Diabetes Diet Information

Which foods control your diabetes?

It is essential for diabetics to have the right diabetes diet information to hand so that sugar highs and sugar lows can be avoided, and a diabetic can lead a normal active life.

Whether it is Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, the best foods are actually the foods that we eat everyday.  There are no specially made diabetic foods and those that claim to be can be high in saturated fat and should therefore be avoided anyway! 

Diabetics should be encouraged to eat a normal and varied diet, containing carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  However it is the type of carbohydrate that diabetics need to be selective about eating.

Carbohydrates that are classed as low glycemic foods are the best and most appropriate for keeping blood sugar levels in check.

Essential Diabetes Diet Information: Low Glycemic Foods

Carbohydrates are all part of the glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly or slowly the sugar, or glucose is released from them into our blood stream.  

High glycemic index foods are foods that cause sugar to be released into our blood stream very quickly, resulting in our body releasing insulin into our blood in order to reduce and control the sugar levels.  NOT desirable for a diabetic!

Foods that are low on the glycemic index are foods that release sugar very slowly into the blood stream and as a result do not need a release of insulin to control them.  Ideal for a diabetic.

Download a  detailed list of glycemic index foods here.

Low Glycemic Foods Ideal For A Diabetic

• Roasted and salted peanuts
• Low-fat yoghurt with sweetener
• Cherries
• Grapefruit
• Pearl barley
• Red lentils
• Whole milk
• Dried apricots
• Butter beans
• Fettucine pasta
• Skimmed milk
• Low-fat fruit yoghurt
• Wholemeal spaghetti
• Apples
• Pears
• Tomato soup, canned
• Apple juice, unsweetened
• Noodles
• White spaghetti
• All Bran
• Chickpeas
• Peaches
• Porridge made with water
• Lentil soup
• Oranges
• Macaroni
• Green grapes
• Orange juice
• Peas
• Baked beans in tomato sauce
• Carrots
• Kiwi fruit
• Stoneground wholemeal bread
• Crisps
• Special K
• Banana
• Raw oatbran
• Sweetcorn

The above list of foods will release sugar into the blood stream slowly and therefore do not place demands of the body for insulin to control the levels of sugar in our system.  Great news for diabetics, but also good news anyone on a weight loss program.  

There are foods that are classed as moderate glycemic index foods.  These are foods that release their sugar faster than low glycemic foods but not as fast as high glycemic foods. The link below has more diabetes diet information on these types of foods. 

Click back to the homepage