Diet for Diabetes Report

Living with diabetes can be a daily struggle as you need to change your lifestyle, 
monitor your blood sugar, and might be taking medications or giving yourself insulin 
every day. No matter what type of diabetes you have, there are certain risk to be aware 
of.

If you want to avoid the related complications of diabetes, it is best that you follow your 
doctor’s orders with the lifestyle changes, including changing your diet. The basic 
recommendations for a healthy diet are:

Fruits and veggies 
Nuts and seeds 
Healthy fats 
Lean protein 
Oily, fatty fish 
Whole grains

The following information will go over some of these categories, giving you more insight 
into eating for your diabetes.

1. Fruits

The first type of food you can have when you have diabetes is fruit. The reason fruit is 
recommended so highly is because it provides a good amount of natural sugar and 
sweetness without having all the added sweeteners from baked goods and candy. If you 
are someone with a big sweet tooth, fruit can be your new best friend. You do want to 
be careful with the type of fruit you have, sticking to the ones with a lower GI, or 
glycemic index. Other fruits can be enjoyed only in moderation.

Fruits with a Low GI

To start with, you can enjoy these fruits, which offer a low glycemic index. You are 
looking for a GI of 55 or less when you have diabetes. These fruits include:

Oranges 
Apples 
Bananas 
Nectarines 
Kiwi 
Berries 
Cherries 
Oranges 
Grapes 
Grapefruit 
Plums 
Pears

Fruits with a Medium GI

When you are talking about fruits that have a medium glycemic index, they are typically 
between 56 and 69 GI. These can still be eaten, but should be only in moderation. They 
tend to have a larger impact on your blood sugar levels if you consume too many of 
them. These include papayas, honeydew melons, figs, and pineapples. You want to 
avoid watermelon and dates since they have a high GI. 

Now let’s look at some specific fruits that are recommended when you have diabetes. 
Berries – Berries are among the best fruits you can enjoy, fitting into most lifestyles. 
This includes when you are on a diabetic diet. Berries have a low GI, and are even safe 
if you are also sticking to a low-carb diet or Keto diet with diabetes. Enjoy berries on 
your cereal or oatmeal, have them as a quick snack, or make a delicious smoothie.

Citrus – You can also have most citrus fruits, since they don’t have a high glycemic 
index. These are great, but stick to the whole, fresh fruit, not juice. Juice usually has 
added sugars and sweeteners. However, enjoy oranges, lemons, and limes, as well as 
grapefruits.

Apples – Who doesn’t love a good apple? These are a great snack to provide some 
sweetness without affecting your blood glucose levels when you have diabetes. You 
can enjoy your apples alone, with some Greek yogurt, or make a healthy dessert with 
pecans and some raw honey.

Cherries – You can also enjoy tart cherries when you have diabetes. These have a low 
GI, are only 78 calories for a cup of them, and also fight the inflammation you might 
experience with this disease. Have them fresh only as dried often contain added sugars.

2. Vegetables

It is probably no surprise that you should also eat your share of vegetables when you 
have diabetes. Vegetables are recommended for every person and nearly every 
medical condition, particularly when you have diabetes. This is true with all three types, 
including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. While you can enjoy most vegetables, 
you do want to be careful with the starchy vegetables like white potatoes, sticking more 
to the greens and non-starchy varieties.

Here are some of the best vegetables to enjoy if you have diabetes:

Spinach

Most dark, leafy greens are recommended to you when you have diabetes, including 
spinach. Spinach is a great source of fiber and has some essential nutrients you need 
when you have diabetes, including vitamin K and beta carotene. If you aren’t a big fan 
of spinach, it is easy to add it to smoothies in the morning, mix in with your soup or 
sauce, or have with scrambled eggs, and you will barely notice it’s there. Try to stick to 
fresh or frozen spinach as it won’t have added salt or sugar.

Broccoli

You should also load up on broccoli as much as you can when you have diabetes. This 
is a type of cruciferous vegetable that is great for providing anti-inflammation nutrients 
like sulforaphane. This is going to help prevent cardiovascular damage and help 
balance out your blood sugar levels. There are many ways to get more broccoli into 
your diet, including:

Eating broccoli as a snack with healthy dip 
Enjoying broccoli, egg, and cheese muffins in the morning 
Dicing up broccoli to put in your salad

Tomatoes

If you are a fan of tomatoes, you’re in luck, because it is great for people with diabetes. 
You get nutrients like vitamin A, potassium, and vitamin C, all of which are great when 
you have any type of diabetes. You also get some antioxidants with tomatoes, as well 
as both a low-carb and low-calorie option. Make some tomato sauce, salsa, or have 
diced tomatoes on your salad and you’re good to go with this vegetable.

