Living with diabetes significantly affects your food choices. There are some foods for diabetes that may benefit you and help in controlling the symptoms while some might make it worse. Nothing is off-limits though. Some items which may otherwise be considered worst for you if you’re living with diabetes may even be harmless when taken in small amounts. However, you must never get carried away and try to be careful with the quantities of some of the food items.

Listed below are some foods for diabetes that can make living with diabetes easier. Also given are some foods that if consumed in large quantities, can affect you negatively.

Carbs

Your body needs carbohydrates which are turned into glucose and absorbed by the body to be used for energy. But you must choose your carbs wisely.

Best Choices: 

When consuming carbs make sure you’re going for options that have complex carbs which are more beneficial for your body than simple carbs. Choose foods such as

• Whole grains, brown rice, millet, oatmeal, quinoa
• Items made with whole grains and no sugars or very little added sugars
• Baked sweet potato
• Whole wheat bread

Worst Choices:

• Processed grains
• Cereals with lots of sugar
• French fries

Vegetables

Vegetables are a good source of various vitamins and minerals and contain very little fat or salt. It is a good idea to consume vegetables as much as possible as they have barely any negative effects.

Best Choices: 

• Fresh vegetables – raw, lightly steamed, grilled
• Plain frozen vegetables – lightly steamed
• Green vegetables such as spinach and kale

Worst Choices:

• Canned vegetables with added sodium
• Pickles to limit sodium intake
• Vegetables cooked with a high amount of butter or cheese

Fruits

High consumption of fruits is also recommended for people with diabetes as they are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Best Choices: 

• Raw fresh fruits
• Plain frozen fruits or canned fruits without added sugar
• Juices without added sugar

Worst Choices:

• Preserved jams and jellies
• Sweetened fruit drinks
• Fruit punch, fruit juice drinks with added sugar
• Canned fruits with heavy added sugar

Protein

When it comes to protein you have a lot of choices. If you gain your protein intake from meat it is recommended to keep it low in fat. Also, try to include some plant-based protein-rich foods in your diet that aren’t available in animal products.

Best Choices: 

• Fish and seafood
• Chicken and other poultry
• Eggs and low-fat dairy
• Plant-based protein such as beans, nuts, seeds and tofu

Worst Choices:

• Pork bacon
• Regular cheese
• Fried meats
• Deep-fried fish or tofu

Fats, oils and sweets

Food rich in these is hard to resist. But remember that these foods can make you gain weight quite easily and that makes managing diabetes even tougher.

Best Choices: 

• Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna or mackerel
• Plant-based oils such as canola, grapeseed or olive oils
• Nuts, seeds or avocados (use small portions as they are high in calories)

Worst Choices:

• Any food item that contains trans fat
• Big amounts of saturated fats which are found in animal products as well as coconut oil and palm oil

Diabetes can be managed with the help of the right diet and living with diabetes is not as hard as it sounds as long as you have a well-defined diet plan for diabetes. It is much easier if you have a professional dietician who can understand your symptoms and medical history and recommend you a diet plan that is perfect for you. Dietician Priyatama Srivastava who is the best dietician in Gurgaon and NCR region has years of rich experience in treating patients with diabetes and with her customised diet plan, several people all over the country can live a healthy and peaceful life even with diabetes. Get in touch with Dietician Priyatama Srivastava today.