Diabetes Nutrition: Food Choices that You can Live With

Healthy food choices are important for all of us in helping us to feel better, maintain a healthy weight and protect us from some types of diseases and conditions. However, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, your food selections become even more important, since diabetes nutrition can have an even greater impact on your health.

The good news is that diabetes nutrition is really not that different from the healthy food choices that the rest of the population should make. It simply becomes more important to make those choices carefully and consistently if you have this disease.

Watch your Percentages

As a general rule, diabetes nutrition should include a diet that consists of 40-60% of carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 30% or less from fat. This should be measured by the amount of calories consumed and is good guideline for everyone who is interested in eating healthier, not just those who have diabetes. In addition to monitoring the correct percentages of the types of food you eat, it is also important to make good choices within those percentages. For example, opt for fat-free milk instead of the whole variety, and go with a skinless chicken breast rather than a piece of red meat as often as possible. By consistently acting in a conscientious manner when planning your menus and making your food selections, you will go far in keeping your diabetes nutrition where it should be.

What to Include

Diabetes nutrition is not that different from nutrition for everyone else, so stick with the standard guidelines of nutrition and you will go far in helping to manage your disease. If you are overweight, you will also want to opt for low-calorie and low-fat foods that will help you to drop the excess pounds and maintain a healthier weight. Fresh produce should be the first type of food in your menu for diabetes nutrition, followed by plenty of whole grains that will offer the necessary fiber and nutrients. Your protein selections should be of the lean and low-fat varieties, and try to add fish and beans instead of red meat whenever possible to meet your requirements in this area.

What to Avoid

Like any healthy diet program, diabetes nutrition consists of keeping foods high in fat and sugar to a minimum for both weight control and nutritional considerations. Although most medical professionals will agree that a little sugar is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to diabetes nutrition, too much of a good thing can become a problem rather quickly. Therefore, it is important to limit your intake of refined sugar items as well as those that are fried or high in fat from other sources. Keep in mind that even healthy foods contain calories, so it is also important to monitor portion sizes as a part of diabetes nutrition.