Managing carb intake is important for everyone with diabetes because carb choices and portions directly affect blood-glucose levels. Your food choices influence more than just diabetes management; what you choose to eat affects your weight and overall health. With a few simple modifications, you can improve the quality of your diet and lower your intake of fat, calories, sugar, and salt. That's good news for your diabetes, weight, heart health, and blood pressure.
- Instead of: Whole milk, regular cheeses, cream cheese, sour cream Choose: Nonfat, low-fat, or reduced-fat versions
- Instead of: Bacon, sausage, ribs, salami, pastrami, hot dogs Choose: Canadian bacon, ham, lean roast beef, poultry, veggie dogs
- Instead of: White, refined breads, crackers, pastas, rice Choose: Whole-grain breads, crackers, pastas, brown rice
- Instead of: Sweet rolls, breakfast pastries, donuts, Danish, muffins Choose: Fruit spreads on whole-wheat toast or an English muffin
- Instead of: Potato chips, corn chips, buttery popcorn Choose: Baked versions of chips, air-popped or microwave lite popcorn
- Instead of: Deep-frying foods Choose: Baking, steaming, grilling, poaching, boiling, broiling
- Instead of: Regular sugary soft drinks, sodas, sweetened iced tea Choose: Diet drinks, mineral water, unsweetened (or diet) tea
- Instead of: Solid fats such as butter, stick margarine, and shortening Choose: Liquid vegetable oils such as olive, canola, soybean, sesame, and peanut oils
- Instead of: Salt Choose: Salt-free seasonings, herbs, spices, pepper
