DIET FOR DIABETES

Diabetes meal planning starts with eating a well-balanced diet that includes carbohydrates (carbs),
protein, and fat. These nutrients turn into sugar (glucose), which gives energy. Eating too many
carbs can raise blood glucose levels, but you should not cut out these foods. Eating too few carbs
may cause your blood glucose to go too low. Eating a moderate amount of carbs at each meal, with
a balanced intake of protein and fat, will help your blood glucose stay in a healthy range.
Limit your intake of high-sugar foods to 2 or 3 times a week or less. These include:

Cakes (frosted, layer, plain), pies, and cookies

Candy (hard tack, chocolate, nougats, etc.)
Jelly, jam, and preserves
Table sugar, honey, molasses, and syrup
Regular ice cream, sherbet, regular and frozen yogurt, fruit ices, and Popsicles
Regular soft drinks, fruit drinks (canned or concentrated), and drink mixes with sugar added
Milkshakes, chocolate milk, hot cocoa mix
Sugar coated cereals, granola, breakfast/snack bars
Canned fruits with heavy syrup, dried fruit, fruit roll-ups, candied fruit
Iced sweet breads, coffee cakes, breakfast rolls, and donuts

Eat 3 well-balanced meals a day and a small snack at night.

Each meal or snack should contain protein.

When planning meals, select a variety of foods from each food group, and watch your
portion sizes.

Increase your fibre intake.

Choose wholegrain breads and cereals.

Eat plenty of vegetables, and choose whole fruits instead of fruit juices.
When you look at food labels, look for products that contain at least 3 grams of fibre per
serving.

Do not skip meals.

Try to eat around the same time each day.

Meals are best spaced 4 to 5 hours apart.

Reduce fat intake by baking, broiling, and grilling your foods, and using some low-fat foods.

Be careful when selecting low-fat foods; many are high in sugar.

Stay active.

Your blood glucose level will improve if you keep active.

Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise or walking program.

Lose weight if you are overweight.

Losing weight gradually, even a small amount of weight (5 to 10 lbs.) can help improve your
blood glucose level.

A SAMPLE DIET PLAN FOR DIABETES PATIENTS

Meal

Breakfast
7:30
A.M.

Snack

Typical

Total Calories : 3585

CHO: 525 gm. (59%)
Protein: 128 gm. (14%)

Total Calories : 1905

CHO: 269 gm. (55%)
Protein: 88 gm. (18%)

Fat: 107 gm. (27%)

1 cup coffee with whole milk
3 Idlis or
1 plate of Upma

2 tbsp. of coconut chutney

None

3 cups of White rice

1 cup Sambhar
1 cup Rasam
1 cup green plantain curry
1 cup mixed veg.
1 cup curds/whole milk yogurt
1 or 2 fried pappads or potato chips
2 tsp. ghee,

Fat: 58 gm. (27%)

1 cup of coffee with cup fat free or 1%
milk
2 Slices of whole wheat or multi grain
toast
2 tsp. of Margarine
OR
2 small Idlis OR
1 cup of cracked wheat Upma with 2
Tbsp. of tomato /veg or dhal chutney
1 Fresh fruit (a small apple)
8 oz. diluted buttermilk (cup low-fat
Yogurt and cup water)
11/2 cups of Brown rice OR
2 small rotis with cup of brown rice
1 cup Sambhar or dhal
1 Cup Rasam
1 cup green beans curry
Shredded Carrot Salad with lemon juice
cup fat free yogurt
1 small roasted pappad/appalam

Pickles
2 murukkus/chaklis (pretzel like
fried) Coffee with whole milk

2 tsp. oil in cooking

cup dry cereal mix (made with puffed
rice, puffed wheat and 6 peanuts or 4
cashews)

1 Cup coffee with fat free milk

1 cup cooked brown rice or cracked
wheat
3 oz. fish or white meat chicken (Non
vegetarians) OR
1 cup whole gram dhal or chick peas or
sundal
1 cup spinach curry (dry or wet)
1 cup Raita with grated cucumber (cup
low fat yogurt and . cup cucumber)
2 tsp. oil in cooking

1 Kiwi or small orange

4 walnuts or 12 peanuts

10:30 A.M.
Lunch
12:30
P.M.

