People should avoid bleached and refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white pasta , and instead choose some of the following when consuming grains:.

Whole grains will also leave a person feeling full longer and can have more flavor than highly processed carbohydrates.

Dairy products contain essential nutrients, including calcium and protein. Some research suggests that dairy has a positive effect on insulin secretion in some individuals with type 2 diabetes. Learn about the best type of milk for diabetes here. Like high fiber and high fat foods, proteins are slow to digest and cause only mild increases in blood sugar.

The following are some good sources of protein to choose from:. Learn more about plant-based proteins here. To make a vinaigrette, whisk together equal amounts of olive oil and balsamic or another vinegar and add salt, pepper, mustard, and herbs to taste.

Barbecue sauces, ketchup, and certain salad dressings may also be high in fat, sugar, or both, so it is necessary to check the nutrition facts label before buying any of these products.

People with type 2 diabetes can have desserts, but they should be mindful of portion sizes and of how often they consume these foods. The following are some low calorie or low carbohydrate dessert options that have less of an impact on blood sugar levels than regular desserts:.

Fruit-based desserts — such as homemade fruit salad without added sugar, or mixed summer fruits — can be a tasty and healthy way to finish a meal. Learn about sweets and desserts for people with diabetes here. A person with diabetes will need to manage their sugar intake.

Sugar alcohols are one example of this. Manufacturers often use these low calorie sweeteners in sugar-free chewing gum, candy, ice cream, and fruit spreads. Common sugar alcohols include:.

A person may wish to opt for sugar substitutes. In most cases, a serving of a sugar substitute will have little impact on blood glucose levels. Learn more about the best sweeteners for people with diabetes here. Learn more snack ideas for people with diabetes here.

Therefore, it is important to account for these as one would for food. Here are a few options a person with diabetes may wish to consider:. Learn why doctors may not recommend diet soda for people with diabetes here.

People with type 2 diabetes should limit or avoid the same foods that are less healthy for individuals without the condition.

They should also avoid foods that cause considerable blood sugar fluctuations. A person following a low or very low carbohydrate meal plan should avoid consuming large amounts of:.

More specifically, people should limit their intake of:. It is also advisable to avoid low fat products that have replaced fat with sugar. Fat-free yogurt is a good example.

People living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes can try swapping some foods for healthier versions. This may include choosing whole grain rice, pasta, or bread or replacing fried potatoes with baked potatoes.

Cooking food at home is usually the best option, as it allows people to avoid the added sugars that are present in many ready-made food items. Learn more about foods to avoid with diabetes here. Food packaging can be confusing.

Most food items need a nutrition facts label, but many people have difficulty reading it or knowing what to look for. However, individuals may consider using the following sample list as a starting point:. Several factors can affect diabetes management. An individual can manage many of these, including:.

If a person eats mindfully, measures food portions every day, incorporates daily physical activity, gets restful sleep, and takes medication as directed, their blood sugar levels can improve significantly.

With proper blood sugar management comes a lower risk of complications such as heart disease , coronary artery disease , kidney disease, and nerve damage. It is also important for people to manage what they eat and increase physical activity where appropriate. This can help a person reach or maintain a moderate body weight.

Diabetes can occur with other conditions, such as kidney and cardiovascular disease. In some cases, the dietary needs for these different conditions change very little.

In other cases, a person may need to follow an eating plan much more carefully. Doing this may help address some of their symptoms. An individual can contact a doctor or dietitian for food guidance. People with high blood pressure , or hypertension, and diabetes may follow a similar dietary plan to those with only diabetes.

However, individuals with hypertension should also reduce sodium and caffeine intake. People with celiac disease need to avoid products containing wheat, barley, and rye, as their bodies cannot process the gluten that is present in these products.

A person with both celiac disease and type 2 diabetes should check food labels to ensure that the food they buy is free from gluten. Learn about alternatives to gluten here. People with obesity and diabetes should follow the same food rules as people with only diabetes.

The best option is to follow a nutritious diet consisting primarily of fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, and high fiber carbohydrates. Several organisations and charities offer free cookbooks for people with diabetes.

For example, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC provide a free downloadable recipe book. The American Diabetes Association has a diabetes food hub with a variety of recipes suitable for people with diabetes.

When searching for a diabetic cookbook, look for an endorsement by a well-respected authority on diabetes, such as the ADA. The ADA offers several books and resources aimed at helping people with diabetes to eat well. There is no special diet for individuals living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

The key is to follow a nutritious, balanced diet. People can try increasing the amounts of vegetables, beans, legumes, fruit, and whole grains they eat.

Lean protein is also very important. Experts advise people who are following a low or very low carbohydrate eating plan to avoid packaged and fast foods, sugary snacks, and white bread, pasta, and rice.

Whole grain bread, pasta, and rice are often good alternatives to more processed grain foods. Some people find it useful to make a shopping list before going to the grocery store. This can help them avoid buying products that are not the best options for their health needs.

