What’s the best diet for diabetes?

There’s a reason so much of diabetes management focuses on diet: The food you eat directly drives your blood sugar levels. As your body breaks down what you eat, it turns any carbohydrates into simple sugars, which are then released into the bloodstream. Normally insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, moves that sugar into your cells, where it’s used for energy. But if you have diabetes, your body can’t properly use its insulin or doesn’t make enough, so the sugar builds up in your bloodstream.

This direct link between food and glucose is why your diet is so important. With that in mind, here’s what foods to prioritize, what foods to eat less of, and the best diet plans for people with diabetes.

Dietary recommendations for diabetes

There are a few foods that get a gold star for people living with diabetes, since they can help keep blood sugar stable.

• Fiber-rich carbs. Oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, and whole-wheat pasta are great grain choices because they’re high in fiber, which is something people with diabetes should prioritize. Research shows that increasing your fiber intake is tied to better blood sugar control. "Fiber slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the body," says Courtney Wilson, R.D., a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes care and education specialist in Maryland. "This allows glucose to slowly enter the bloodstream, giving the body time to process it and not cause a blood sugar spike."

• Lean sources of protein. Skinless chicken, fish, shellfish, eggs, tofu, and beans help you feel full without having a large impact on blood sugar. Aim to include one type of lean protein with each meal or snack. "Have a scrambled egg with a bowl of grits, or enjoy lean turkey and cheese with a sliced apple," says Angela Ginn-Meadow, R.D., a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist in Texas.

• Heart-healthy fats. Unsaturated fats — found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados, or nuts — can support heart health. The opposite holds true for saturated fats, which are found in foods like meat, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils and can build up in your arteries and lead to high cholesterol. This is especially dangerous to people with diabetes, since they’re already at a higher risk of heart disease.

Foods to eat less of if you have diabetes

No foods are entirely off-limits. And in fact, being able to enjoy the things you love is key for making your eating plan sustainable and better controlling your diabetes long-term, says Vandana Sheth, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and a certified diabetes care and education specialist in Los Angeles.

However, certain foods can make it harder to manage your blood sugar, raising your risks of diabetes-related complications like high blood pressure or heart disease. You can still eat the following, but it's best to indulge occasionally and in smaller portions.

• Refined grains, like white bread, white pasta, or white rice
• Sweets and desserts, including baked goods, ice cream, and candy
• Fried foods
• Foods high in saturated fats, such as fatty or processed meats, full-fat dairy, and coconut and palm kernel oils
• Margarine and shortening
• Foods high in sodium, like processed snacks
• Drinks with added sugars, including soda, juice, sweetened teas, sports drinks, and energy drinks
• Alcohol (if you drink), particularly if you take insulin or diabetes medications

What’s the best diet for diabetes?

Coming up with the ideal diabetes diet is tricky because no two people are alike. The best foods to eat, along with how much to eat and when, depend heavily on things like the type of diabetes you have, how much activity you get each day, and whether or not you’re on medication, says Sheth. That said, there are some specific plans designed to take the guesswork out of eating well with diabetes. Here are some to consider:

The WeightWatchers Diabetes Program

This plan helps you tweak the way you eat to support healthy blood sugar levels and even lose weight. Research found that on average, after six months, participants on the WeightWatchers Diabetes Program lost 5.7% of their weight and reduced their A1C levels by 0.75 percentage points.*

Here’s how it works: Every day, you get a set amount of Points, which represent a food’s nutritional value. Choosing foods based on their Points steers you towards food less likely to spike your blood sugar. And the plan has a list of ZeroPoint foods that include nutrient-rich, low-carbohydrate options like salmon, eggs, non-starchy vegetables, beans, and more.

Diabetes plate method (by the American Diabetes Association)

You know those divided plates used for little kids? That’s the idea with the diabetes plate method — except this time, you’re drawing imaginary lines that divide your plate into four equal sections.

• Fill two of the sections, or half your plate, with non-starchy vegetables. These are all those veggies that are a color of the rainbow: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, peppers, asparagus, and salad greens.

• Fill one-quarter of your plate with lean protein. Chicken, turkey, eggs, and seafood work, as do lean cuts of beef or pork. Don't forget plant-based protein sources (like beans and tofu) — they count too.

• Fill one-quarter of your plate with carbohydrates. These include whole grains, starchy vegetables (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or corn), fresh fruit, and dairy foods.

• Add a glass of water or another zero-calorie drink. Sip on something like sparkling water or unsweetened iced tea.