Afternoon
coffee
4 P.M.
Dinner
7:30 P.M.

Snack
9:30 P.M.

Modified

3 cups of cooked white rice

3 oz. of fish, chicken, or lamb (Non
vegetarians)
1 cup Sambhar or dhal based
vegetables
1 cup fried vegetables such as Potato
or
Bhendi
1 cup whole milk yogurt
Pickles/pappads etc.
1 fresh fruit
1 cup ice cream

Healthy Foods (use often)

Not-so heart healthy (use less often)

Starches

Starches

Idli - steamed, low fat

Idlis topped with a lot of oil

Dosa cooked with minimum oil

Dosa roasts using extra oil or butter

Upma made with cracked wheat

Upma with liberal amount of oil or ghee

Meat or meat alternatives

Meat or meat alternatives

Dhal or Sprouted mung dhal

Dhal with excess ghee or oil

Dhal Adais w/ controlled oil and veg. added

Dhal Adais with excess oil

Chicken Tikka

Fried chicken

Pan-fried fish w/masala

Fried fish in coconut sauce

Vegetable dishes

Vegetable dishes

Stir-fried green vegetables such as

Fried Potato curry with excess oil!

cabbage curry

Aviyal with a lot of coconut,

Mixed Vegetable

Potato/Plantain

Minimal coconut

Dairy

Dairy

Buttermilk made w/ skim or low fat milk

Buttermilk w/ whole or 2% milk

Pal koora or Majjiga pulusu

Pacchadi (Raita) w/fried boondi

w/low-fat curds
Fruit dishes

Plain fresh fruits

Plain Jack fruit or mango

Fruit dishes

Banana Panchamritham w/jaggery, ghee &

nuts

Nuts/fruits

TIPS FOR CHANGES

1. Use brown rice instead of white rice. The increase in fibre content will improve glycaemic
control. There is a general misconception that diabetics must avoid all rice, which is not necessary.
Avoiding excess portions is the key.
2. Instead of using rice as the main staple grain, include a variety of grains such as cracked wheat,
oats, barley, quinoa, ragi and other millets.
3. Avoid washing rice several times before cooking or cooking in excess water and draining.
4. Keep in mind that the recommended portions are for cooked products wherever applicable.
E.g.1 Serving of dhal = 2 Tbsp. of uncooked dhal 1 Serving of rice = 3 Tbsp. of uncooked rice.
This is important because the finished product may vary greatly in quantity and consistency!
5. Try to cook with minimum amount of oil. Preferred oils are olive, canola or peanut oils as they
are high in monounsaturated oils.

6. While using potato, green plantain or other starchy vegetables, remember to count them as
carbohydrates and cut down on rice eaten at the same meal. Smarter thing would be to select green
vegetables more often than starchy ones.
7. Use green vegetables more freely and learn to cook them in small amounts of oil. Salads are good
with every meal. Simple lemon and vinegar dressings may be freely used.
8. Switch over to fat free, skim or 1% milk instead of whole milk. This will reduce the saturated fat
and calorie content of the diet.
9. Avoid fried snack foods as much as possible; learn to cook with recipes requiring dry roasting,
baking etc. Remember people with diabetes are more susceptible to high cholesterol in their blood,
as well as heart disease.
10. Use lean cuts of animal proteins (meats/poultry) and use appropriate portion sizes. Avoid using
more than 3 eggs per week. Egg whites are okay.
11. Vegetarians may increase and improve the quantity and quality of protein by incorporating soy
curd (tofu), soy flour, skim milk powder, nut butters and if allowed, egg whites.
12. Pickles, chutneys, pappads, etc. are very high in sodium. People with hypertension must take
note that table salt, baking powder, and baking soda are sources of sodium and therefore must be
used carefully.
13. Desserts must be restricted to allowed quantities of fresh fruits. Artificially sweetened low fat
desserts or desserts using allowed foods with minimal amount of real sugar may be used with
prudence.
14. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, at least 6 to 8 cups a day.
15. Learn to read the nutrition labels on food packages.