Read this article in Spanish. Eggs fall into the lean protein category mentioned above, and they are incredibly versatile scrambled, hard-boiled, cooked into shakshuka. They are an affordable protein that can balance out any meal, adding essential vitamins and minerals, plus the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for eye health.

And all this at just 80 calories each. One cup, chopped , has 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein and just 5 grams of carbohydrates. See for yourself by trying one of these hearty cauliflower-focused recipes. A diet that includes soy-based foods like tofu, edamame or soy milk is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, according to research.

Tofu makes for a great high-protein meat substitute while edamame can be an excellent salad topper. This creamy plant-based spread made of chickpeas is loaded with fiber and protein.

The healthy monounsaturated fat from the sesame-seed based tahini and olive oil in hummus also helps lower LDL cholesterol and protect the heart. Olive oil is known for the high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids it contains and research shows the oil can be beneficial for controlling blood sugars.

You can cook other foods in it or use it as a base for homemade low-sugar salad dressings. Check your local Asian food market, or even in your regular supermarket for translucent shirataki noodles, which originated in Japan and come from a plant native to Asia.

In fact, one study found that when people added at least 1 cup of legumes to their daily diet, their blood sugars improved better than folks who added a cup of whole-wheat foods to their daily meal plan.

Just try to remove as much salt as you can by rinsing canned beans before you eat them. In reality, there's a lot of complex carbohydrate sources that would actually be really good for them. Johnson says she gets asked about fruit a lot when it comes to diabetes-friendly foods. The key is to choose fruits like apples that have edible skin and then eat the skin!

Pairing it with unsweetened peanut or almond butter will also help balance your glucose levels. Garlic is like a secret weapon for eating when you have type 2 diabetes.

For starters, research has found that eating garlic can help improve fasting blood sugars. On top of that, it can really kick up the flavor of vegetables you may not be used to eating and make them more enjoyable.

Bottom line: As you learn to live with your new diagnosis, think of it as a great reason to upgrade your diet—this is an excuse to try new foods and explore recipes using some of your old faves, like salmon and strawberries. Give yourself some grace and try to incorporate as many of the foods above into your diet as you can.

It all has to do with the hormone insulin: When you eat, your body turns food into glucose, which the insulin then sends to other parts of your body that need to use it as fuel or storage for later use. While there are plenty of sweet and savory foods you can enjoy when you have diabetes, there are a few categories that you should cross off your shopping list or only indulge in once in a while as a small treat.

These include:. Why does it matter what kind of food I eat with type 2 diabetes? What you put on your plate, and in your mouth, can make a huge difference in controlling your diabetes, says Johnson, who points out that food choices can help you manage your blood sugar levels and keep those levels within safe ranges.

The key to a healthy eating plan for type 2 diabetes involves monitoring your intake of carbohydrates including white bread, rice and potatoes — as well as sugar , because carbs are most easily converted into glucose and research shows they make up a large portion of the typical American diet.

So, oatmeal with fruit with milk — those are all examples of foods that contain carbohydrates. Even our wholesome, fiber-rich carbs like fruits and vegetables really ideally operate best when they're paired with a teammate.

The American Diabetes Association recommends filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of it with complex carbohydrates and the last quarter with a source of protein.

Cassetty points out that it's best to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist to figure out the carbohydrate range that will work best for your body.

This article was written by Kaitlyn Phoenix, a senior editor in the Health Newsroom at Hearst, who has more than a decade of experience writing about health and nutrition.

She pored through research and interviewed several experts to sort through the best foods for people with type 2 diabetes. The article was then reviewed by Stefani Sassos, RDN, the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Nutrition Lab.

Kaitlyn Phoenix is a deputy editor in the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she reports, writes and edits research-backed health content for Good Housekeeping , Prevention and Woman's Day.

She has more than 10 years of experience talking to top medical professionals and poring over studies to figure out the science of how our bodies work. Beyond that, Kaitlyn turns what she learns into engaging and easy-to-read stories about medical conditions, nutrition, exercise, sleep and mental health.

She also holds a B. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.

What It's Like to Live With Type-1 Diabetes.

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Find a doctor. Explore careers. Sign up for free e-newsletters. About Mayo Clinic. About this Site. Contact Us. Health Information Policy. Media Requests. News Network. Price Transparency. Medical Professionals. In fact, the ADA recommends vitamin-rich whole grains in a healthy diabetes diet.

These foods contain fiber, which is beneficial for digestive health. Fiber can also fill you up and keep hunger pangs — and the urge to reach for unhealthy snacks — at bay. It also helps slow the rise of blood sugar, research shows.

Dietary fiber slows the breakdown of starches a type of carb into glucose sugar , which helps keep blood sugar levels steady, according to the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health. Plus, whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are healthy for anyone, regardless of diabetes status.

On the other hand, grains in the form of popular foods such as white bread, as well as processed or packaged grains like cereal , should be avoided or limited to help prevent unwanted blood sugar spikes. Refined white flour may be enriched with B vitamins and iron, which are removed during milling, but does not contain fiber, according to the USDA.

