Post updated: 17th May 2023

Controlling diabetes requires a balance of various lifestyle habits including exercising, eating a healthy balanced diet, and taking the proper medication. However, navigating proper medication can be tricky, especially because various foods that sound healthy can wreak havoc on blood glucose levels and overall health.

If you have diabetes, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop eating the types of food you enjoy. You can still eat most foods but you need to avoid some or eat them in smaller portions. Let’s explore some of the foods diabetics should avoid:

1. Avoid low-quality carbohydrates if you are diabetic
   

Carbohydrates are an essential source of energy. However, diabetics should be very careful when choosing carbohydrates to eat. Moreover, it’s important for the carbs to be spread evenly throughout the day.

The main types of carbs in food include sugar, starch, and fiber. Carbs directly affect blood sugar levels more than other types of nutrients.

Our bodies break sugars and starch down into glucose. In the past, there were set guidelines about how many carbs diabetics should eat. But now, there are no specific recommendations.

You can speak to your dietitian or doctor about your individual dietary needs. They can design a diet program specifying how many carbohydrates you should eat and when. Some of the main factors that affect your individual dietary needs include weight, height, medications, and activity level.

Avoid foods with added sugars

Diabetics should avoid foods that contain added sugars and processed carbs as much as possible. These foods include:

• Cereals and white bread
• Foods with added sugar such as candies and sweets
• Baked foods especially foods made with processed white flour

Foods that provide healthful carbs include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. These foods provide fiber, energy, and nutrients such as minerals and vitamins without raising blood sugar levels as quickly.

2. Grains to avoid if you are diabetic
   

Although grains contain starch, whole grains also contain fiber, minerals, and essential vitamins. Diabetics should avoid:

• White rice
• White bread, cakes, tortillas, muffins, bagels, and baked goods containing highly processed white flour
• Cereals, pretzels, and crackers that contain added sugar
• White pasta

According to a 2012 study that explored the development of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, people who consume more whole grain have a 34% lower risk of glucose tolerance worsening. Healthful grains include oatmeal, quinoa, wild or brown rice, barley, millet, and amaranth.

3. Limit baked goods and packed snacks

Aside from all the junky white flour, sugar, preservatives, and sodium they contain, baked goods and packed snacks like cookies, doughnuts, snack cakes, and crackers often have trans fats.

Unhealthy trans fats have been shown to lower “good” (HDL) cholesterol, increase “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, and raise the risk of heart disease. Therefore, for people who have type 2 diabetes, there’s no safe amount of trans fats they can safely include in their diet.

Fortunately, it’s now easier to steer clear of trans fats because they are now listed just below saturated fats on ingredient lists.

It’s also important to check food labels to make sure the food doesn’t contain partially hydrogenated oils, a source of unhealthy trans fats. You can get healthy fats in fatty fish such as salmon, as well as in avocado, nuts, olive, and canola oils.

Tips for a good diabetic diet

Following the short diabetic food guide below can help you eat healthfully and maintain stable blood glucose levels within your target range.

• Start the day by checking your blood sugar levels (before eating breakfast) and 2 hours after at least 1 meal
• Eat a wide variety of foods
• Eat three meals a day with 2 or 3 snacks between meals
• Eat reasonable portions of starch at meals (1 cup or less)
• Limit your milk intake to avoid blood glucose spikes (1 cup at a time)
• Limit cholesterol and fat if consuming a high-carb diet
• Never skip breakfast and be sure to include whole grains, which help prevent overeating and make it easier to manage blood sugar levels.
• Satisfy your hunger cravings with lean protein, seeds and nuts, and low-fat dairy, which are rich in valuable nutrients.
• Limit consumption of pre-made fruit juices with added sugar.
• Go for fruit-based desserts and limit candies
• Avoid or limit foods with added sugar, such as syrups
• Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
• Limit salt and sodium intake
• Check the carbohydrate content of products
• Be keen with servings. For instance, you can use a smaller meal
• Minimize artificial sweeteners to avoid affecting your insulin resistance and gut bacteria

Bottom line

The key to a healthy diet for everyone, even diabetics, is to eat a wide range of healthful foods from various food groups. It is also essential to avoid processed foods high in salt, fat, and sugar.

There is a wide variety of healthful alternatives regardless of the type of foods in your diet.  Moreover, once you adjust to a new diet plan, you may not even crave the foods you used to eat.

A dietitian or diabetes educator can help you develop a simple meal plan. They will recommend the types of food to eat, when to have meals, and how much to eat.

Learn about Diabetic Food Stores HERE