Eating for Health - For South Asian People

Following a healthy diet will help you to keep your glucose levels steady and control your diabetes.

A Balanced Diet

What Should You eat ?

• Lots of fruit and vegetables - aim for 5 portions every day
• Have some chapatti, rice, pasta, bread or cereals at each meal
• Some meat, fish or dahl twice a day
• Some low fat dairy foods
• Very small amounts of fatty or sugary foods
• Cut down on salt and salty foods

Drinks

• Drink tea and coffee without sugar. You can use artificial sweetener e.g. Canderel, Sweetex, Hermesetas.
• Choose no added sugar, diet or low calorie pops and squashes. Pure fruit juices contain natural sugars - keep to one small glass per day.
• If you like milky drinks use up to a pint of semi-skimmed milk, up to a pint each day.

Eat Regular meals

Big meals cause high blood glucose levels. Aim to eat little and often.

Breakfast Ideas

Cereal - try porridge,no added sugar muesli, weetabix, Sultana Bran or Special K or add fruit to a plain cereal

Or

Bread/toast (grilled not fried) with baked beans or thinly spread jam

Or

Boiled egg and bread with a small glass of orange juice

Main Meal Ideas

Chapatti, Curry - try more vegetables and dahl dishes with plenty of salad

OR

Fish - baked, grilled or curried with Boiled Rice - try basmati ricewith plenty of salad

OR

Pizza - 1 or 2 slices with plenty of salad

OR

Filled Jacket Potato with

• Tuna and Sweetcorn
• Cottage cheese and peppers or pineapple
• Cream cheese and onion (Edam and Gouda are lower fat) OR

Fish fingers - grilled with Baked beans and Potato - mashed or try oven chips

Fried Fish/Chicken and chips, samosa, pakora and parathas are very high in fat - eat these only occasionally.

• Use vegetable, rapeseed or olive oil in cooking. Measure oil with a tablespoon and aim to use no more than 1/2 a spoon of oil per person.
• Taste food before you add salt. Eat less salty foods such as Bombay mix, salty crackers, nuts and crisps.

Snack Ideas

The healthiest snack is a piece of fruit - try to eat 3 pieces of fruit each day. Other ideas are:

• A slice of bread or toast
• Tea and biscuits - choose fruity or oat biscuits e.g. Garibaldi, Fig Roll, Hob Nob or plain biscuits e.g. Marie, Rich Tea, Sports.

Dessert Ideas

Choose fruit as a healthy dessert option - fresh or tinned in natural fruit juice

Or

Diet yogurt

Or

Sugar free jelly, mousse or whips

Use artificial sweetener to make custard or milk puddings

Are You Overweight ?

Being overweight makes diabetes more difficult to control and increases the risk of health problems.

Following the healthy eating ideas in this leaflet will help you to reduce your intake of fat and sugar.

If you need more help to lose weight ask your doctor to refer you to the dietitian.

Avoid:

Sugar, Gur, Jaggery Glucose, Lucozade, Honey

Herbal Remedies

Karela does have some effect on lowering blood glucose but cannot be used as a substitute for diabetes tablets or insulin. Tell your doctor or nurse if you use Karela or any other herbal remedies.

Fasting and Festivals

Many people with diabetes are able to fast. It is important though to tell your doctor or diabetes clinic that you want to fast. They can give you information on fasting safely.

On special occasions you can eat foods which are not part of your normal healthy eating. As long as your diabetes is well controlled and it does not happen too often this will do no harm. Make sure you return to healthy eating after the celebration.