And for snacks, choose ones that are high in fiber, protein, or healthy fats (or all three, like many of these) to keep you feeling satisfied between meals.

Mediterranean diet

Inspired by the traditional eating habits of people in Greece, Italy, and Spain, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to support heart health and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers have also found that it can decrease blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. The benefits are thought to come from the diet's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and its ability to support healthy gut bacteria.

Here’s what the Mediterranean diet tends to look like.

• An emphasis on plant-based foods (like whole grains, vegetables, beans, fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices)
• Healthy fats (like olive oil) instead of butter
• Animal foods (like fish, dairy, and eggs) eaten in moderation
• Red meat and sweets consumed less often
• Fresh fruit often served for dessert

Alcohol in moderation, particularly red wine, can be a part of a Mediterranean-style diet too. But keep in mind that drinking too much (especially on an empty stomach) can lead to low blood sugar.

DASH diet

DASH, or dietary approaches to stop hypertension, was created to help lower high blood pressure, which affects two out of three people with diabetes. But it can also help manage diabetes by improving insulin resistance, lowering cholesterol, and supporting a healthy weight.

The DASH diet encourages you to eat foods that are minimally processed and low in saturated fats, like whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fruit, vegetables, poultry, fish, and nuts. Fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, tropical oils (like coconut or palm), sweets, and sugary beverages aren't entirely off-limits, but they should be enjoyed sparingly.

How much you can eat is based on your daily recommended calorie intake. But to give you an idea, here’s what someone eating 1,600 calories would consume in a day on the DASH diet.

• Six servings of grains (at least half should be whole grains)
• Three to four servings of vegetables
• Four servings of fruit
• Two to three servings of dairy
• Six ounces or less of meat
• Three servings of nuts, seeds, or beans per week
  
  

Plant-based diet

One of the trendiest eating plans these days, a plant-based diet consists mostly of, you guessed it, plant foods. This includes whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Following a healthy plant-based eating plan is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, likely due to its ability to reduce insulin resistance, promote a healthy body weight, and support a balanced gut microbiome.

There’s a whole spectrum of approaches to plant-based diets, from flexitarian (where you can eat some meat, seafood, and poultry, but only occasionally and in small quantities) to vegan (where you completely avoid all animal products, including meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy).

How carbohydrates impact blood sugar

Paying attention to your carbohydrate intake is important. Eating too many carbs at once can cause excess glucose to build up in your bloodstream, while not eating enough can lead to low blood sugar. Both high and low blood sugar can make it harder to manage your diabetes and increase your risks of complications over time.

But it’s not just the amount of carbs you should care about — you also want to make sure you’re getting carbs from the right sources. Complex or high-fiber carbohydrates, like whole grains and beans, have less of an impact on blood sugar than sugary or refined carbs, like cookies, white pasta, or potatoes. That makes them a healthier choice for people with diabetes.

The way carbs are spread throughout your day matters too. (You don’t want to eat an entire day’s worth in one sitting.) A registered dietitian or a diabetes educator can help you determine the amount of carbohydrates to consume during each meal and snack. "Some people may be able to enjoy a sandwich on two slices of whole-wheat bread, for instance, while others may be able to add a medium-size piece of fruit," Sheth says. And if you take insulin, you'll need to count exactly how many grams of carbs you consume in a meal or snack, since that will help you determine how much insulin you need to take.

Sugar and diabetes

While you don’t need to avoid sugar completely if you have diabetes, you’ll want to keep an eye on portion sizes. Foods with added sugars can have a big impact on blood sugar, making it harder to stick within your target range. You can help minimize this by pairing a dessert with protein or fiber. So pair your cookie with a glass of milk, for example. This slows the rate at which the sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream and reduces blood sugar spikes, Sheth says. You can get a similar effect by having a treat immediately following the end of the meal, as opposed to eating it later by itself.

Being active after eating something sugary can also be helpful. "I often advise my clients to consume sweets with meals and go for a walk afterward," Ginn-Meadow says. Physical activity within 30 minutes of eating can lower blood sugar levels, since your muscles use some of the sugar you've eaten for fuel.

The bottom line

The food you eat has a direct impact on your blood sugar, which is why a big part of managing diabetes is improving your diet. Prioritize foods that won’t spike your blood sugar, like whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables. At the same time, limit refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and foods high in saturated fat. There are many different diet plans that can help you, like the WeightWatchers Diabetes Program, which points you towards the right foods and keeps you motivated to stay healthy.