Your food choices matter a lot when you've got diabetes.

Starches
Your body needs carbs.
But you want to choose wisely.

 

Best Choices

Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, millet, or amaranth;
Baked sweet potato;
Items made with whole grains and no (or very little) added sugar.

Worst Choices

Processed grains, such as white rice or white flour;
Cereals with little whole grains and lots of sugar;
White bread;
French fries;
Fried white flour tortillas.

Vegetables

Load up!

You'll get fiber and very little fat or salt.
Remember, potatoes and corn count as carbs.

 

Best Choices
Fresh veggies, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled;
Plain frozen vegetables, lightly steamed;
Greens such as kale, spinach, and arugula;
Iceberg lettuce is not as great because it’s low in nutrients;
Low sodium or unsalted canned vegetables.

Worst Choices
Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium;
Veggies cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce;
Pickles, if you need to limit sodium;
Otherwise, pickles are OK;
Sauerkraut, for the same reason as pickles.

Fruits

They give you carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Most are naturally low in fat and sodium.
But they tend to have more carbs than vegetables do.

Best Choices

Fresh fruit;
Plain frozen fruit or fruit canned without added sugar;
Sugar free or low-sugar jam or preserves;
No-sugar-added applesauce.

 

Worst Choices

Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup;
Chewy fruit rolls;
Regular jam, jelly, and preserves;
Sweetened applesauce;
Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks.

 

Protein

You have lots of choices, including beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, seafood, beans, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu.

 

Best Choices
The American Diabetes Association lists these as the top options:
Plant based proteins such as beans, nuts, seeds, or tofu;
Fish and seafood;
Chicken and other poultry ;
Eggs and low fat dairy.

 

Try to include some plant based protein from beans, nuts, or tofu, even if you're not a vegetarian or vegan.

You’ll get nutrients and fiber that aren’t in animal products.

 

Worst Choices
Fried meats;
Higher fat cuts of meat, such as ribs;
Pork bacon;
Regular cheeses;
Poultry with skin;
Deep fried fish;
Deep fried tofu;
Beans prepared with lard.

Dairy

Keep it low in fat.

If you want to splurge, keep your portion small.

 

Best Choices
1% or skim milk;
Low fat yogurt;
Low fat cottage cheese;
Low fat or nonfat sour cream.

 

Worst Choices
Whole milk;
Regular yogurt;
Regular sour cream;
Regular ice cream;
Regular half and half.

Fats, Oils, and Sweets

Best Choices
Natural sources of vegetable fats, such as nuts, seeds, or avocados;
Foods that give you omegam3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel;
Plant based oils, such as canola, grapeseed, or olive oils.

 

Worst Choices
Anything with trans fat in it.

It's bad for your heart;
Check the ingredient list for anything that's "partially hydrogenated," even if the label says it has 0 grams of trans fat;
Big portions of saturated fats, which mainly come from animal products but also are in coconut oil and palm oil as diabetes.

Drinks

Best Choices
Unflavored water or flavored sparkling water;
Unsweetened tea with or without a slice of lemon;
Light beer, small amounts of wine, or non fruity mixed drinks;
Coffee, black or with added low fat milk and sugar substitute.

 

Worst Choices

Regular sodas;
Regular beer, fruity mixed drinks, dessert wines;
Sweetened tea;
Coffee with sugar and cream;
Flavored coffees and chocolate drinks;
Energy drinks.