Healthy Diabetic Foods
Receiving a diagnosis of diabetes does not mean your life has to change forever. It also doesn't mean your eating habits have to change drastically. A diagnosis of diabetes simply means that in order to remain healthy, you'll need to monitor the foods you eat and check your blood sugar. Using moderation and a healthier diet, you can still enjoy many of your favorite foods.
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Portion Sizes
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In addition to eating recommended diabetic foods, it is important for diabetic patients to control portion size. Overeating the foods that are healthy for diabetic patients can actually be as harmful as eating the foods that diabetics should avoid. Lists of appropriate portion sizing can be found online and guide you on how to size portions when a scale is not accessible.
Meats
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The American Diabetes Association and many doctors recommend that diabetes patients eat only lean meats, such as the tenderloin and sirloin. Chicken, turkey, and other poultry (with the skin removed) are healthy meat choices for diabetes patients. Eating fish two to three times a week is recommended. Fried meats should be avoided, but baked, boiled, roasted and grilled meats are OK. Diabetic patients can even enjoy hamburger if eaten in moderation and grilled to remove fat.
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Fruits and Vegetables
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The American Diabetes Organization recommends that diabetes patients eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables are the best choice, as starches should be consumed in moderation. Green and orange vegetables, such as beans, peas, broccoli, spinach and carrots, are ideal for diabetic diets.
Grains
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Whole grains are healthier for diabetic diets than processed grain products. Brown rice and whole-wheat noodles of all kinds are healthier than the cheaper alternatives. In addition, whole-wheat breads are recommended over white bread.
Dairy
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Diabetics should consume only nonfat dairy products like skim milk, low-fat cheese and nonfat yogurts. Soy-based milk and other products are good alternatives to fatty dairy ones.
Considerations
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Grains and starchy vegetables should be avoided in conjunction. For example, at a given meal, choose between a dinner roll or mashed potatoes; only a single serving of starches per meal is recommended for a healthy diabetic diet. Sugary foods should be eaten in moderation only. Consider sugar alternatives; many companies now offer sugar-free products made from natural sugars or sugar substitutes to make them healthier for diabetic diets. Diabetics should also avoid fatty snack foods, like cookies, ice cream and potato chips, and substitute healthy snacks like fruit and nonfat yogurts.
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