easy way to put some zip into egg dishes, soups, and sauces. Use it instead of oily dressings on vegetables and heartier salads, too. But be forewarned: Health benefits decline, in a big way, if you eat it with a giant bag of heavily salted, processed, deep-fried corn chips.

Hummus

This Middle Eastern dip -- traditionally made with chickpeas, garlic, and olive oil -- is low in fat and calories and high in protein and fiber. Chickpeas are legumes, which can be good for people with high blood pressure and diabetes. They also can lower your cholesterol and may help protect you against cancer. And skip the pita chips. Try some with veggies like sliced cucumbers, carrots, or cherry tomatoes.

Eggs

They have amino acids your body needs to make your cells work, and they’re loaded with nutrients like vitamin D, which isn’t in many foods. At just a few cents per egg, they’re an amazing deal for such a high-quality protein.

Kale

It’s is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat, with only 33 calories per 2.5-ounce serving. Sautee it with chopped onion in olive oil for an easy and quick side dish for chicken and beef.

Seltzer

Sugary drinks add calories to your diet, often without much nutritional value. Seltzer is a great replacement. It’s fizzy, usually comes mildly flavored, and has just a few calories -- a great way to get a soft drink fix without the calories that normally go with it.

100% Fruit Juice

Freshly squeezed juice can be a good source of certain vitamins and minerals, but because it’s almost always high in sugar, you should drink it in moderation. One way to stretch it out is to add it to your seltzer for a kind of low-calorie “soft drink” with some nutritional value.

Plan Ahead

You’re hungry and staring into your fridge, but is there anything healthy in there? Stock up on a few key staples to make sure there’s something good waiting for you.

9/16

Turkey

It’s low in fat and sodium, and high in protein. And versatile, too: Wrap some turkey breast in a whole-wheat tortilla for a snack or take it to work for lunch.

9/16

Salsa

Make some yourself -- it’s a healthy, easy way to put some zip into egg dishes, soups, and sauces. Use it instead of oily dressings on vegetables and heartier salads, too. But be forewarned: Health benefits decline, in a big way, if you eat it with a giant bag of heavily salted, processed, deep-fried corn chips. 

9/16

Hummus

This Middle Eastern dip -- traditionally made with chickpeas, garlic, and olive oil -- is low in fat and calories and high in protein and fiber. Chickpeas are legumes, which can be good for people with high blood pressure and diabetes. They also can lower your cholesterol and may help protect you against cancer. And skip the pita chips. Try some with veggies like sliced cucumbers, carrots, or cherry tomatoes.

9/16

Eggs

They have amino acids your body needs to make your cells work, and they’re loaded with nutrients like vitamin D, which isn’t in many foods. At just a few cents per egg, they’re an amazing deal for such a high-quality protein.

9/16

Kale

It’s is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat, with only 33 calories per 2.5-ounce serving. Sautee it with chopped onion in olive oil for an easy and quick side dish for chicken and beef.

9/16

Seltzer

Sugary drinks add calories to your diet, often without much nutritional value. Seltzer is a great replacement. It’s fizzy, usually comes mildly flavored, and has just a few calories -- a great way to get a soft drink fix without the calories that normally go with it.

9/16

100% Fruit Juice

Freshly squeezed juice can be a good source of certain vitamins and minerals, but because it’s almost always high in sugar, you should drink it in moderation. One way to stretch it out is to add it to your seltzer for a kind of low-calorie “soft drink” with some nutritional value.

Plain Yogurt

It’s loaded with calcium, high-quality protein, and probiotics -- bacteria that are good for your gut and may be linked to healthier cholesterol levels. People who eat yogurt are less likely to be obese or have heart disease, and full-fat yogurt is better for that than low-fat. Eat it with fruit or granola, or use it instead of sour cream to lighten up desserts and stews.

Celery

Loaded with fiber, vitamin A, potassium and calcium, it’s perfect for stocks or salads or as a seasoning agent when you cook beef or chicken. It’s also a great finger food: You can snack on it by itself, spread peanut butter on it, or dip it in hummus.

Whole-Wheat Tortillas

They’re low in calories and fat and can be ready in seconds. Sautee whatever vegetables you have in your fridge with some onion and throw in a can of beans. It doesn’t sound like much, but put it all on a freshly heated tortilla with a bit of salsa, shredded cheese, and cilantro, and you’ve got a feast for the senses that’s healthy to boot.

Cabbage

The humble cabbage can be more useful than you might think. It comes packed with fiber, as well as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. It’s great for coleslaw and other salads, or steamed as a side dish. Cabbage also works as a kind of wrap in place of bread -- a great way to cut back on calories and add nutrition.

Fresh Pasta

It’s simple and quick and can be used as a side dish or main course. It also has a low glycemic index, which means that it lets sugar into your bloodstream more slowly than other foods, curbing your hunger as well as the blood sugar spikes that can be bad for your health.   

Avocado

Yes, it’s full of fat, but it’s the “good” fat -- the kind that is linked to good heart health and good cholesterol levels. Plus, it is delicious with eggs or spread on a thin piece of whole grain toast with nothing but salt and pepper. 

Berries

They’re low in calories and high in nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber -- and that makes them good for heart and brain health, and they may help protect against certain cancers as well. Plus, they’re delicious. Use them in a salad or eat them with some yogurt and granola for dessert.