Diabetic diet - Everything You Need to Know

In the diabetic diet, the consumption of simple sugars and foods with a high glycemic index such as those containing white flours should be avoided. It is also necessary to reduce the portion of carbohydrates ingested in the diet, whether they are healthy, such as fruits, brown rice or oatmeal.

Reducing the amount of carbohydrates served in the dish is vital, because when consumed in excess in the same meal they stimulate the increase in blood sugar and, if this habit is frequent, blood glucose is uncontrolled and diseases associated with diabetes, such as heart disease, blindness or diabetic neuropathy.

It is possible that a diabetic person has a varied and balanced diet, having to make the diet a healthy lifestyle to avoid possible complications that may affect the well-being and health of the person suffering from this disease.

Type 2 Diabetes Diet

Type 2 diabetes is one that usually arises as a result of excess weight and poor diet, occurring in adulthood. This type of diabetes is easier to be controlled and improves with a reduction in weight, maintaining good nutrition and regular physical activity.

Foods Allowed in Type 2 Diabetes

The foods that can be consumed in type 2 diabetes and that help maintain blood glucose are those rich in fiber, protein and good fats such as:

• Whole grains: wheat flour, brown rice, and pasta, oatmeal, whole wheat flour, and popcorn;
• Legumes: beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, peas;
• Vegetables and vegetables, in general, can be consumed, except potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and yams, as they contain a high concentration of carbohydrates, and must be consumed in small portions;
• Meats in general, except processed meats such as ham, turkey breast, sausages, sausage, bacon, mortadella, and salami;
• Fruits, in general, provided that 1 unit is consumed at a time;
• Good fats such as avocado, coconut, olive oil, coconut oil, and butter;
• Oilseeds: cashew / merely / cashew, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds;
• Milk and derivatives, choosing yogurts that do not contain sugar.

It is important to remember that tubers such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yucca, potatoes, and yams are healthy foods, but because they are rich in carbohydrates, they should be consumed in small amounts without abuse.


Recommended Amount of Fruits

Fruits contain their own natural sugar called fructose, so they must be consumed in small amounts by diabetics. The recommendation for consumption is 1 serving of fruit at the same time that, in summary, can be consumed in the following quantities:

• 1 medium unit of whole fruits such as apple, banana, orange, tangerine, and pear;
• 2 thin slices of large fruits such as watermelon, melon, papaya, and pineapple;
• 1 hand full of small fruits, being 8 units of grapes or cherries approximately;
• 1 tablespoon of dried fruits such as raisins, prunes, and apricots.

It is also important to avoid the consumption of fruits in conjunction with other carbohydrate-rich foods such as white rice, bread, and sweets, with fruits with low glycemic index being preferred,

Prohibited Foods in the Diet for Type 2 Diabetes

The foods prohibited in the diet for type 2 diabetes are those that contain simple carbohydrates, that is, they are foods that are absorbed very quickly in the intestine and cause blood sugar to rise much faster, creating hyperglycemias that uncontrol diabetes. These foods are:

• Sugar or foods that contain it;
• Honey, fruit jelly, jams, syrups, confectionery and pastry products;
• Sweets in general, chocolates and sweets;
• Condensed milk and dairy products with sugar ;
• Sugary  drinks such as soft drinks, industrialized juices, and chocolate drinks;
• Alcoholic beverages.

It is very important that the diabetic learn to read and interpret the nutritional labeling of the products before consuming them because the sugar can be hidden and appear with other names such as glucose, glucose or corn syrup, fructose, maltose, maltodextrin or invert sugar

Diet Menu for Type 2 Diabetes

The table below shows an example 3-day menu for a person with diabetes, and even shows an example of how often a meal should be done: 

Food
Breakfast (8:00 am)

Day 1
1 cup of coffee without sugar + 2 slices of whole wheat bread with 1 scrambled egg + 1 slice of melon.

Day 2
1 cup of coffee with milk and without sugar + 1 medium whole wheat tortilla with 2 slices of white cheese + 1 pear.

Day 3
1 glass of plain yogurt without sugar + 4 whole wheat toasts with white cheese + 1 medium apple.

Food
Morning Snack (10:30 am)

Day 1
1 apple + 10 units of cashew / merely / cashew.

Day 2
1 glass (240 ml) of green juice.

Day 3
1 crushed banana with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds + 1 tablespoon of oat flakes.

Food
Lunch (12:30 pm)

Day 1
4 tablespoons brown rice + 2 tablespoons beans + 120 grams of baked chicken gratin with cheese + 1 cup sauteed vegetables in olive oil.

Day 2
120 g of baked fish with olive oil + 2 medium potatoes + 1 cup of cooked vegetables + 1 apple. 

Day 3
1 cup whole wheat pasta with ground beef and tomato paste + Raw tomato salad, lettuce and onion seasoned with a pinch of salt, pepper, natural herbs and 1 teaspoon of olive oil + 1 slice of papaya.

Food
Afternoon Snack (3:00 pm)

Day 1
1 unsweetened plain yogurt + 1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 slice of white cheese.

Day 2
1 glass (240 ml) of avocado smoothie sweetened with a little stevia.

Day 3
1 cup of unsweetened coffee + 1 cup of unsweetened gelatin with 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries.

Food
Dinner (6:00 pm)

Day 1
120 grams of grilled salmon or tuna + 4 tablespoons of brown rice + 1 cup of cooked vegetables + 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Day 2
Salad of lettuce, tomato, onion and arugula with 90 grams of grilled chicken breast + 30 grams of white cheese cut into cubes + 1 teaspoon of olive oil + 2 whole-grain toasts.

Day 3
1 whole wheat flour tortilla with 2 scrambled eggs with tomato, paprika and onion + 2 slices of avocado.

Food
Night Snack (9:00 pm)

Day 1
1 cup unsweetened jelly

Day 2
1 glass of plain yogurt without sugar.

Day 3
1 glass of skim milk.

In the diabetes diet, it is important to monitor meal times to avoid hypoglycemia, especially before physical activity. Ideally, the person goes to a nutritionist or nutritionist to advise on food, since the meal plan must be adapted to individual needs.

It is also important that the diabetic know the glycemic index of food, which is defined as the speed with which food containing carbohydrate increases blood sugar, is recommended to consume foods with low and medium glycemic index to avoid hyperglycemia.

Type 1 Diabetes Diet

Type 1 diabetes is a little more difficult to control than type 2 diabetes, it arises in childhood or during adolescence and it is necessary to put injected insulin to regulate blood sugar.

In these cases, it is important to control with an endocrine and a nutritionist or nutritionist, since improper nutritional management can cause alterations such as growth retardation, sexual maturation and emotional aspect of the child.

In this way, achieving good control of the disease is not only achieved by strictly following the placement of insulin, but by establishing a balanced diet, which takes into account the child's age, social conditions and the disease itself to improve its quality of life.

The foods that should be consumed and avoided are the same as in type 2 diabetes, the only difference is that the amounts of carbohydrates to be consumed in all meals should be regulated, adjusting the dose of insulin to be injected, depending on the behavior of the blood glucose


Carbohydrate Count

It is a simple and modern method of planning the diet of the individual with diabetes, whose main objective is to improve glycemic control and allows greater flexibility in the choice of food. It can be used in any of the diabetes, is mostly used in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

With this method, objectives are established in the consumption of carbohydrates and the dose of insulin is adjusted according to the variation of blood sugar, at each meal or snack. It is a useful tool to control blood glucose and avoid long-term complications, so it can be discussed with the nutritionist for its implementation.