There is no specific diet for diabetes. But the foods you eat not only make a difference to how you manage your diabetes, but also to how well you feel and how much energy you have. For example carbohydrates you eat and drink are broken down into glucose. The type, and amount, you consume can make a difference to your blood glucose levels and diabetes management.
This information will help you get to know the five main food groups that make up a healthy, balanced diet.
Eating from the main food groups
Diabetic diet
How much you need to eat and drink is based on your age, gender, how active you are and the goals you’re aiming for. But no single food contains all the essential nutrients your body needs.
That’s why a healthy diet is all about variety and choosing different foods from each of the main food groups every day.
And when we say balanced, we mean eating more of certain foods and less of others. But portion sizes have grown in recent years, as the plates and bowls we use have got bigger. And larger portions can make it more difficult for you to manage your weight. We’ve got more information for you about managing a healthy weight.
We’ve highlighted the benefits of each food group below – some help protect your heart and some affect your blood sugar levels more slowly – all really important for you to know. Get to know them and how healthy choices can help you reduce your risk of diabetes complications.
You can learn more about a healthy diet for diabetes with our Food Hacks section in Learning Zone.
What are the main food groups?
- Fruit and veg
- Starchy foods, like bread, pasta and rice
- Protein foods, like beans, pulses, nuts, eggs, meat and fish
- Dairy and alternatives
- Oils and spreads
- Have type 1 diabetes? Get the basics on what to eat.
- Have type 2 diabetes? Get the basics on what to eat.
- Go straight to our recipes.
Fruit and vegetables
Having diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t have fruit. Fruit and veg are naturally low in calories and packed full of vitamins, minerals and fibre. They also add flavour and variety to every meal.
Fresh, frozen, dried and canned – they all count. Go for a rainbow of colours to get as wide a range of vitamins and minerals as possible. Try to avoid fruit juices and smoothies as they don’t have as much fibre.
If you’re trying to limit the amount of carbs you eat, you might be tempted to avoid fruit and veg. But it’s so important to include them in your diet every day. There are lower carb options you can try and we also have a low carb meal plan you can try.
Fruit and vegetables can help protect against stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers – and when you have diabetes, you’re more at risk of developing these conditions.
Benefits
Examples of what to try
- sliced melon or grapefruit topped with unsweetened yogurt, or a handful of berries, or fresh dates, apricots or prunes for breakfast
- mix carrots, peas and green beans into your pasta bake
- add an extra handful of peas to rice, spinach to lamb or onions to chicken
- try mushrooms, cucumber, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery and lettuce for lower carb vegetable options
- try avocados, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, plums, peaches and watermelon for lower carb fruit options
- Check out our recipes to help you eat a healthy diet for diabetes – we’ve got lots of delicious main meals packed full of vegetables, and fruity breakfast options.
Starchy foods
Starchy foods are things like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, chapattis, naan and plantain. They all contain carbohydrate, which is broken down into glucose and used by our cells as fuel. The problem with some starchy foods is that it can raise blood glucose levels quickly, which can make it harder for you to manage your diabetes. These foods have something called a high glycaemic index (GI) – we’ve got loads more information about this.
There are some better options for starchy foods – ones that affect blood glucose levels more slowly. These are foods with a low glycaemic index (GI), like wholegrain bread, whole-wheat pasta and basmati, brown or wild rice. They also have more fibre, which helps to keep your digestive system working well. So if you’re trying to cut down on carbs, cut down on things like white bread, pasta and rice first.
Benefits
- The fibre helps to keep your digestive system healthy
- Some affect your blood sugar levels more slowly
- Wholegrains help protect your heart
How often?
Try to have some starchy foods every day.
Examples of what to try
- two slices of multigrain toast with a bit of spread and Marmite or peanut butter
- brown rice, pasta or noodles in risottos, salads or stir-fries
- baked sweet potato with the skin left on – add toppings like cottage cheese or beans
- boiled cassava, flavoured with chilli and lemon
- chapatti made with brown or wholemeal atta.
- Try our chapatti recipe – just one option for a tasty lunch.
