Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases arising due to inadequate insulin production in the body. This diabetes can be a cause of worry if the diabetics do not take proper measures in managing their health condition and diet. Most of the stability in blood sugar is achieved through proper diet, along with appropriate exercising.
5 Tips for a healthy diabetic eating plan
- Eat in small portions and increase food-frequency.
- Choose the carbs that are fibre-packed foods, like brown rice, wild rice, sweet potatoes, yams, cauliflower, whole wheat products, barley, buckwheat, rolled oats, peas, and leafy greens, over the starchy ones like white rice and its products, potatoes, instant oats, corn flakes or corn.
- Consume most of the daily fats moderately from raw nuts, olive oil, fish oils, canola oil, flax seeds, whole milk and avocados instead of other trans-fat foods.
- Avoid munching on fast foods that at many times be sugary, starchy or with unhealthy fats.
- Cover majority of protein consumption with egg white, beans, milk, cheese, unsweetened yogurt, fish and shellfish, chicken or turkey rather than most processed meats and low-fat and no added sugar products.
8 Simple ways with which we can maintain a diabetic friendly diet:
- Choose to broil, bake or stir-fry to avoid deep frying whenever possible. Snack on baked kale leaves, baked tortilla or popcorn instead of fried items.
- Avoid high-calorific commercially available salad dressings by making your own salad dressing at home with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil or sesame oil.
- Try including sugar substitutes like jaggery or palm sugar instead of white sugar for the sweet recipes and desserts. Try to avoid sweet foods and consume in smaller quantities. Diabetic friendly desserts will be fine, but if they are not over-eaten.
- Choose non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, peppers and frozen veggies often to be included in your daily diet. Carrots, beans, garlic, gourds, capsicum, spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, squash, zucchini, radish green leafy vegetables are all good to include in a diabetic diet. Include raw, cooked or roasted vegetables with low-fat dressings, gravy, hummus or salsa.
- Beans like kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans can be included in various side dishes like salads, soups, and casserole.
- Whole grain and multigrain needs to be included in any recipe cases that use refined flour.
- Fruits with a low glycemic index like apples, avocados, berries, citrus fruits and melons make a good choice of fruits that can be included in daily diet. Whole fruits are a lot better than juices. But having said that, the fruit cocktails satiate the craving for sugary drinks.
- All in all, avoid consuming refined carbs, processed foods, sugary and starchy snacks, fruit juices, dried fruits, fatty meat, full-fat dairy and fried foods to a negligible quantity.
Hence, it is always good to know that most of the major healthy ingredients are diabetic friendly. 30 diabetic friendly recipes are provided below. In addition to these recipes, most of the normal recipes can be made diabetic friendly by following the rules of diabetic diet and replacing healthy ingredients and reducing the potentially less healthy ingredients wherever possible.
