A diabetes meal plan comes in handy for patients who are looking to normalize their blood sugar levels. You’ll be able to do it by following the recommended diet/foods and services.
This article inspires you with the different steps to creating a healthy diet plan suitable for diabetic patients.
Types of Meal/Diet Plans for Diabetic Patients
Follow the “DASH” Plan
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a meal plan designed to help people reduce the risks of hypertension or high blood pressure.
When followed properly, it also aids in dramatic weight loss and lowers the risk of certain diseases, including diabetes.
The following tips are recommended when following this healthy diet plan as a diabetic patient:
- Reduce the intake of red meat and sugary foods, including beverages.
- Consume more magnesium, potassium and calcium foods.
- The maximum daily intake of sodium should be 2,300 milligrams.
The following types of foods should be included in the DASH diet plan:
- Healthy fats
- Lean protein, including poultry and fish.
- Whole grains
- Seeds, vegetables, nuts, beans and other forms of plant-based foods.
Use the Diabetes Plate Method
Also called the Plate Method; this is a diabetic diet plan by the American Diabetes Association. The goals include:
- Helping diabetic patients visualize the amount of food they eat.
- To reduce the amount of carbohydrate foods consumed.
- Promoting the intake of more lean proteins and nonstarchy vegetables.
How to Maximize This Method
For this diet plan to work; a diabetic patient must follow the rules. The general rule is dividing a standard 9-inch plate into three (3) sections. The dinner plate typically measures the length of a business envelope and will be divided in these ways:
- One-half of the plate will be filled with nonstarchy vegetables, such as carrots, salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach and green beans. Examples of other similar vegetables to use are zucchini, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, squash and mushrooms.
- One-quarter of the plate should be filled with lean proteins. Examples are eggs, chicken, cheese, meat, tofu, turkey, and seafood. Plant-based protein foods like hummus, kidney beans, nut butter, lentils, black beans, soybeans and pinto beans can also be served.
- The remaining quarter of the plate should be filled with carbohydrates. Examples of such foods are yoghurt, whole grains, potatoes, beans, fruit, pasta, milk, rice and whole grain bread.
After taking the meal, you can use either water or a calorie-free drink, such as unsweetened (iced) tea or coffee to wash down the food.
Go “Vegan”
Some vegetarian and vegan diets can be helpful in weight reduction, and burning glucose. Keep in mind that extra nutrients can be sourced from supplements, such as iodine, zinc and calcium.
If you’re sticking to a vegan diet, experts recommend skipping meat. You may, however, be able to substitute this with other animal foods, such as butter, eggs and milk.
The following vegetarian foods should be added to a diabetic meal plan:
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Fruits
- Soy
- Legumes
- Leafy vegetables
- Nuts
Use the Mediterranean Diet
This type of diet plan is ideal for diabetic patients because of its effectiveness in reducing body mass and fasting glucose levels.
Commonly eaten in Morocco, Greece and Italy; the Mediterranean Diet is more of an animal-based food, with most of the meals high in oleic acid.
The categories of foods included are:
- Healthy fats, such as almonds and olive oil.
- Proteins, such as eggs and poultry.
- Plant-based foods, including seeds, fruits, beans, and cucumbers.
Eat Like the Ancient People
The Paleolithic (Paleo) is an “ancient food plan” that is based on the belief that chronic diseases can be kept at bay if more processed foods are avoided.
For the best results, this type of healthy diet plan is recommended to every diabetic patient who don’t have kidney disease.
The following are examples of foods to eat:
- Walnut oil
- Fish
- Flaxseed oil
- Nonstarchy vegetables
- Poultry
- Coconut oil
- Seeds
- Avocado oil
- Meat
- Fruits
- Olive oil
Tips to Creating the Perfect Diet Plan for a Diabetic Patient
Health experts recommend cutting down on carbohydrates, creating a regular meal routine and avoiding certain foods.
Here’s what you need to know:
Avoid Some Foods If You Have Diabetes
Certain foods, especially the ones containing sodium and high cholesterol can aggravate the risk of hardened or clogged arteries. You’re better off avoiding eating these:
- Sodium: if you must, do not go above 2,300 mg daily.
- High-fat Dairy Foods: saturated fats and animal proteins have content capable of hardening the arteries. You must avoid eating much of the following: palm kernel oils, butter, bacon and hot dogs.
- Cholesterol: organ meats, egg yolks, liver and other types of high-fat animal proteins have high cholesterol content. You must endeavour not to go above 200 mg of such intake daily.
- You should also avoid trans fat commonly found in baked goods and processed snacks.
Try to Limit Carbohydrate Intake
Simple carbohydrates like sugar, white flour and white pasta can cause a spike in blood sugar levels due to the faster digestion pace, which releases sugar faster into the bloodstream.
Eat the “Good Fats”
As much as you’re trying to cut down on cholesterol intake; some fatty foods can also be eaten in moderation. Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can be used to reduce cholesterol levels in the body.
Examples are:
- Peanut oil
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Canola and
- Olive oil.
Create & Stick to a Meal Routine
As a diabetic patient, you don’t just eat when and how often you like. Creating and following a regular meal routine is essential to nourishing the body with what it needs and when it needs it.
These tips should help:
- Create a meal plan for a week and prepare the meals according to the diet being used.
- Infuse one or two high-fibre snacks or high-proteins into the daily meal plan.
- You may also want to eat snacks to make you less anxious to eat more meals than required.
Conclusion
Creating and following a daily meal routine is key to managing diabetes and keeping the body nourished. Choose from any of the diet plans mentioned in this article and follow the additional best practices to get the desired results.