- Protein foods like beans, nuts, pulses, eggs, meat and fish
- Meat and fish are high in protein, which keeps your muscles healthy. But a healthy diet means less red and processed meat – they’ve been linked to cancer and heart disease. Oily fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines have a lot of omega-3 oil, which can help protect the heart.
Benefits
- Helps keep your muscles healthy
- Oily fish protects your heart
How often?
Aim to have some food from this group every day. Specifically at least 1 or 2 portions of oily fish each week. But you don’t need to eat meat every day.
Examples of what to try
a small handful of raw nuts and seeds as a snack or chopped with a green salad
using beans and pulses in a casserole to replace some – or all – of the meat
eggs scrambled, poached, dry fried or boiled – the choice is yours
grilled fish with masala, fish pie, or make your own fishcakes
chicken grilled, roasted or stir-fried
We’ve got lots of healthy recipes to choose from – like our bean stew or try one of our fish dishes.
Dairy foods and alternatives
Milk, cheese and yogurt have lots of calcium and protein in – great for your bones, teeth and muscles. But some dairy foods are high in fat, particularly saturated fat, so choose lower-fat alternatives.
Check for added sugar in lower-fat versions of dairy foods, like yoghurt. It’s better to go for unsweetened yoghurt and add some berries if you want it sweeter. If you prefer a dairy alternative like soya milk, choose one that’s unsweetened and calcium-fortified.
Tips for cutting these out
Cook more meals from scratch at home, where you can control the amount of salt you use.
Check food labels – look for green and orange colours. We’ve got more information to help you read labels and we’re campaigning for things to get more consistent and less confusing.
Try unsweetened teas and coffees – they’re better than fruit juices and smoothies as they don’t add any extra calories and carbs.
Banish the salt shaker from the table – black pepper, herbs and spices are great ways of adding extra flavour to your food.
Making your own sauces, like tomato ketchup and tandoori marinades.
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How a Healthy Diet Can Help You Manage Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a condition called insulin resistance, in which the body can’t effectively use the hormone insulin to ferry blood sugar, or glucose, to cells and muscles for energy. This causes glucose to accumulate in your blood at higher than normal levels, which can put your health in danger.
Eating a healthy diet is important for everyone, regardless of diabetes status. But for people with this disease, nourishing foods eaten in the right portions provide two key benefits:
Reduced Blood Sugar Lowering blood sugar that is high can help reduce diabetes symptoms and lower the risk for health complications.
A Healthier Weight Weight loss is associated with a better A1C result, which reflects a two- to three-month average of blood sugar levels.
What Is a Good Diet for Type 2 Diabetes?
A smart diabetes diet looks a lot like the healthy eating plan doctors recommend for everyone: It includes whole, minimally processed foods, with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates in moderation, lean protein, and healthy fats. It also limits added sugars and refined grains.
“There is no ‘diabetic diet,’” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, the New Jersey-based author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet and Belly Fat Diet for Dummies. “The guidelines are basically the same for healthy eating for everyone, with or without diabetes,” she says.
According to guidance from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), based on a consensus report from a panel of experts, there are several healthful eating patterns you can follow to manage diabetes, including Mediterranean, low-carb, DASH, paleo, and vegetarian.
Work with your healthcare team to determine the right ratio of macronutrients and the best eating plan to accommodate your health risks and goals.
11 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet
Discover the best sources of dietary fiber to boost your daily intake, with delicious and nutritious food options.
Top Diabetes-Friendly Foods to Eat
While no two diabetes diets will look the same, certain foods are considered staples for people with this disease because they support a healthy weight and blood sugar level. They include:
Nonstarchy vegetables, such as broccoli and high-fiber fruit like apples
Lean sources of protein, such as boneless, skinless chicken; turkey; and fatty fish like salmon
Healthy fats, such as nuts, nut butter, and avocado (in moderation)
Whole grains, such as quinoa and barley
Nonfat or lowfat dairy, such as milk and plain yogurt
Foods to Limit or Avoid With Type 2 Diabetes
Likewise, certain foods are known to throw blood sugar levels out of whack and promote unhealthy weight gain.
