Diabetes Menu Planning

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearing House more than 23.6 million people in the U.S are afflicted with diabetes, as of 2009. Of that group, 17.9 million are diagnosed and 5.9 million are not. In addition, more than 57 million people are prediabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association. Many of the people who are diagnosed with diabetes could control their blood sugar with diet and exercise alone.

Planning Ahead

• Plan your menus ahead for the week to include the healthiest and lowest sugar content foods. Everything that is good for regulating blood sugar is healthy for just about everyone. Fill your grocery cart with lots of fresh produce. Legumes like chickpeas, black beans and lentils help regulate blood sugar. Include low fat protein and some fish in at least two meals a week. Purchase whole grain cereal, bread, and brown rice, quinoa and barley for some healthy carbs. Low fat milk, yogurt and cottage cheese are rich in calcium. Low sugar fruits include berries, peaches, apples and melons.

Breakfast

• Plan a variety of healthy breakfast meals for the week. These breakfasts could include whole grain toast with peanut butter, whole grain cereal with peaches and skim milk, or nonfat yogurt with strawberries. Or you could cook a tasty egg white omelet with spinach and Parmesan cheese. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast with protein, grains and other low fat foods will keep you full of energy until lunch time.

Lunch

• Eat a chef's salad with turkey, low fat cheese, black olives, walnuts and lots of greens and tomatoes. Open a can of tuna and add chopped celery, sesame seeds and non fat mayonnaise. Fix a vegetarian sandwich with a portobello mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts and mustard on whole grain toast for something different. Nonfat cottage cheese with chopped cucumbers, green onions and carrots makes a healthy and easy-to-fix lunch. All of these healthy food selections will aid in keeping your blood sugar regulated until dinner.

Dinner

• Make sure you have chicken breasts, low fat meats, and fish for your weekly menu. Make stir fry with sliced chicken breasts, beansprouts, mushrooms, broccoli and spinach; and season with fresh ginger and sesame oil. Broiled salmon with green beans and brown rice makes a very nutritious dinner. Try vegetarian soup with lentils, onions, celery and chopped kale. Have a small tenderloin of beef (4 oz.) with sauteed mushrooms in olive oil, caesar salad and a half-cup of brown rice. Have a piece of fruit for dessert. Eating a lot of vegetables will be very filling and keep you satisfied until bedtime.

Snacks and Eating Freqency

• Eating often during the day is the best way to keep the blood sugar regulated. Snacks of nonfat cottage cheese, cut up veggies with yogurt dip, a cup of strawberries, baked tortilla chips with fresh homemade salsa or bean dip are filling and good. Whole grain crackers with low fat cheese and a slice of avocado is low in carbohydrates. For a change of pace, try a handful of raw nuts that are rich in vitamins and just about carb free. Eating small satisfying snacks of something healthy that you really enjoy will help you avoid the temptation to reach for sugary foods.