Eating for Health

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

A Balanced Diet

What Should You eat ?

• Aim for 5 portions of mixed fruits and vegetables every day
• Eat some potato, rice, pasta, bread or cereals at each meal
• Some meat, fish or chicken
• 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. Try low fat malted drinks e.g. Horlicks/ Ovaltine or low calorie chocolate drinks e.g. Options/Highlights

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, 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

Fish - grilled, poached, baked, Boil-in-the-bag

Potato - or bread

Vegetables - or mushy peas

Or

Pasta - choose a low fat or tomato-based sauce

Salad - use small amounts of low fat dressings

Crusty bread

Or

Meat - choose leanest you can or trim off excess fat

Potato - boiled, jacket or mash

Vegetables - frozen or fresh

Or

Casseroles/Curry/Stew - try adding beans or pearl barley

Rice

Side Salad

Or

Chicken - roast or grilled

Jacket Potato

Salad

Or

Fish fingers - grilled

Baked beans

Potato - mashed or try oven chips

Or

Stir fried vegetables

Noodles

Light Meal/Snack Ideas

Sandwiches

• Include salad - tomato, cucumber, onion, grated carrot, sliced red pepper
• Add pickles -red cabbage, onion or beetroot
• Choose lean roast meat, tuna, salmon, reduced fat cheese, egg, hummus

Things on toast

• Baked beans
• Pilchards/sardines in tomato sauce
• Cheese and onion - Edam and Gouda are lower fat
• Grilled bacon and tinned tomato
• Cottage cheese/low fat soft cheese

Filled Jacket Potato

• Tuna and sweetcorn - add a little low calorie mayonnaise
• Ham and tomato
• Bolognaise or chilli
• Cottage cheese and peppers or pineapple
• Baked beans
  (These toppings and fillings taste just as good without using margarine as well!)

Soup

• Home made with lots of vegetables
• Soups with peas, lentils or pasta
• Serve with bread without margarine

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 on this webpage 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.

Shopping List

Semi-skimmed milk sweeteners e.g. Canderel, Sweetex, Hermesetas

Diet pop

No added sugar squash

Reduced sugar jam or marmalade

Vegetable or olive oil

Margarine - look for a monounsaturated margarine e.g. Olivio, Mono, Olive Gold

Look for a low fat spread for less calories

Fruity or oat biscuits e.g. Garibaldi, Fig Roll, Hob Nob, fruit teacakes, maltloaf, English muffins, crumpets

Including the foods below on a regular basis can help to improve your blood glucose levels.

• mushy peas, baked beans
• lentils or other beans
• basmati rice
• pasta
• porridge or no added sugar muesli
• fresh fruit

Call our Diabetes Helpline on 01274 365884 for general queries about diet and diabetes.