One of the biggest concerns for people with diabetes is “What can I eat?” Here you’ll find the answer to that question and more, with simple tips and advice to eat more healthfully with diabetes. 

Consider your body’s calorie needs. 

Calories are the energy supplied to you through food. Eat more than you need to fuel your body and you gain weight; eat less (or burn more) than you need and you lose weight. How many calories you need depends on your gender, age, height, your current weight, how active you are and the number of calories your body burns at rest. You can get a rough estimate of your calorie needs with the following equation: 

• Your current weight X 12 = Calories needed to maintain your weight 

If you are trying to lose weight (always consult your doctor before doing so), cut 500 calories/day to lose about 1 pound/week; subtract 1,000 calories/day to lose about 2 pounds per week. 

Note: If you calculate a number below 1,200 calories, round up to 1,200. Below that level, it’s difficult to get the nutrients your body needs. 

Spend your calories wisely. 

Think about calories the way you might think about money. You want to invest in foods that help your well-being, not spend them on items that will bankrupt your long-term health. Here are some good calorie-investment tips: 

• Substitute whole grains for foods made from refined grains, and eat less refined sugar and flour. 
• Eat more vegetables and fruit, fewer french fries and sweetened drinks. 
• Drink low-fat milk and eat yogurt instead of eating high-fat ice cream and cheese.  
• Eat more lean chicken, fish and beans; eat less high-fat fried chicken and fast food. 
• Choose to use small amounts of fats like canola oil and olive oil rather than butter, stick margarine, shortening or lard. 
• Make sweets, alcohol and salty foods an occasional indulgence instead of an everyday occurrence. 

Eat in balance. 

Striving for a mix of healthy foods will help you to meet your vitamin and mineral requirements. The American Diabetes Association recommends the following: 

• Choose whole-grain foods over processed grain products. 
• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. 
• Include beans (e.g., kidney or pinto beans) and lentils in your meals. 
• Choose lean meats (e.g., cuts of beef and pork that end in “loin”); remove the skin from chicken and turkey; include fish in your meals two to three times a week. 
• Choose nonfat dairy such as skim milk and nonfat yogurt. 
• Choose oils instead of solid fats, limit added sugars and cut back on high-calorie snack foods.  

Know where carbs come from. 

Carbohydrates, one of the three nutrients that provide calories from food (the other two are protein and fat), have the greatest impact on your blood sugar. That doesn’t mean you should restrict foods that contain carbohydrates. You need the energy, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber that these foods contain. 

Carbs can be found in many foods, including: 

• Grains such as bread, pasta, rice, popcorn, oatmeal, cornmeal and cereal 
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, yams, acorn squash, carrots and corn  
• Non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, salad greens and green beans (a small amount of carbs)  
• Beans and legumes such as navy beans, kidney beans, black beans and black-eyed peas  
• Fruit such as apples, grapes, strawberries, bananas and oranges  
• Dairy products such as milk and yogurt 
• Sweets such as cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, candy and chocolate 
• Sugary foods such as regular soda, fruit drinks, hard candy and syrups 

There are no (or very few) carbs in these foods: 

• Animal protein such as fish, chicken, beef, pork, cheese and cottage cheese 
• Fats such as oils, margarine and bacon 

Count those carbs. 

As with calories, the amount of carbohydrate you need depends on gender, weight, age, activity level and weight goals. A registered dietitian can help you calculate a personalized carb amount, but the American Diabetes Association offers that a place to start is about 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrate at a meal. 

Pay attention to portion sizes. 

When you’re counting carbs or trying to manage your weight, knowing the true size of your portions is important. When you can, use a food scale or measuring cups and spoons to gauge portions. Visual references can help when estimating is your only option. Try these on for size: 

• 1 teaspoon = About the size of your fingertip  
• 1 tablespoon = About the size of your thumb tip 
• 1 cup (e.g., cereal, rice) = About the size of a small fist  
• 1 single-serving bagel = About the size of a hockey puck 
• 1 ounce cheese = About the size of 1 domino 
• 3 ounces meat = About the size of a deck of cards  
• 1 medium potato = About the size of a computer mouse 

Eat regularly. 

No skipping meals! Even if you are trying to lose weight, you need to eat regular meals to keep your blood sugar and your metabolism on track. Try to eat every 4 to 5 hours. For breakfast, try to eat within 1 or 2 hours of rising. 

Find healthy recipes you love. 

One thing that can be extra-helpful in keeping you on track is to prepare your own meals. Try not to dine out more than three times a week at the most. Making your own meals increases your awareness of the foods you eat, gives you more control over portion sizes and makes it easier to include healthful ingredients. Plus, it often costs less! 

Don’t beat yourself up. 

It can be a challenge to eat healthfully for every meal, every day. Try your best to make healthy choices where and when you can. Take heart in knowing that no one is perfect—everyone has an off day now and again. It’s important to keep trying. Food is not your enemy. With the help of a wide variety of tasty, nutritious recipes and quick tips to help you eat more healthfully, you have more control over your diabetes with every bite. 

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