Foods that should be limited or avoided if you have type 2 diabetes include:
- Chips
- Cookies
- Cake
- White bread and pasta
- Canned soups, which are high in sodium
- Microwaveable meals, which are usually high in sodium
- Candy
- Sources of saturated fat, like bacon or fatty cuts of meat
A Diabetes Diet Sample Menu
When you’re getting started, it’s helpful to envision exactly what your plate should look like. The ADA has a Create Your Plate tool you can use. With enough practice, the best choices will become second nature. The ADA recommends filling half your plate with nonstarchy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, tomatoes), one-quarter with grains (preferably whole) or starchy foods (sweet potato, plantain), and another quarter with lean protein (beans, seafood, skinless chicken).
Here are three days’ worth of diabetes-friendly meal ideas to get you started.
Day 1
Breakfast Veggie omelet (1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites with nonstarchy vegetables like spinach, onions, peppers, or mushrooms), topped with reduced-fat cheese, plus fruit
Snack Plain nonfat or lowfat Greek yogurt and berries
Lunch Salad (dark lettuce or leafy greens) topped with chicken breast and chickpeas with olive oil and vinegar dressing
Snack Celery and carrot sticks with nut butter
Dinner Grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, and quinoa
Day 2
Breakfast Fruit and vegetable smoothie made with low-fat milk, low-fat plain Greek yogurt, and chia seeds (optional)
Snack Unsalted almonds with a piece of fruit
Lunch Turkey chili with reduced-fat cheese
Snack Sliced vegetables and hummus
Dinner Tofu and veggie stir-fry over brown rice
Day 3
Breakfast Savory veggie oatmeal or oatmeal made with low-fat milk and topped with fruit and nuts
Snack Roasted chickpeas
Lunch Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with sliced veggies
Snack Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese with a sliced peach
Dinner Tray bake (all foods baked on the same tray) made with shrimp and roasted vegetables
As you’ll see, a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is not a sentence to eat boring, bland foods. You can eat the same food as your family and even add special foods here and there, according to the ADA.
What to Drink When You Have Diabetes
Your choice of drinks can make a difference in your blood sugar levels. Palinski-Wade recommends focusing on unsweetened beverages, such as water and seltzer. (To jazz it up, add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice, she says.)
If you like coffee or tea, you may notice that caffeine increases your blood sugar levels, so Palinski-Wade advises monitoring your glucose response after consuming these drinks to see where you stand.
Artificially sweetened beverages, such as diet colas or lemonade, should go on the “proceed with caution” list. “Although these beverages are free of added sugars, consume these in moderation, since some research indicates some artificial sweeteners may impact gut health,” she says.
When it comes to alcohol, if you are someone who drinks, you may be able to do so moderately even with diabetes, according to the ADA, but know that alcohol can lead to hypoglycemia, especially if you are on certain medications. Mixing metformin (Metformin Eqv-Fortamet) with alcohol may contribute to a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis.If you’re a man, stick to two drinks maximum per day; if you’re a woman, drink no more than one per day. One drink equals a 5-ounce (oz) glass of wine, a 12 oz beer, or 1½ oz of 80-proof liquor.Be sure to avoid alcoholic beverages high in sugar, such as many cocktails and hard lemonade.
Macronutrient Ratios for Type 2 Diabetes
You don’t need to worry about counting macros if you’re following a balanced diet rich in whole foods. But here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind.
Carbohydrate Moderation
You can find carbohydrates in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and beans, and dairy. These foods supply necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber that everyone needs to be healthy.
That said, for people with type 2 diabetes, limiting carbs will help regulate blood sugar. “Although individual carbohydrate goals will vary based on age, activity level, medication, and individual insulin resistance levels,” says Palinski-Wade, “it’s imperative to avoid having too many carbohydrates in one sitting.”
You can use a diabetes exchange list, which tells you how foods compare in terms of their carbohydrate content.
For instance, 1 apple and ½ cup applesauce both contain about 15 g of carbs.
Good sources of carbs include:
- Whole grains, like whole-wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, oatmeal, and quinoa
- Nonstarchy veggies, like peppers, eggplant, onion, and asparagus
- Starchy veggies, such as sweet potatoes and corn, are okay to eat in moderation, just mind the carbohydrate content.
- Fresh, fiber-rich, whole fruit like raspberries, apricots, and pears
- Nonfat or low-fat dairy, like unsweetened yogurt and cottage cheese
- Beans and legumes, like black beans, chickpeas, and lentils
- Limit unhealthy carb sources, which include sugar and refined grains like white bread and pasta.
