Meal Planning for Diabetics

Everyone, not just diabetics, should create some sort of meal plan.  However, for diabetics, meal planning is crucial for controlling blood sugar levels and, therefore, their overall health and quality of life.  And no, meal planning does not require a great deal of time.  In fact, meal planning actually will save you time over the course of your week.  And yes, there are plenty of meal planning apps out there.  I guess we should define a diabetic meal plan before we go any further…a diabetic meal plan simply predicts (to the best of your ability) what, when and how much you will eat to fulfill your nutritional needs while controlling blood sugar levels.  Easy, huh?

A few things that ALL diabetic meal plans should include are fruits, vegetables, lean meats, plant-based proteins, and low amounts of added sugar and processed foods.  Keep these things in mind as you plan out your meals and you should be able to keep your weight and blood glucose levels at acceptable levels.  Also, pay close attention to your carb intake as carbs, especially sugar-based carbs (like those in processed foods like cookies and donuts), are absorbed by your body quickly and can cause spikes in blood sugar levels.  The other two types of carbs, starch and fiber, are not absorbed as quickly and do not cause quick blood sugar spikes.

Here are a few diabetic “superfoods” that should be included in your meal plans due to their vitamin, mineral and fiber content.  They are: beans, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, berries, tomatoes, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, tuna, seabass, sardines, trout), nuts, whole grains, milk, and yogurt.  Yes, you can include lean meat (chicken, turkey, pork), but try to avoid red meat as it usually has a high fat content.

Next, think of placing each meal on a nine-inch plate.  Half the plate should contain starchy vegetables such as a salad, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or carrots.  A quarter of the plate should be occupied by lean protein like the fish listed above, turkey, beans, tofu or eggs.  The last quarter of your plate is optional and can contain whole grains or starchy foods such as potatoes, rice, or pasta.  As you plan your meals, pay close attention to portion size versus serving size as they are NOT the same thing.  Portion size refers to what you actually eat or what’s put in front of you, while serving size is a specific amount of food.  Serving size is what’s listed on the package while your portion size might contain 2 or3 serving sizes.  Think of a can of soup that contains two servings of four ounces each and you eat the whole can.  The single portion size you just ate equaled two servings and doubled the amount of nutritional information, to include calories, salt and carbs.

Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men oft times go awry.  Life intrudes on our plans often.  That being the case, make a few of your meals ahead of time and simply freeze them or, better yet, order a few diabetic-friendly meals from MagicKitchen.com and pop them in the freezer for the times your busy life ruins all your meal plans.  This option is especially helpful as it keeps you out of the grocery store during our current COVID-19 crisis.

If you’re old school, then simply place your meals on a calendar and shop appropriately.  If you’re tech savvy, there are numerous meal planning apps out there like FoodPlanner, mealplan+ and mealboard.  There are also a variety of diabetes-based apps as well, to include mySugr, diabetes connect, health2sync, diabetes:M and beat diabetes.  These diabetes apps help you track what you eat and how it affects your blood sugar levels and some actually track your blood sugar levels over time.  At least give them a look as they can help organize this one aspect of your life.

Just think, with a bit of forethought, you can know what healthy meals you’re going to eat for an entire week and know that these meals will prevent drastic swings in your blood sugar levels.  Talk about a little peace of mind in uncertain times…