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Foods Suggested to Control Diabetic Sugar Level

Diabetic blood sugar levels can be moderated by making careful food choices. If you ensure that your meals contain both complex carbohydrates and protein, your blood sugar levels will not rise as quickly after the meal. Sweetening food with non-sugar sweeteners also will prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking.

  1. Complex Carbohydrates

    • Carbohydrates are foods that are converted into glucose by your body to provide energy. Simple carbohydrates are changed into glucose quickly and easily, resulting in a swift rise in blood sugar. White bread and table sugar are examples of simple carbohydrates, foods diabetics should avoid. Complex carbohydrates contain fiber and take longer for your body to change into glucose, which is good for diabetics. Vegetables such as spinach and whole grains such as oatmeal are examples of complex carbohydrates.

    Protein

    • Protein foods such as meat, eggs, beans, nuts and tofu slow the absorption of any carbohydrates consumed with the meal. Proteins even slow the absorption of simple carbohydrates, so including protein with any carbohydrate eaten will help you maintain stable blood sugar. For example, a slice of apple, which contains simple carbohydrates, can be eaten with cheese or peanut butter in order to slow the effect on your blood sugar.

    Non-Sugar Sweeteners

    • Artificial sweeteners and natural sugar substitutes can sweeten your foods and drinks without affecting your blood sugar as much as sugar will. Aspartame (NutraSweet), Sucralose (Splenda) and saccharin are all chemical sweeteners, which may have side effects. An ideal sugar substitute for diabetics is Stevia, a natural sweetener made from the powdered leaves of the stevia plant. Stevia can be used to sweeten many types of food, but it does tend to have a bitter aftertaste, unlike agave nectar. The agave plant's nectar is a sweet syrup that is high in fructose, but has a very low glycemic index, which means that it will not raise your blood sugar very much.

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