Some Food List
- Proteins
- One-quarter of your plate should contain a source of lean protein, which includes meat, skinless poultry, fish, reduced-fat cheese, eggs, and vegetarian sources like beans and tofu.Enjoy these diabetes-friendly optionsBeans, including black or kidney beans
- Hummus
- Lentils
- Edamame
- Whole nuts and nut butter
- Tofu
- Fish, such as tuna, sardines, or salmon
- Skinless poultry
- Eggs
- Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
- Reduced-fat cheese or regular cheese in small amounts
- Lean beef, like sirloin or tenderloin
- Fats
- Fat is not the enemy, even if you have diabetes! Learn to tell unhealthy fats from healthy fats and enjoy them in moderation, as all fats are high in calories.
Type matters more than amount: Aim to limit saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of total calories, Palinski-Wade advises.
Consider opting for these sources of healthy fat
- Avocado
- Oils, including canola and safflower
- Nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, and walnuts
- Olive oil
- Seeds, including sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower
Do I Need to Count Calories When Managing Type 2 Diabetes?
While it can be helpful, it’s not absolutely necessary to track how many calories you’re taking in daily. “Although tracking calories can be beneficial when it comes to weight reduction, you can lose weight and still have a poor nutritional quality to your diet,” Palinski-Wade points out.
Therefore, if you do count calories, make sure you’re also focused on healthy food choices. You can track your food intake, she says, which will let you “monitor portions, as well as how certain foods and mealtimes impact blood glucose levels,” she says.
Can I Eat Sugar if I Have Type 2 Diabetes?
Yes, but eat no more than 10 percent of your total calories from added sugars, Palinski-Wade recommends. This is no different from the guidelines for everyone,meaning you can still enjoy a few bites of dessert if you’d like.
If you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, 10 percent equates to 200 calories from added sugar or 50 grams (g) per day. For reference, one serving (6 oz) of flavored yogurt contains 18 g of added sugar (72 calories), one can of regular soda (12 fluid oz) contains 31.5 g of added sugar (126 calories), and one piece of chocolate cake can contain 49 g of added sugar (196 calories).
Tips for Getting Started With a Diabetes Diet
Rather than trying a complete overhaul all at once, create lasting good habits by focusing on small, simple, and maintainable changes, Palinski-Wade says. Otherwise, you may feel overwhelmed and revert to any previous unhealthy eating habits. “Being consistent with change, no matter how small, is the key to long-term weight loss success,” she adds.
Here are some of the basic rules for building — and then sticking with — a diabetes meal plan.
Consult the experts. Connect with your primary doctor and a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who is also a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) — search for one near you at EatRight.org — to figure out how many carbohydrates you should eat per meal based on your individual needs, as well as the optimal eating approach for your preferences and health goals.
Veg out. Add one extra serving of nonstarchy vegetables at dinner. Consider adding vegetables to snacktime, too.
Sweeten things up with fruit. To satisfy your sweet tooth, opt for fruit in moderation. Previous research shows that eating berries, apples, and pears is associated with weight loss.[16] Diabetes-friendly fruits tend to be especially fiber-rich choices. All other fruits count, too — just be sure to factor them into your carbohydrate servings.
Beware of sauces and dressings. Sugar hides in many condiments, like ketchup, barbecue sauce, and marinades. Always read the label, and choose the lower-sugar option that best fits your diet and goals.
Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is one habit of long-term weight-losers.Plain yogurt with fruit, nuts and fruit, or scrambled eggs and whole-grain toast are all diabetes-friendly breakfasts that will set up your daily blood sugar management for success.
Simplify beverages. Instead of reaching for sweetened drinks, opt for water (sparkling without added sugar also counts!), unsweetened tea, and coffee.
Cut back on salt. Aim for fewer than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day (and fewer than 1,500 mg daily if you have heart disease) as a way to help manage blood pressure and heart disease risk — a common diabetes complication.Try seasoning foods with dried herbs and spices instead. They’re sodium- and calorie-free!
