what is the suggested diet for diabetics

There are many things that a person with diabetes can eat, and it is the same foods that are good for everyone, including meals that are low-fat, with complex carbs (instead of simple carbs), and lots of non-starchy vegetables!

When I had gestational diabetes (which is different than Type 1 or Type 2, but the meal planning is very similar), the easiest thing for me to remember was the number "15". Fifteen (15) is the number of carbohydrate grams in one serving. The daily meal plan looked like this:
Breakfast: 30 grams (of carbs)
Snack: 15 grams
Lunch: 45 grams
Snack: 15 grams
Dinner: 45 grams
Snack: 15 grams

Once you get used to thinking by "15's", it gets easier. (And, still important to watch overall fat and calorie intake, as well as type of carb, but this is just to get started).

Here are some concrete meal plans to give you an idea, as well as this link to the Diabetic Food Pyramid.

Breakfast (approx. 30 grams carbs for each option)
Option 1:
2 slices of whole wheat bread (each slice=15 grams carbs)
low-fat breakfast meat
poached egg

Option 2:
1 cup oatmeal or cream of wheat (1/2 cup = 15 grams carbs)

Lunch (approx. 45 grams carbs each option)
Option 1:
1 cup vegetable, lentil or broth-based soup
1 serving whole wheat bread/roll

Option 2:
Turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich

Option 3:
Burrito: black beans (1/2 c), corn tortilla, low-fat cheese and salsa

Snack Options (each approx. 15 grams)
3 cups air-popped popcorn
3 Graham crackers with natural peanut butter
1 c. carrot sticks with 2 tsp hummus
1/2 cup fruit with 1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese
3 individual gingersnap cookies
5 individual vanilla wafers
4 oz bagel with 1 Tbsp fat free cream cheese

Dinner (each approx. 45 grams carbs each)
Option 1:
Open-face Hamburger (3 oz lean meat), 1 whole wheat bun
Cucumber salad
1/3 cup baked beans OR 5 oz corn on the cob OR 1/2 cup sweet potato

Option 2:
Lasagna! Here is a recipe for lasagna using low-fat ricotta cheese (little carbs) from the ADA: http://tracker.diabetes.org/myfoodadvisor.html
Serving size= 3" x 3" piece for 26 grams of carbs. (You can have a slightly larger slice or add 19 grams of another carb)

Option 3:
4-6 oz. of lean meat have little carbs: chicken, turkey, fish, pork, Combined with: steamed vegetables and (1/3 c) brown rice

As you can see, the diet for diabetics can be the same "diet" (or meal) that is served to everyone in your family or group of friends. I hope this information was helpful! Let us know if you have any additional questions; are you or someone you know diabetic?

There are many diets recommended by dieticians and nutritionists to manage diabetes and Alysiak has provided you with a couple of great links. One thing I have found to be very effective and helping manage Type 2 diabetes is Chromium Picolinate supplements. This critical nutritional supplement is a mineral that helps with balancing absortions of high glycemic foods. Chromium works at increasing the efficiency of insulin to optimal levels. It is gaining increased popularity in the United States, this supplement has been touted as a miracle mineral as it also has a myriad of wellness effects such as weight loss, mood enhancement, energy promotion, increase in life span, and even the prevention of acne!

I also highly recommend a diet that includes raw greens and fruits low in sugars such as cheeries, blueberries, rhubarb, cranberries, acai (a Brazilian berry), grape fruit, papaya, limes and believe or not watermelon which is a phenomenal liver detoxifier. If you stick to a high protein diet make sure to drink plenty of water to ensure proper functioning of the kidneys and avoid constipation. I would eliminate gluten and any refined flours and sugars from my diet altogether and substitute your crave for these type of carbs with flaxseed bread, buckwheat flour (great for pancakes!), quinua (they make pasta with this South American grain). Here is a list of foods to avoid:

1. Sugar and artificial sweeteners, including honey. The only allowed sweetener is stevia.

2. Sweets and chocolates, including so-called sugar-free types. (If you want a chocolate treat, say once a week, then eat oragnic dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa solids

3. Foods which contain significant proportions of packed foods whose ingredients end in -ol or -ose as these are sugars (the only exception is cellulose, which is a form of dietary fibre)

4. Grains and foods made from them: wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, bread, pasta, pastry, cakes, biscuits, pies, tarts, breakfast cereals, etc.

5. Starchy vegetables: potatoes and parsnips in particular; and go easy with beet, carrots, peas, beans, etc and packets of mixed vegetables which might contain them.

6. Eating small meals with proper combination of foods (i.e. start fruits later in the morning vice first in the morning) will make a big difference!

7. Milk (except in small quantities) and preferaqbly not first thing in the morning as it contains lactose a form of sugar.

8. Sweetened, fruit and low-fat yogurts

9. Cottage cheese (except in small amounts)

10. Beware of commercially packaged foods such as TV dinners, "lean" or "light" in particular, and fast foods, snack foods and "health foods".

11. Fruit juices, as these are much higher in carbs than fresh fruit. (If you like fruit juices as a drink, dilute about 1 part fruit juice with 2-4 parts water.)

When in doubt about the proportions and ratio of carb, proteins and fat in your daily food intake, here is a good rule of thumb:

10% — 15% carbohydrate
20% — 25% protein
60% — 70% fat

And do not forget, hydration with high pH level water!

Best of luck

A good friend and neighbor, a former RN, is a long-time diabetic. I once asked her this very same question because, as she and her DH are elderly, I sometimes prepare a special meal for them.

She guided me to a cookbook produced by the American Diabetes Association. You can find sources for good recipes and information at their website.

The amazing discovery for me was that a diabetic-friendly diet was really low glycemic, being conscious of natural sugars in foods and balancing carbs and proteins.

For information on special considerations diabetics need to take:

6 Diet Tips to Help Manage Diabetes Nerve Pain

The Basics of a Diabetes Diet