The Relationship of Diet to Diabetes

What you eat and how much you eat will affect your blood glucose levels. A diet made up of mostly simple carbohydrates, fats, and poor quality protein will not promote wellness. That's why, along with exercise, a balanced diet can do a great deal to help you control your diabetes.

There is no one diet just for people with diabetes.
Work with your diabetes-care team to develop a meal plan that includes the right combination of foods to help you try to achieve your target blood glucose levels. When you do, you'll find that much is up to you. In moderation, you can enjoy many of the foods you love, with the guidance of your diabetes-care team.

Nutrition packed foods is the key to a healthy diet.
Here's the good news. Eating to control your diabetes is no different from eating for good health in general. (And just as with exercise, that's something everyone should be doing anyway.) Like anyone else, you should eat larger amounts of grains, fruits, and vegetables, smaller amounts of meat and milk, and only tiny amounts of fats, oils, and sweets. Here are the amounts you need from each of the food groups:

Food Groups and Servings

Remember, grain products, vegetables, and fruits provide you a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber - and without the high calories found in meats, milk, fats, sweets, and alcohol.