Prediabetes Diet: Foods To Focus On & Foods To Limit

What Is Prediabetes Diabetes?

Whether you have been told you have elevated blood sugar by your doctor, or you already have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it is important to work with a Registered Dietitian to create a healthy diet plan for yourself.  For the purposes of this discussion, I will be focusing on prediabetes.  When you are diagnosed with prediabetes and are told to learn more about foods to eat to manage your blood sugar and prediabetes diabetes nutrition in general, it is extremely overwhelming.  That is where I come in as a Registered Dietitian in effort to help you implement prediabetes diabetes diet into your life seamlessly to keep your blood sugar steady (and with your food preferences in mind!)

Below, I have also brief overview on prediabetes diabetes nutrition.

What Can I Eat? 

Did you ever hear of the saying, “slow and steady” wins the race?  Well, with prediabetes nutrition this is accurate.  A prediabetes diet focuses on balance and foods that keep your blood sugar steady in hope to deter progression to type 2 diabetes.  In my role as a dietitian, I work with you to teach you which foods to pair together to keep your blood sugar within the range it should be.  This healthy diet is also beneficial for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

You may be thinking, “Where do I find someone to help me learn about prediabetes diabetes nutrition?”  “What are the most appropriate foods?”  Do not worry, below, and we will discuss foods to focus on and foods to limit on the prediabetes diabetes diet plan.

Foods Allowed In The Prediabetes Diabetes Diet:

Maintain your blood sugar with foods that are low on the glycemic index.  These food choices provide either fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids (or all three), and take longer to digest, therefore allowing a slower release of glucose into the blood stream.  A diet menu for prediabetes can include foods like:

 

Protein/Fat:

  • Lean Animal Meat (fish, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, etc.)

  • Low-fat plain yogurt/kiefer

  • Eggs

  • Low fat cheese

Slow-Digesting Carbohydrates:

  • Oats

  • Sweet potatoes

  • Whole Wheat, protein pasta (ie) Chickpea pasta or black bean pasta.

  • Quinoa or barley.

  • Beans and legumes.

  • Whole wheat bread.

  • Fruits with edible skin.

  • Non-starchy vegetables, such as carrots and green vegetables.

It is important to work with your care team to determine the specific amount of carbohydrates that work for you at each meal, to keep you within a desirable blood sugar range.  Some individual may be able to have 15 grams of carbs at a meal while others can have 40 grams.  It is important to track your blood sugar for continued monitoring and to learn about which foods might cause your blood sugar to “spike” more than others.

It is also important to know that these food lists are generalized.  Some individuals may notice a blood sugar spike with some of the foods in the “allowed” section.  Therefore, you must keep track of your blood sugar and take note of which foods may cause you a higher spike in blood sugar.  The American Diabetes Association recommends, “The best place to start is to figure out how many carbs you are eating at your meals and snacks now.  Tracking your food intake and your blood sugar before and about 2 hours after your meals for a few days can provide useful information for you and your diabetes care team to see how different meals impact your blood glucose and determine the right amount of carbs.”

Prohibited Food For People With Diabetes:

First, to bring sugar levels to normal levels, it is advisable to avoid some foods whose composition can increase the presence of glucose.  Keep in mind that adding healthy ingredients is useless if you continue consuming too many carbohydrates and sugars.  Some of the foods and drinks to avoid are the following:

·         Full fat dairy products

  • Alcoholic drinks

  • Ice creams and chocolate

  • Canned foods and rich in sodium

  • Fruit juices with added sugar

  • Soda

  • Fast food/processed foods like sweets/cakes/cookies/candies/chips

  • Dried fruits like prunes and dates

  • Foods with too much sugar/added sugar (figs, bananas, or fruit in syrup)

If interested in speaking with a virtual Registered Dietitian about a prediabetes diabetes diet plan, please contact Laura Dickens MS RD LDN at Lovecitynutrition@gmail.com.

For further reading, please check out The American Diabetes Association Website: https://www.diabetes.org/nutrition.

 

Laura Dickens