Healthy Daily Menu for a Diabetic

A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t have to slam the door on good eating. Although your illness will necessitate some dietary modifications, there are still plenty of healthy and delicious foods that you can enjoy. As the American Diabetes Association emphasizes, “Living with diabetes doesn't have to mean feeling deprived or restricted.” You just need to learn which foods are best for you and plan meals that make the most of the foods that you are allowed.

General Guidelines

• In the simplest terms possible, having diabetes means that your blood sugar levels are abnormally elevated. To stay healthy, you should monitor blood glucose levels, take whatever medications your doctor prescribes and eat a healthy diet that avoids foods and beverages likely to cause a spike in blood sugar. MayoClinic.com suggests that your carbohydrates should make up roughly 45 to 65 percent of your daily caloric intake with fats making up 20 to 35 percent and protein accounting for 15 to 20 percent. However, you need to focus on the healthiest carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, beans, peas and lentils. At the other end of the scale in carbohydrates are the unhealthy types found in soft drinks and candy. These you will need to avoid, along with calorie-packed but nutrition-empty starches, according to the St. John Health System.

Sample Daily Menus

• In The Joslin Guide to Diabetes, Richard S. Beaser, M.D., and nutritionist Amy Campbell urge diabetics to opt for foods that are higher in fiber and lower in fat. A typical daily 1,200-calorie menu might start with a breakfast consisting of 1 boiled egg, a slice of Canadian bacon, 1 slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 tsp. trans fat-free margarine and 1 cup of cantaloupe chunks. For lunch, you might enjoy a sandwich of 2 oz. turkey breast, lettuce, tomato and mustard on oat-bran pita bread, along with a raw carrot, cut into sticks, and an apple for dessert. Your dinner entree could be 3 oz salmon, broiled; 1 cup broccoli, steamed; 2/3 cup brown rice, cooked; and 1 tsp. olive oil. For a snack sometime during the day, you can have a 6-oz. container of light yogurt.

  A typical 1,500-calorie menu, according to the Joslin Guide, could begin with a breakfast of ½ cup bran flakes, ½ banana, 8 oz. fat-free milk and 1 boiled egg. For lunch, you might eat a sandwich of 3 oz. water-packed tuna mixed with 2 tsp. light mayonnaise, along with lettuce and tomato on 2 slices of multigrain bread; 1 oz. baked chips; and 6 oz. light yogurt. The entree for dinner could be a 4-oz. boneless chicken breast, baked; 1 cup of green beans; 1 medium baked potato; 1 tbsp. trans fat-free margarine; 2 cups of salad greens; and 2 tbsp. light Italian dressing. For your daily snacks, you could enjoy a small orange and 2 tbsp. almonds.