Diabetic Diet Food Choices

Diabetics need to make smart food choices to maintain safe blood sugar levels and prevent hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is the scientific term for high blood glucose levels. According to the American Diabetes Association, the glycemic index (GI) is a scale from 0 to 100, with glucose being 100, that measures the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood glucose levels. Foods that are closer to 100 will increase blood glucose levels more rapidly. Foods that are closer to 0 will increase blood glucose levels more slowly. Diabetics use the glycemic index to help them make smart diabetic food choices on a daily basis.

Vegetables

Vegetables are one of the top food choices for diabetics because of their low GI rating. According to the GI Diet Guide, onions, red peppers, green beans, lettuce, chilies, tomatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and eggplant all have GI ratings of 15 or lower. Vegetables not only have low GI ratings, but they also have a high fiber content. Meals that are high in fiber tend to be more filling, which can help prevent sugar cravings. Vegetable salads are a recommended meal choice for diabetics.

Fruits

Some fruits can be good diabetic food choices, while others are not. Unlike vegetables that have mostly low GI ratings, fruits can range from high to low. Cherries, plums, grapefruit, peaches, dried apricots, apples and prunes all have a low GI rating of less than 40. Fruit salads that include these foods are a sensible diabetic meal choice.

Fruits with a GI rating of more than 60 include mangoes, raisins, papaya, figs, pineapple, watermelon and dates. Watermelon and dates have particularly high GI ratings and should be strictly avoided. Fruits with a GI rating of more than 60 should either be avoided or eaten in extremely small portions in order to prevent hyperglycemia. Like vegetables, fruits also have a high fiber content.

Dairy

Many dairy products make excellent diabetic food choices because of their low GI ratings. For example, whole milk, skim milk, sweetened yogurt, artificially sweetened yogurt and custard all have GI ratings below 40. However, ice cream has a rating of 62 and should be avoided by diabetics. You might want to try creating a yogurt and fruit smoothie for a healthy diabetic lunch.

Nuts

Peanuts and walnuts have a GI level of less than 16. Nuts can either be added to a vegetable salad or eaten as a midday snack. However, nuts are also high in calories, so they should be eaten in moderation.

Grains

Spaghetti, pearled barley, wheat tortilla, instant noodles, white long-grain rice and egg fettuccini all have GI ratings of 50 or below. These foods can be a smart diabetic food choice for lunch or dinner.