Don’t fear grains. They’re a great source of heart-healthy fiber. Aim to make at least half of your grain intake whole grains when you’re managing type 2 diabetes.Diabetes-friendly options include brown rice, quinoa, 100 percent whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, barley, and whole farro.
Add fiber to your diet. Fiber isn’t digested by the human body, so fiber-rich foods with carbohydrates do not raise blood sugar levels as quickly because they are processed more slowly. Fiber-rich foods can also help you feel fuller for longer, possibly aiding weight loss.Unfortunately, most adults don’t eat enough fiber.Regardless of diabetes status, women should get at least 25 g of fiber per day, while men need at least 38 g per day, Palinski-Wade says.
Choose dairy mindfully. Opt for nonfat or low-fat (1 percent) with milk, cottage cheese, and plain yogurt. Also, remember that while these sources offer protein, they are also another source of carbs, so you need to factor them into your carb allotment. Unsweetened nondairy milk, such as soy and almond milk, are also diabetes-friendly.
Dining Out When Managing Type 2 Diabetes
It can seem tough to navigate a menu when you’re eating out, but it’s not impossible. Enjoy your time with friends and eat delicious food with these guidelines from Palinski-Wade.
Have an appetizer before you leave. It’s tempting to “save up” calories throughout the day to help plan for a night out, but that approach can backfire. You’ll be famished by the time you get there and less likely to make a healthy choice when you order. Eat a small, healthy snack before you go, like some nuts or a low-fat plain yogurt. “This can help decrease hunger and prevent overeating,” she says.
Visualize your plate. Ideally, your plate should look very similar to the way it does at home — with a couple of small tweaks: ½ nonstarchy vegetables (steamed if possible), ¼ lean protein, and ¼ whole grains. “You want to be careful not to eat too many carbs at one sitting, and avoid meals packed with saturated fat,” says Palinski-Wade.
Sip smart. Alcohol stokes your appetite, so if you do have alcohol (make sure to talk to your doctor first if you’re on medication), do so near the end of the meal. Limit it to one glass.
Low-Carb Dieting for Type 2 Diabetes
If you are interested in going low-carb to better manage type 2 diabetes, there is some evidence that this type of diet plan is effective. The ADA identified many potential benefits to low-carb diets, including weight loss, lower blood pressure, increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and lowered triglycerides. This report also indicated that of all eating patterns considered, carbohydrate reduction “demonstrated the most evidence for improving glycemia.”Low-carb diets may also have mind-body benefits, with some study participants reporting that they felt happier and less stressed between meals.
Another review concluded that low-carb diets drop blood glucose levels and allow people to use less medication or eliminate it completely. The authors recommend it as a first-line treatment for diabe
While the benefits are exciting, if you do go low-carb, be aware of the risks, which include nutrient deficiencies. You may also not get enough fiber if you’re not eating enough nonstarchy vegetables. The ADA recommends against very low-carbohydrate eating patterns (reducing carbohydrate to less than 26 percent of total calories) for people with chronic kidney disease, disordered eating, or women who are pregnant.Check with your physician or RDN for guidance on the optimal amount of carbs and protein for your diet.
Best and Worst Diet Plans for Diabetes
- Adherence to a popular diet plan is not required to manage diabetes, but you may like the direction it offers.
- A professional who is an RDN and CDCES can help you follow one of these approaches safely.
The Defining Features of a Diabetes Diet
- There isn’t necessarily a single diet that is best for diabetes. The ADA declined to recommend any one particular eating pattern over others in a consensus report from a panel of experts, noting that “all eating patterns include a range of more-healthy versus less-healthy options.”[5] Rather than naming a single, one-size-fits-all diet, the organization identifies three key factors shared by the most healthful approaches:
- Eat plenty of nonstarchy vegetables.
- Minimize your consumption of added sugars and refined grains.
- Choose whole foods and ingredients over highly processed foods.
- These recommendations can be applied to a wide variety of diets, including vegan, paleo, low-carb, and Mediterranean eating patterns.
Diabetes Eating Patterns
Mediterranean Diet Palinski-Wade favors the Mediterranean diet: “It’s been researched for decades and has been shown to be beneficial at reducing the risk of heart disease,” she says. That’s important because people with diabetes are up to 4 times more likely to die from heart disease compared with adults without diabetes.
