Following a healthy diet for type 1 & 2 diabetes is about choosing foods that will help you control your blood glucose levels and manage your weight. For people who are overweight, losing weight is an important part of managing diabetes, and a healthy weight food management plan along with exercise can help you do it. Going to a low glycemic food plan is the best choice.
- Reduce fat intake, particularly saturated fat
- Cut down on sugar use Stevia instead no artificial substitutes
- Reduce sodium intake
- Eat more fiber, which can help stabilize blood sugar levels
- Eat every 2-3 or 3-4 hours and drink lots of pure clean water
Keeping your goals in mind, you can alter many of your favorite recipes to meet the requirements of a type 2 diabetes weight loss plan:
- Only use one-third or one-half the sugar called for in a recipe, then add a teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract, or vanilla to replace some of that sweetness, or substitute some or all of the sugar in a recipe with Stevia (made from the leaves of the Stevia plant).
- Cut back on the fat in a recipe by one-third or one-half. Substitute coconut or olive oil for some or all of the butter called for
- Replace the oil in a baking recipe with pureed fruit such as unsweetened applesauce or baby-food pureed prunes.
- When you’re making a recipe that calls for cheese, try using Vegan substitute
- Replace a whole egg in a recipe with 1/4 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites.
- Substitute whole milk products with Almond or Coconut unsweetened milk
- Allow stock, soups, and meat drippings to cool, then skim off and throw out the congealed fat. Adding an ice cube or two will speed up the process. Use this method to strain out cooking juices for a low-fat gravy.
- Use whole wheat/rice/almond flour, whole-wheat/rice pasta, and brown rice in recipes that call for white flour or white rice.
- Add healthy ingredients like vegetables and beans into recipes when appropriate.
- When using meat, choose the leanest cuts possible for your recipes.
- Use low-sodium or sodium-free stocks and broths. Substitute fresh or frozen vegetables for canned veggies that contain sodium.
- Use lots of fresh herbs and spices to add flavor.