Sweet Potatoes

Since you can’t have starchy vegetables like white potatoes or red potatoes, you might 
be looking for another potato that is better for diabetes. Sweet potatoes are the perfect 
option, since they are lower in starch and sugar, but still delicious and easy to add to 
your meals. Sweet potatoes are low in fat, good for a moderate carb diet, and contain 
anti-inflammatory properties.

Cucumbers

If you are on a low-carb diet for diabetes, definitely add cucumbers to the mix. These 
are wonderful for diabetes since they are extremely low in carbs and fat, and are loaded 
with nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. Add some sliced cucumber to 
your salads or enjoy them as a snack.

Cabbage

Nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidants, are all important for diabetes. This 
is why cabbage is on the listed of recommended veggies. You will also get other 
vitamins and minerals like B6, fiber, and manganese. You can have cabbage on your 
salad, make a healthy stuffed cabbage, or easily add it so soups and stews.

3. Superfoods

You have probably heard the term superfood more than once. The reason we are 
mentioning it is simple because it allows you to add more healthy food options to your 
list. Superfoods are nothing more than foods that contain a higher-than-normal amount 
of nutrients. They are all good for you, but if you have diabetes, some of them are more 
recommended. Here are some superfoods to enjoy if you have diabetes:

Walnuts

The first superfood you should consider adding to your diet if you have diabetes is 
walnuts. Nuts and seeds in general are good for you to eat while you have diabetes 
since they provide fiber and other nutrients, without being too high in carbs. Walnuts are 
also a great source of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. They have antioxidants, are 
anti-viral, and can help reduce inflammation in your body, which as you know is very 
important if you have diabetes. 

Quinoa

Don’t forget about your quinoa! Whole grains are much better for you than other grains, 
like processed white flour and white rice. Quinoa is a superfood that is highly 
recommended if you have diabetes. It has a nutty flavor and tastes similar to brown rice, 
but also contains all nine amino acids. You will have more energy with this protein and 
fiber-rich food, which is also an easy way to have a lower-carb and healthier side dish 
with your fish or lean poultry.

Dark Chocolate

Yes, you can still have chocolate when you have diabetes! You just want to make the 
switch to dark chocolate, aiming for 70% or higher cacao. This will be minimally 
processed, clean, and not contain a lot of added sugars or sweeteners that you 
shouldn’t have with diabetes. Make sure you check the ingredients and you stick to just 
one or two small pieces of dark chocolate a day.

Blueberries

In terms of fruit that you can have if you have diabetes, blueberries are among the best. 
They also happen to be one of the most popular superfoods that people enjoy 
consuming. Blueberries are sweet and tart, the perfect combination as a side dish, to 
top your oatmeal, add to salads, or make a smoothie with. 

Cinnamon

The last superfood to enjoy if you have diabetes is cinnamon. With cinnamon, you are 
able to season foods and drinks without adding any sugar. Cinnamon happens to be 
one of the top natural remedies for type 2 diabetes as well, so you really can’t go wrong 
here! 

4. Healthy Fats and Fatty Fish

The last category of foods you should consume if you have diabetes are your healthy 
fats and fatty fish. You should ignore the advice that all fats are bad for you, because 
this is definitely not true! A lot of fats are really important and can actually help your 
cholesterol and help you to manage your diabetes a little better. While you should 
definitely avoid trans fats, other fats are healthy.

Here are some healthy fats to add to your diet:

Nuts and Nut Butters – Nuts and nut butters are high on the list of healthy fats. You 
can have peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and other nuts and nut butters as 
long as you watch your portions. With the nuts, go for the raw variety without any 
seasonings or sugar added. Nut butters should be clean with just the nuts as the main 
ingredient. Watch out for hydrogenated oils in some peanut butters. 

Healthy Oils – Some oil is good for you and can be considered a healthy fat. These 
include olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil. Just be sure to avoid vegetable oil and high 
amounts of butter in your diet.

Seeds – Some seeds also provide healthy fats along with other nutrients like protein 
and fiber. The best seeds to enjoy when you want healthy fats are sunflower seeds and 
pumpkin seeds. Like the nuts, look for raw seeds without seasonings, salt, or sugar 
added to them. The less processed, the better they will be for you.

Avocados – One of the healthiest fats you can have while managing your diabetes is 
avocados. Also considered a fruit and a superfood, avocados provide fatty acids and 
the right kind of fat for your body. Plus, they are filling with all the fiber they contain.
Fatty Fish – Lastly, you can have some fatty, oily fish. This is low in fat and calories, 
plus provides more protein. This alone makes it a great choice. Fatty fish also provides 
nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids that you definitely want to have more of with diabetes. 
Some good types of fatty, oily fish include:

Mackerel 
Tuna 
Salmon 
Sardines

As long as you follow these tips, you will be on your way to following a healthy diet and 
managing your diabetes at the same time. In closing, eat your fruits and veggies, add 
more superfoods to your diet, and focus on lighter meals without trans fats, sugar, and 
additives in your food.
