When you have type 2 diabetes, the grocery store appears differently. One of the most effective ways to manage your type 2 diabetes is through proper eating management. There’s no need to adhere to a particular diet. Simply follow the majority’s recommended eating habits. One of the best ways to manage your diabetes and control your blood sugar is to eat balanced, healthful meals, according to studies.
Imagine your dish.
When you have diabetes, there is no magic list of foods you can and cannot eat.
As the American Diabetes Association’s associate director of nutrition and registered dietitian, Shamera Robinson, MPH, puts it, “You can really eat anything.” “You can incorporate your favorite foods into a customized diet plan. The best approach to eating is to figure out what nutritional balance is best for you.
The Diabetes Plate Method is one method for doing that. Consider dividing a 9-inch plate in half evenly. Arrange non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, greens, squash, or tomatoes) on one side of the dish.
Divide the remaining half lengthwise into quarters. Carbs such as brown rice, tortillas, beans, fruit, milk, or yogurt should fill one quarter of the dish. Lean meats like chicken and fish, as well as eggs and tofu, should make up the final quarter of your diet.
“Fat, protein, and carbs will always digest at the fastest rates. You feel satisfied after eating all three and have less cravings in between meals. According to Los Angeles-based author, nutritionist, and dietitian Lori Zanini.
Plan your meals.
Leitaker’s success can be attributed, in part, to her simple diet. She limits her breakfast options to one or two. I always eat a salad with chicken for lunch. She has protein, salad, and vegetables for dinner.
Dessert is rarely made by Leitaker. When she does indulge, it’s usually with seasonal fruit, like berries.
Before you go to the grocery store, you can plan your meals for the coming week. You have two options for doing that: use a meal-planning template found on the Diabetes Food Hub of the American Diabetes Association, or do it yourself.
Make use of a shopping list.
Once you’ve decided what to eat, list the ingredients. Make sure you don’t already have them by taking a look in your pantry.
Making a grocery run is not right or wrong. The products you need, like produce, meat, and frozen foods, can be grouped by department. Alternatively, you can write your list in the same order as your favorite store to save time and effort when going back.
While it makes sense to concentrate on breakfast, lunch, and dinner, don’t overlook the snacks.
According to Robinson, “a snack can really be anything.” She recommends hard-boiled eggs, hummus and veggies, baby carrots with guacamole, berries, and a handful of unsalted roasted nuts or seeds.
The secret to eating well when diabetic is to resist impulsive purchases.
“I usually go home and research new things to see if they’re a good fit for me,” Leitaker says. By walking and eating sensibly, she was able to lower her A1c below 6 and shed over 50 pounds.
Leitaker often adapts recipes so that she and her family enjoy the same protein, like fish or beef, but eat different side dishes.
Shop the edges of the store first
The fresh produce and refrigerated sections of the market are the best places to spend time and money. Because there are a lot of highly processed and packaged foods in the center aisles, shop with caution there.
Load your cart with:
Vegetables: Fresh, in-season vegetables are always best. Frozen and canned are great choices as long as the vegetable is the only ingredient. Starchy vegetables like green peas, corn, potatoes,
and winter squash are not as healthy as non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens like broccoli, spinach, and Brussels sprouts.
Expert advice: Rinse and drain your canned veggies. This reduces the sodium level by nearly 50%.
Fruit: Look for fruit in its own juice that is canned, frozen, or fresh. Avoid those with syrup, which is sugar. Dried fruit and 100% fruit juice are options, too. But watch your portions since fruits are high in carbs and naturally sweet.
Whole grains: Verify that a whole grain is the primary ingredient.
Fish, poultry, and meat: Choose lean cuts and meats based on your serving size.
Drinks: The best is water.
Desserts: Planning ahead is preferable to grabbing something on the spur of the moment at the store. Recognize your serving sizes, abide by them, and have fun.
Examine each label.
“I always advise people not to open packages by looking at the front,” says Zanini.
“That’s where the marketing happens. Flip it over and look at the food label first.”
Once you’ve checked the serving size, scroll down to see the total number of carbohydrates. When you have diabetes, that’s an important number because carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels more quickly than fats or proteins do. Even sugar-free foods can contain a lot of carbohydrates.
Develop a habit of it.
It will become second nature to read labels and make healthy selections at the market. It’s possible that your initial store visits will take longer. Make time to eat beforehand so that you won’t be shopping when you’re hungry.