Healthy Eating for People with Diabetes

Healthy eating for people with diabetes is no different to that which is recommended for everyone. By choosing healthy foods and being active you will help manage your blood glucose (sugar) levels, avoid diabetes complications and control your weight.

There is no need to prepare separate meals or buy special foods, so relax and enjoy healthy eating along with the whole family!

What should I eat?

To help manage your diabetes, your meals need to be:

Regular and spread evenly throughout the day.
Lower in fat, particularly saturated fat.
Based on high fibre carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain breads and cereals,beans, lentils, vegetables and fruits.

Along with healthy eating, regular physical activity can help you to manage your blood glucose levels, reduce your blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) and maintain a healthy weight.

Facts about fat

Fats have the highest energy (kilojoule or calorie) content of all foods. Eating too much fat can put on weight which in the long run may make it more difficult to manage your blood glucose levels. On the other hand small amounts of healthier fats add flavour to your food, may improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease. Therefore, the type of fat you eat is important, as well as the amount.

Saturated fat

It is important to only eat saturated fats in small amounts because it raises your LDL ('bad') cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is found in meat fat, processed meat, cream, butter, milk and dairy foods, coconut milk/cream, palm oil (pastries, chocolate and deep fried foods), dripping, lard and suet.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat

Some fat is important for good health. Eat a variety of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated sparingly in place of saturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats include:

Polyunsaturated margarines (check the label for the word ‘polyunsaturated’).
Sunflower, safflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed and sesame oils.
The fat found in oily fish such as herring, mackerel, sardine, salmon and tuna.
Walnuts, pinenuts and brazil nuts.

Monounsaturated fats include:

Canola and olive margarines.
Canola and olive oil.
Avocado.
Olives.
Peanuts, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts.
Nut spreads and peanut oil contain a combination of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.

Facts about carbohydrate

Carbohydrate foods are the best energy source for your body. When they are digested they break down to form glucose in the bloodstream. If you eat regular meals and spread your carbohydrate foods evenly throughout the day, you will help maintain your energy levels without causing large rises in your blood glucose levels. If you take insulin or diabetes tablets, you may need to eat between-meal snacks. Discuss this with your dietitian or diabetes educator. All carbohydrate foods are digested to produce glucose but they do so at different rates – some slow, some fast. The Glycemic Index or GI is a way of describing how a carbohydrate containing food affects blood glucose levels. Foods with a low GI raise blood glucose more slowly than foods with a high GI. Including at least three low GI foods throughout the day, ideally one at each meal, can help with blood glucose management.

Facts about sugar

Table sugar has a moderate GI similar to that of tropical fruits and wholemeal bread. Therefore, a healthy eating plan for diabetes can include some sugar. However, it is still important to consider the nutritional value of the foods you eat. Added sugars in nutritious foods such as breakfast cereals or low fat dairy products are preferable to food or drinks such as sweets, lollies and soft drinks, which contain little else other than kilojoules. Some sugar may also be used in cooking and many recipes can be modified to use less than the amount stated. Select recipes that are low in fat (particularly saturated fat) and contain some fibre.

Alternative sweeteners
While it is no longer necessary to always use alternative sweeteners instead of sugar, there is still a place for artificially sweetened products, particularly those that may be consumed in large amounts such as cordials and soft drinks.

Facts about protein

Choose protein foods that are also low in fat. This will help to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat. Protein foods include lean meat, poultry without the skin, seafood, eggs (not fried), unsalted nuts, soy products such as tofu and pulses (dried beans and lentils).

Other foods, condiments and drinks

You can use these foods to add flavour and variety to your meals:

Herbs, spices, garlic, chilli, lemon juice, vinegar and other seasonings.
Products labelled ‘low joule’ eg: low joule/diet soft drinks, low joule jelly.
Tea, coffee, herbal tea, water, soda water, plain mineral water.

Facts about alcohol

If you enjoy alcohol, it is generally acceptable to have one or two standard drinks a day if you are a woman and between two and four a day if you are a man. It’s best to drink alcohol with a meal or some carbohydrate containing food.

One standard drink is equal to:
100 mL wine,
285 mL regular beer,
30 mL spirits,
60 mL fortified wine,
375 mL low-alcohol beer (less than 3% alcohol).

It is important to remember:

To discuss alcohol with your diabetes educator or dietitian.
To aim for at least two alcohol free days each week.
That all alcoholic drinks are high in kilojoules (calories).
That low alcohol or ‘lite’ beers are a better choice than regular or diet beers because they are lower in alcohol.
When mixing drinks use low joule/diet mixers such as diet cola, diet ginger ale, diet tonic water.
That drinking a lot of alcohol can cause hypoglycaemia if you are taking insulin or certain diabetes tablets.

Weight management

Being overweight, especially around your waistline, makes it more difficult to manage your diabetes and increases your risk of heart disease. It is not essential to reach your ideal weight as a small weight loss (5-10% of body weight) can make a big difference to your health. Measuring your waistline is a great way of checking your weight rather than weighing yourself regularly. In general, women need to aim for a waist measurement of less than 80 cm and men less than 90 cm.

If you are carrying excess weight around the middle, try to lose some of it by:

Following a diet plan lower in kilojoules and total fat (particularly saturated fat).
Doing regular physical activity such as walking, dancing, riding a bike or swimming.
Asking your doctor, dietitian, diabetes educator or Diabetes Australia for advice.