What Should a Person with Type 2 Diabetes Eat?

Individuals with type 2 diabetes often have to make nutrition and lifestyle changes to take care of their health. Following a healthy meal plan can help with blood sugar levels and prevent or delay some of the complications that come with diabetes. But what exactly should someone with type 2 diabetes eat? In this guide to diabetes, we will review the basics of diabetes and dive into how to build healthy meal plans for individuals with type 2 diabetes.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that develops over time that prevents the body from being able to regulate and use sugar. Sugar (or glucose) is the fuel that your cells need to function properly. People with diabetes may not produce enough insulin, which is the hormone that naturally regulates the body’s use of sugar. Their cells might also stop responding to insulin, so they take in less sugar than they are supposed to.

As a result, people with diabetes can fluctuate between high blood sugar and low blood sugar. Those engaging with care check their blood sugars through finger pricks or other means to make sure they are within a healthy range. Chronic elevated blood sugar can severely damage the body. It can cause damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart, blood vessels, and more — which is why it’s so important for people with diabetes to participate in care.

While there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, individuals can adjust their lifestyle and diet to help maximize blood glucose stability.

What Can Someone with Type 2 Diabetes Eat?

A diet high in complex carbohydrates, like fruits and vegetables is favorable for a person with diabetes over a diet high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats. But each person will be different depending on how long they’ve had diabetes, how well their blood sugar can be managed, and other health and lifestyle factors.

Though often misunderstood, carbohydrates are key for people with type 2 diabetes because they greatly impact blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates are macronutrients required by our brain and body for energy. But people with diabetes are encouraged to focus on more complex carbohydrates, or ones that take longer to break down and digest. This slow breakdown helps release sugar at a slow and steady rate. Simple carbs, which are faster to digest and release sugar, can cause spikes in blood sugar.

Just because someone has diabetes, however, doesn’t mean that they have to avoid all forms of sugar. The key is moderation of these foods and understanding portion sizes of high-carb foods with healthy fats and protein. This can help keep blood sugar levels more stable.

Here are some foods individuals with type 2 diabetes should look to include more in their diet:

• Healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, fish oil, avocado, etc.)
• Fruits and veggies
• Whole grains and wheat bread
• High-fiber foods (which are great sources of complex carbs)
• Fish, chicken, or turkey
• Legumes
• Low-fat dairy products

Here are some foods that people with diabetes should reduce:

• Sugary snacks
• White bread
• Refined pasta or rice
• Processed meat
• Red meat
• Other foods with added sugar

What’s the Glycemic Index?

You may have also heard of the glycemic index when talking about foods for people with type 2 diabetes. A high glycemic index means that the food will cause the blood sugar to spike, while a low glycemic index will have less of an effect on blood sugar.

Glycemic index can help those with diabetes get an idea of how fast their body may break down the sugars in the foods they eat. However, it’s not always practical to follow. Many of us don’t research the glycemic index of foods as we shop for them. Plus, this index doesn’t actually tell you how healthy a food is — just its effect on blood sugar.

When Should People with Diabetes Eat?

Generally, people with diabetes should follow a regular meal schedule each day. This helps the body regulate blood sugar more easily. They should also aim for smaller but more frequent meals throughout the day as opposed to the traditional 3 large meals. Eating regularly and maintaining smaller portions can also help regulate blood sugar. But make sure you don’t overdo it! Eating more frequently might cause you to increase calorie intake.

However, a meal schedule can vary from person to person. So, it’s important that anyone with diabetes work closely with their healthcare provider to create an eating schedule that meets their unique needs.

How Can I Plan for My Diet with Diabetes?

EatLove makes it easy to plan for a diet with diabetes because we take out all the guesswork. You can enter your own food preferences and general health information (or if you are a nutrition professional, you can enter it on behalf of a client), and our LENA® Nutrition Intelligence will create a tailored nutrient recommendation rooted in science.

We have a specific diet template for type 2 diabetes, which has been verified by multiple dietitians specializing in diabetes care. When compared to our generic healthy diet, the diabetes diet has lower protein and higher healthy fat parameters. It also includes fewer servings of fruit and more servings of vegetables. This diet also tracks trans fat and saturated fat, so you can make sure you’re getting the best sources of fat your body needs.

LENA® tailors this template specifically for you and will provide meal recommendations to match the unique nutrient parameters. You can swap out meals, too, if something doesn’t sound good or you have other ingredients on hand. Our adaptable yet highly personalized nutrition system allows you to manage your health and helps you with diabetes.

No more carbohydrate counting or guessing on portions! EatLove takes care of all the calculations, so all you need to do is focus on preparing healthy meals that will support your body. With our system, you can set yourself up for long-term success. Sign up for a free trial of EatLove to get started.

If you’re looking to leverage nutrition to help with your diabetes, let us put you in touch with a nutrition professional who can help! Reach out to us at support@eatlove.is.