☘ Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes

Your food choices matter a lot when you've got diabetes. Some are better than others.

Nothing is completely off-limits. Even items that you might think of as “the worst" could be occasional treats -- in tiny amounts. But they won’t help you nutrition-wise, and it’s easiest to manage your diabetes if you mainly stick to the “best” options.

1. Starches

Your body needs carbs. But you want to choose wisely. Use this list as a guide.

✅Best Choices

-Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, millet, or amaranth

-Sweet potato

-Items made with whole grains and no (or very little) added sugar

⛔Worst Choices

-Processed grains, such as white rice or white flour

-White bread

-French fries

2. Vegetables

Load up! You’ll get fiber and very little fat or salt (unless you add them).  Remember, potatoes and corn count as carbs.

✅Best Choices

-Fresh veggies, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled

-Go for a variety of colors: dark greens, red or orange (think of carrots or red peppers), whites (onions) and even purple (eggplants). 2.5 cups of veggies per day.

⛔Worst Choices

-Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium

-Veggies cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce

3. Fruits

and fiber. Most are naturally low in fat and sodium. But they tend to have more carbs than vegetables do.

✅Best Choices

-Fresh fruit

⛔Worst Choices

-Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup

-Regular jam, jelly, and preserves (unless you have a very small portion)

-Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks(canned)

4. Protein

You have lots of choices, including beef, chicken, fish, turkey, seafood, beans, cheese, eggs and nuts.

✅Best Choices

-Plant-based proteins, such as beans, nuts

-Fish and seafood

-Chicken and other poultry

⛔Worst Choices

-Fried meats

-Higher-fat cuts of meat

-Regular cheeses

5.Fats, Oils, and Sweets

They’re tough to resist. But it’s easy to get too much and gain weight, which makes it harder to manage your diabetes.

✅Best Choices

-Natural sources of vegetable fats, such as nuts, seeds, or avocados (high in calories, so keep portions small)

-Foods that give you omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna

-Plant-based oils, such as canola, grapeseed, or olive oil

⛔Worst Choices

-Anything with artificial trans fat in it. It's bad for your heart. Check the ingredient list for anything that’s “partially hydrogenated,” even if the label says it has 0 grams of trans fat.

-Big portions of saturated fats, which mainly come from animal products but also are in coconut oil and palm oil. Ask your doctor what your limit should be, especially if you have heart disease as well as diabetes.

6.Drinks

When you down a favorite drink, you may get more calories, sugar, salt, or fat than you bargained for. Read the labels so you know what’s in a serving.

✅Best Choices

-Water

-Unsweetened tea (add a slice of lemon)

-Coffee, black or with added low-fat milk and sugar substitute

⛔Worst Choices

-Regular sodas

-Sweetened tea

-Coffee with sugar and cream

-Flavored coffees and chocolate drinks

-Energy drinks

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