 If you've never tried to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet before your diabetes diagnosis, it can be difficult to know where to get started. Use these tips from the American Dietetic Association:
* Eat more starchy food for example bread, cereal, and starchy vegetables. Aim for six portions a day or more. For instance, have cold cereal with nonfat milk or a bagel with a teaspoon of jelly for breakfast. Another starch-adding plan is to add cooked black beans, corn or garbanzo beans to salads or casseroles.
* Eat five fruits and vegetables every day. Have a portion of fruit or two as a snack, or add vegetables to chili, stir-fried dishes or stews. You can pack raw vegetables for lunch or snacks as well.
* Eat sugars and sweets in moderation. Take in your favorite sweets in your diet once or twice a week at most. Divide a dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth while reducing the sugar, fat and calories.
Soluble fibers are found largely in fruits, vegetables and some seeds, and are especially good for people with diabetes because they help to hold up or reduce the absorption of glucose from the intestines.
Legumes, such as cooked kidney beans, are among the highest soluble fiber foods. Other fiber-containing foods, such as carrots, also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Insoluble fibers, found in bran, whole grains and nuts, act as intestinal scrubbers by cleaning out the lower gastrointestinal tract.
After a diabetes diagnosis, think about seeing a dietitian and developing a meal plan to get started. With regards to your lifestyle, your medication, your weight and any medical conditions you may have in addition to diabetes as well as your favorite foods, the dietitian will help you create a diet that will prevent complications of diabetes and still give you the pleasure you've always had in eating.
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