It’s never too late to improve your diet
Print
EmailWhether you’re newly diagnosed or have had diabetes for years, the good news is that you can still improve your diet.
Healthy eating plans for diabetes start from where you are. Make small changes slowly and turn them into habits and part of your routine for eating. Using a guide, like the Diabetes Plate Method, can provide information that you can use to create eating habits that work for you.
This would include using a 9-inch plate and filling half with non-starchy vegetables, one quarter with protein-rich foods, and the other quarter with carbohydrate-rich foods.
Also include a non-calorie drink like water for example.
Here are some additional tips from the American Diabetes Association for healthier eating behaviors:
- Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety.
- Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green beans with meals.
- Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir-fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
- Add dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals.
- Choose lean protein foods like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin," such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
- Choose water, unsweetened tea, coffee and calorie-free drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
- Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats, which can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you're trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
- Cut back on highly processed snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes and full-fat ice cream.
- Eating too much, even healthy foods, can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.
Slowly incorporating healthier eating habits is beneficial to help manage your diabetes and your overall health working towards a better quality of life.
Find more resources from MSU Extension on managing or reducing your risk of diabetes through this link.
