10 Best Diabetes Dinner Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What are the 10 best foods for a diabetic? ›

Research confirms that eating breakfast is generally a good idea—it can help with weight management, help you feel fuller throughout the day, and help keep blood glucose in range. Just because breakfast is important doesn't mean it has to be an elaborate meal.

Eating a carbohydrate-rich breakfast followed by a substantial lunch and a small dinner — the so-called "three-meal diet" (3Mdiet) — promotes weight loss and significantly improves glucose control in type 2 diabetes, a randomized, controlled trial suggests.

Drinking water is an excellent way to stay hydrated without consuming sugar. Green tea, cow's milk, and fermented milk (kefir) could also help you manage your blood sugar responses. Coffee also contains compounds that may help regulate blood sugar, but confirming this requires more research.

Nonstarchy vegetables—such as leafy greens, peppers, carrots, or green beans—should make up half of your plate. Carb foods that are high in fiber—such as brown rice, whole grains, beans, or fruits—should make up one-quarter of your plate.

People with diabetes can include pasta as part of a healthy diet. However, they should choose whole grain varieties and be mindful of their portion size. A person can use the Plate Method, carb counting, or half-cup measurements to determine how much pasta they eat.

Choose dishes with at least 3 g fiber-look for meals that contain whole grains, beans, and vegetables, which are all good sources of fiber. Avoid empty calories. In general, avoid frozen dinners containing fried or breaded meats, lots of cheese, or rich sauces.

"A low-sugar Greek yogurt with berries and a few nuts is a great balance of protein, fiber, and fat to help keep blood sugar stable, and research shows foods like strawberries and wild blueberries can help improve insulin resistance as well," Harris-Pincus says.

What are the 5 worst foods for blood sugar? ›

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

It has been shown that eating your last meal of the day earlier will improve glycemic management and lower blood sugar levels throughout the night. People who ate dinner at 6 p.m. were more likely to have healthier blood sugar levels than people who ate their final meal of the day at 9 p.m., according to a 2021 study.

Eating protein, like meat, chicken, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, nuts or other vegetarian proteins with most of your meals will help improve your blood sugars. Protein slows down the digestion of carbohydrates and the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream, which means your blood sugars will stay more stable.