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A Type 2 Diabetic diet usually involves replacing simple carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates and processed foods with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. It is created to balance blood glucose levels and reduce the symptoms of diabetes or the on-set of diabetes for the pre-diabetic. A diabetes diet is sometimes referred to as medical nutrition therapy (MNT). You can create a Type 2 diabetic diet plan by following these guidelines.
Part 1 of 5:
1Ask your doctor what changes in diet are recommended after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Request pamphlets or sample eating plans.
- Your doctor may recommend a calorie restriction diet, if you have weight-loss goals. However, your doctor may only recommend that you eat healthier foods and remove refined sugars and carbs, or medical nutrition therapy (MNT).
2Consider seeking treatment with a dietitian or nutritionist.
- If you have allergies, a busy schedule or you do a limited amount of cooking, a nutritionist can give you nutrition counseling over several sessions. Implementing a plan may be easier if you can ask advice regularly.
3Keep a food diary. The process of tracking what you have eaten will make you more aware of the foods that exacerbate your Type 2 diabetes.Advertisement
Part 2 of 5:
1Go to your public library. Look up cook books made for people with diabetes.
2Subscribe to Diabetes Cooking and/or Diabetes Health. These magazines give seasonal additions to enhance your meal plan.
3Study the glycemic index. The lower the glycemic index, the lower the effect the food will have on your blood sugar.
- Go to health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm to look at the glycemic index for popular foods. For example, a baked russet potato has a glycemic index of 111 but a serving of carrots has a glycemic index of 35.
- Go to the University of Sydney's website to research the glycemic index of your favorite foods. It is available at glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php.
Part 3 of 5:
1Track your carbohydrate levels closely. These have the highest effect on your blood glucose level.
- Consider downloading an application, like MyNetDiary Diabetes Tracker. It has a carb counter that can help you manage meals.
2Buy healthier versions of the carbohydrates you cook.
- For example, choose whole grain pasta and bread over white bread and regular pasta. Try to find healthier versions of cereals, sandwich breads, tortillas and more.
- Compare the packaging and choose based on the amount of sugar and the amount of fiber per serving. High fiber foods help to control blood glucose levels, so aim for carbohydrates with at least 5g or more of fiber per serving.
3Reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Reduce your serving amount to 1/3 cup.Advertisement
Part 4 of 5:
1Add fish that is rich in Omega-3 to your diet. Salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines and cod are healthy, lean proteins. Replace your meat with fish at least 2 times per week.
2Replace trans fats and saturated fats with mono and poly-unsaturated fats. Instead of using animal fats and whole dairy, eat olive, almond, canola, walnut, pecan or avocado oil, as well as the whole food version of each.
3Add in low-fat dairy, such as non-fat yogurt, as a snack each day. Studies have shown that it can improve bone mass and help with weight loss if it is part of a healthy diet.Advertisement
Part 5 of 5:
Try Create your Plate
1Make a meal plan using your plate as the blueprint.
2Grab a paper dinner plate. Find a non-toxic pen and start to draw serving lines.
- Draw a line down the center of the plate first, dividing it in 2.
- Draw a line on 1 side of the plate that divides half of the plate into 2 sections. You should have 1 large section and 2 smaller sections.
3Load vegetables onto the largest section of the plate. Choose non-starchy vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, turnips, broccoli, green beans, beets, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, other greens or peppers.
4Add your whole grain or vegetable starch to 1 of the smaller sections. This could include a serving of bread, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, cereal or crackers.
5Finish by adding a lean protein to the last section. This can include a 4 to 6 oz. piece of turkey, chicken, lean pork or beef, fish or tofu. Do not include skin or high amounts of oil.
6Eat fruit, dairy and low-carb snacks as snacks. You may also include a small piece of fruit or 1/2 cup of fruit salad after a meal.
7Consider choosing all the raw ingredients of a meal using your plate blueprint. Then, cook a recipe that contains these ingredients and place it back on your plate in a mixed form for mealtime.
- Adjust recipes that do not contain enough produce or contain too much oil or protein according to the "Create your Plate" plan.
- Use the plate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stick to meal times with a few snacks in between. Healthy, low carbohydrate mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks can curb spikes in blood glucose levels.
Things You'll Need
- Diabetic Cooking magazine
- Diabetic cook books
- Paper plate
- Non-toxic marker
- Mono/Poly-unsaturated fats
- Whole grains
- High fiber foods
- Low-fat dairy
- Glycemic index
- Food diary