10 Diabetes Friendly Bowl Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the biggest meal of the day for diabetics? ›

How should a person with diabetes start the day? Eat a big breakfast. Eating a large meal in the morning and smaller meals for lunch and dinner may promote weight loss, lower glucose levels, and decrease daily insulin dose in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a 2022 review.

You limit dairy products, red meat, sweets, added sugars, sodium (salt), and highly processed foods. Some additional guidelines include focusing on seasonal produce and reading food labels to help you avoid added sodium and sugar.

People with diabetes can eat pasta but should choose whole grain types or wheat alternatives. They must also consider portion size and what they choose to accompany the pasta. A person with diabetes needs to consider the types of carbohydrates, or carbs they choose to eat.

Balance carbs with fiber and protein in each meal. This is easy if you use the plate method. Make half of your plate vegetables, a quarter of your plate a carb like brown rice, black beans, or whole-wheat pasta, and the other quarter of your plate a healthy protein like chicken breast, fish, lean meat, or tofu.

Is peanut butter good for people with diabetes? In moderation, eating regular peanut butter (not low-fat) should be fine for people with diabetes. Low-fat peanut butter should be reduced or avoided. This is because the fat content of low-fat peanut butter can be replaced with sugar and result in more carbohydrates.

Lean chicken, turkey, fish, low-fat dairy products and plant-based protein options (like seitan, tempeh and soybean patties) are all great options. For lunch, a turkey and lettuce wrap perfectly combines protein (from the turkey and low-fat cheese) with lots of fiber (from the wrap and vegetables).

Instead of fatty cuts of meat, choose lean proteins, including skinless chicken and turkey, fish and shellfish, pork tenderloin, and lean beef. When it comes to ground beef, make sure you choose beef that's at least 92 percent lean and 8 percent fat, advises Kimberlain.

Can diabetics eat hot dogs? ›

Processed or fatty meats

A 2020 study showed that eating just 50 g red meat or fish each day can raise diabetes risk by 11%. Also, people with diabetes should consider avoiding or limiting the intake of: breaded, fried, and high-sodium meats. processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats.

At least two hours before going to bed, try to avoid eating anything. Maintain a window of 10–12 hours between two substantial meals- If you work night shifts and are unable to keep your optimal dinner time between 7–9 PM, try keeping a window of 10–12 hours between your dinner and breakfast.

Keep a consistent, evenly spaced meal schedule.

One constant, however, is timing meals—and smart snacks—with a consistent amount of carbohydrates on a consistent schedule throughout the day (say, three main meals 4-5 hours apart at the same or similar times of the day).

“Skipping meals and lack of meal structure can throw off the balance between food intake and medication and this can result in poorly controlled blood glucose,” she said. “Eating at regular intervals also ensures that carbohydrates are spaced evenly throughout the day, which translates to better blood glucose control.”