The best options in moderation , per the ADA and NIDDK, include:. When chosen well and eaten in moderation, dairy can be a great choice for people with diabetes. A review published in March says that dairy products such as milk and yogurt offer protective benefits against type 2 diabetes.

Whenever possible, opt for low-fat or fat-free dairy options to keep calories down and unhealthy saturated fats at bay. Also, try to avoid flavored dairy, such as chocolate milk or yogurt with added sugar.

The best options, per the ADA and Mayo Clinic, include:. The ADA and Mayo Clinic list these among the worst dairy options:. Vegetables are an important food group to include in any healthy diet, and a diabetes diet is no exception. Veggies are full of fiber and nutrients, and nonstarchy varieties are low in carbohydrates — a win for people with diabetes who want to gain control over their blood sugar levels, Massey says.

Watch your sodium intake to avoid high blood pressure, and consider draining and rinsing salted canned veggies before eating them, says the ADA. If you go that route, opt for low-sodium or sodium-free canned veggies whenever possible.

Veggies to enjoy in moderation, the ADA notes , include:. Fruit often gets a bad rap due to its carb content, but this food group can actually be great in a diabetes diet when chosen wisely and eaten in moderation.

In particular, fruit can be a great replacement for unhealthy processed sweets, such as cakes, cookies, and pastries, while providing disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and satiating fiber to boot. Also, dried fruit may not be the best way to get your fix. Because so much water is removed, a serving is much smaller and usually less filling than whole fruit: The ADA points out that just 2 tablespoons of raisins contains the same 15 grams of carbs found in a small piece of whole fruit!

Same goes for canned fruit, which often contains sugary syrup in a high concentration, which should be avoided at all costs. But, some pleasant news: When consumed in moderation and made with whole ingredients and no added sugar, fruit smoothies can be a good food for diabetes.

Consider stocking your fridge with unsweetened frozen fruit, so you can whip one up in a hurry for breakfast. Use no more than 1 cup of fruit to keep carbs under control and add ingredients with protein, such as yogurt or a small amount of nut butter, which will help your body break down the carbohydrates more slowly, leading to less of a spike in blood sugar.

Your healthcare team can also help you safely incorporate fruit into your diabetes diet. One meta-analysis noted that getting enough of the right kinds of fat can ultimately help you lower insulin resistance and attain better control over your blood sugar. The key is knowing how to tell a good fat from a bad fat.

Meanwhile, saturated fats and trans fats can harm your heart and overall health, according to the AHA. Additional reporting by Lauren Bedosky.

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Type 2 Diabetes. By Mikel Theobald. Medically Reviewed. Kacy Church, MD. The Basics of a Type 2 Diabetes Diet To follow a healthy diet for diabetes , you must first understand how different foods affect your blood sugar.

The Best and Worst Choices for Type 2 Diabetes by Food Group To help choose the right foods in the right proportions for managing type 2 diabetes , follow these helpful guidelines from the NIDDK.

The best options in moderation , per the ADA and NIDDK, include: Barley Brown or wild rice Quinoa Whole-grain breads, such as percent whole-wheat bread but check that each slice contains at least 3 grams of fiber Whole-grain cereal, such as steel-cut oats Whole-wheat pasta The worst options, per Mayo Clinic and the ADA, include: Pastries Sugary breakfast cereals White bread White rice White pasta Which Types of Dairy Can People With Diabetes Consume?

The best veggie options, according to the ADA, include: Artichoke hearts Asparagus Beets Brussels sprouts Cruciferous veggies, including broccoli and cauliflower Cucumbers Dark, leafy greens, such as spinach, kale , and Swiss chard Jicama Onions Peppers Veggies to enjoy in moderation, the ADA notes , include: Corn Peas Sweet potatoes White potatoes Winter squash, such as pumpkin, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash Yams What Fruits Are Good for Diabetes, and Which Should You Avoid?

You have many fruit choices at your disposal, according to the ADA. The best options include: Apples with the skin on Apricots with the skin on Bananas Berries , such as blueberries , strawberries , and raspberries Grapes Kiwi s Oranges Melon Peaches with the skin on Pears with the skin on Tart cherries The worst options, according to the NIDDK and ADA, include: Canned fruit in syrup Dried fruit Packaged juices.

Which Fats Are Good or Bad for Diabetes? The best fat sources, per the ADA, include: Avocados Fish, including salmon and tuna Nut butters Nuts, such as almonds , cashews, peanuts technically a legume , pecans, and walnuts Olives Plant-based oils, such as corn, olive , soybean, or sunflower Seeds, such as chia seed s and flaxseed Tofu The worst options, per the ADA, include: Bacon, beef, hot dogs, salt pork, sausage, and spareribs Coconut and palm oils Fast food Full-fat dairy products Margarine and butter in sticks Packaged snacks, such as corn chips, crackers, and potato chips Processed sweets, including cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and muffins Additional reporting by Lauren Bedosky.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking. Resources Diabetes Diet, Eating, and Physical Activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

December Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-Eating Plan. Mayo Clinic. April 13, Diabetes Symptoms. American Diabetes Association. Hyperglycemia in Diabetes. August 20, Carb Counting.

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