Diabetic Diet Meal Plan Using the Glycemic Food Index

According to the American Diabetes Association, the glycemic index (GI) measures how blood glucose levels change after eating certain foods. The index is a scale that ranges from zero to 100, with glucose being 100. Foods that are high on the glycemic index will result in rapid blood sugar level increases, while foods that are low take longer to digest and will result in slower blood sugar level increases. When creating a diabetic-diet meal plan you need to incorporate foods that have a low GI rating to prevent from getting hyperglycemia.

Vegetables

• Vegetables have an extremely low GI rating, which is why they should be included in every meal plan. For example, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, peppers, snow peas, spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini all have a GI rating of 15. Accordingly, for lunch try a vegetable salad with a little bit of dressing.
  On the other hand, there are a few vegetables that have a moderate or high GI rating and should be eaten in moderation. Broad beans have a GI rating of 79, green lentils 52, kidney beans 52 and baked beans 48.
  Vegetables are also good additions to any diet because they are high in fiber.

Fruits

• Some fruits have low GI ratings and others have high GI ratings, so you have to be careful. For example, cherries have a GI rating of 22, grapefruit 25, dried apricots 31, apples 38 and plums 39, so combining these fruits can make a perfect fruit salad for your diabetic meal plan. Fruits that have an extremely high GI rating include watermelon, with a GI rating of 72, pineapple, 66, raisins, 64, apricots, 57, and mangoes, 56.

Dairy

• Most dairy products are great to include in the meal plan because they have GI ratings as low as those of vegetables. For example, low-fat yogurt has a rating of 14, chocolate milk 24, whole milk 27, and fat-free milk 32. However, ice cream is one dairy product with a high GI rating---61---and should be avoided.
  The most important part of starting a new diet is knowing the GI ratings of the foods you are eating. A good rule of thumb to follow is if a food has a GI rating of under 50 then it's safe food for you to eat in moderation. However, it is better to stock up on foods that have GI ratings of under 30 or 40.