Courtesy Diabetes Association
When you’ve got diabetes, your food choices matter a lot. Some are better than others. To help you choose, here are list of best and worst foods for breads, grains, and other starches. Foods that are in the “worst†group can be occasional treats. But in general, it will be easier to manage your diabetes if you choose most of your foods from the “best†lists.
Best Choices
Whole-grain flours, such as whole wheat flour; Whole grains, such as brown rice; Cereals containing whole-grain ingredients and little added sugar; Whole-grain bread;
Baked potato or baked steak fries
Worst Choices:
White flour, Processed grains, such as white rice, Cereals with little whole grain and lots of sugar, White bread, French fries, Fried white-flour tortillas
Vegetables and Diabetes
Many vegetables contain fiber and are naturally low in fat and sodium (unless they are canned). Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn, aren’t included in this category. They are considered part of the breads, grains, and other starches group.
Best Choices:
Fresh vegetables, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled, Frozen vegetables, lightly steamed, Fresh cucumbers, Fresh shredded cabbage or coleslaw
Worst Choices:
Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium; Vegetables cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce; Pickles (if you need to limit sodium; otherwise, pickles are a good choice), Sauerkraut, (same as pickles; limit only if you have high blood pressure).
Fruits and Diabetes
Fruits have carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are naturally low in fat (except for avocados) and sodium. Fruits often have more carbs than are found in vegetables.
Best Choices:
Frozen fruit or fruit canned in fruit juice. Fresh fruit, Sugar-free or low-sugar jam or preserves; No-sugar-added applesauce, 100% fruit juice or low-carb juices.
Worst Choices:
Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup, Chewy fruit rolls, Regular jam, jelly, and preserves (unless portion is kept small), Sweetened applesauce, Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks
Diabetes and Meat and Other Protein
This category includes beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, seafood, beans, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu.
Best Choices:
Baked, broiled, grilled, or stewed meats, Lower-fat cuts of meat, such as top sirloin, Turkey bacon, Low-fat cheeses, Skinless breast of chicken or turkey, Baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled fish,Tofu lightly sautéed, steamed, or cooked in soup, Baked or stewed beans
Worst Choices:
Fried meats, Higher-fat cuts of meat, such as ribs, Pork bacon, Regular cheeses, Poultry with skin, Fried fish, Fried tofu, Beans prepared with lard.
Dairy and Diabetes
This group includes milk and foods made from milk, such as yogurt and sour cream. Milk has a lot of protein and minerals, including calcium.
Best Choices:
1% or skim milk, Low-fat yogurt, Low-fat cottage cheese, Nonfat sour cream, Frozen low-fat, low-carb yogurt, Nonfat half-and-half.
Worst Choices:
Whole milk
Regular yogurt
Regular cottage cheese