On the Mediterranean diet, you’ll focus on whole foods in the form of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, legumes, nuts, and poultry and fish, while limiting red meat.
DASH Diet “The DASH diet has been found to be beneficial at reducing blood pressure levels, a key risk factor for heart disease and kidney disease. Because both of these disease risks are elevated with diabetes, this style of eating may promote a reduction in the risk of comorbid conditions associated with diabetes,” Palinski-Wade explains.
Similar to the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet promotes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and poultry, beans, nuts, and fat-free or low-fat dairy. You’ll also cap sodium to 2,300 mg per day (1,500 mg if advised by a doctor).
Vegetarian or Vegan These two plant-based eating patterns are associated with many positive health outcomes in people both with and without diabetes. One meta-analysis found that people with diabetes on a vegetarian diet enjoyed both weight loss and improved glycemic control, in addition to improved cardiovascular risks.
Low-Carb As noted in greater detail above, low-carb diets have great potential for people with type 2 diabetes; carbohydrate restriction may be the best eating pattern for lowering blood glucose levels.
Low-Fat There’s not much hype for low-fat diets these days, but fat restriction remains synonymous with dieting for many. The ADA has concluded that lowering fat intake does not in and of itself consistently improve blood sugar levels, except to the extent that it also results in weight loss.[5] Structured very-low-fat diets, such as the Ornish diet, may be more beneficial.
Diet Plans to Discuss With Your Healthcare Team
While it’s best to talk to your doctor before you start any diet plan, it’s especially important to talk to them if you’re interested in the following:
Ketogenic Diet You’ll eat very few carbs on this very-low-carbohydrate plan (20 to 50 g a day) to achieve a state of ketosis, where your body burns fat for fuel instead of carbs. “There is some research that suggests ketogenic diets may help to reduce insulin resistance and improve blood glucose levels,” says Palinski-Wade.
A keto diet may have benefits above and beyond more moderate forms of carbohydrate restriction. The evidence suggests that “the greater the carbohydrate restriction, the greater glucose lowering.” But there are potential downsides. A 2022 study found that keto dieters with diabetes or prediabetes lost weight and improved their blood sugar levels, but that the diet “had potential untoward risks” in comparison to a Mediterranean diet, particularly an increase in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.tudy participants also found the ketogenic diet more difficult to stick to. It’s a controversial diet, so make sure to weigh the pros and cons with your physician.
Intermittent Fasting (IF) IF requires you to limit the time period in which you eat to a certain number of hours per day or to eat a very low number of calories on certain days. Some research (small studies and animal trials) has shown benefits from IF to fasting glucose and weight. That said, skipping meals may hinder blood sugar control or cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially if you’re on insulin or a sulfonylurea, so talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits before you attempt it.
Paleo Diet The premise of the paleo diet is to eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors, focusing on fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meat, and certain fats. (It eliminates grains, legumes, and most dairy.) A 2020 review found that the paleo diet led to many improvements in glucose metabolism, including lower A1C and less insulin resistance, but it did not outperform other diabetes diets.
Diet Plans to Avoid
Any diet that is gimmicky, not backed by research, is too restrictive, or makes too-good-to-be-true promises (like losing x amount of weight in a certain amount of time) is one to skip.
Results of Following a Diabetes-Friendly Diet
Your specific results depend on where you started before embarking on your diabetes-friendly diet journey. But Palinski-Wade notes that there are short- and long-term results you can expect.
Pretty quickly, you should see benefits to your blood sugar at the outset. “You will start to see your daily blood glucose readings improve within a few days,” she says. Then, you’ll notice your A1C start to get better in three to six months. “These are a measurement of your blood sugar levels on average of the past three months, so consistent improvement for at least three months needs to happen to see this number decrease,” Palinski-Wade adds.
If your doctor advises you to lose weight, making these diet changes along with increasing your activity level can help you lose weight and shed body fat. Be careful about monitoring the scale too closely in the early days. “It’s important to note that if your blood sugar levels were uncontrolled and weight loss resulted from this, you may notice an initial weight gain as blood sugar comes back to a normal level. Do not be discouraged. Generally, this weight gain is minimal, and once blood sugar stabilizes, weight stabilizes as well,” she says.
