A Day-By-Day Meal Guide to Control Blood Sugar
Introduction
Diabetes is a disease that affects the way your body digests and uses the food you eat—and it’s a serious issue that can lead to complications like heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney failure. The good news is, dietitians are constantly finding ways to help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels by making small changes to their daily diets. In fact, some dietitians believe that swapping out just one meal per day can make a huge difference in how well your body processes the food you eat throughout the day. So if you’re looking for a simple way to take charge of your overall health and wellness—or just want an excuse to eat dessert first thing in the morning—here’s a healthy meal plan that will help keep your blood sugar balanced all day long:
Breakfast: Dessert for breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be eaten right after you wake up. Breakfast should be high in protein, low in sugar and fat, and rich in fiber.
- High-Protein Foods: Eggs, lean meats, yogurt with fruit (but no added sugar), peanut butter on whole wheat toast or an English muffin
- Low Sugar Foods: Whole grains like oatmeal or buckwheat groats cooked with water instead of milk; fresh fruit; unsweetened nonfat Greek yogurt topped with berries or honey instead of sugar; applesauce made from diced apple mixed with cinnamon instead of syrup
Lunch: A little something sweet
Lunch: A little something sweet
If you’re not used to eating dessert with lunch, this may be a hard habit for you to break. But if it helps control your blood sugar levels and keep them from spiking after meals, then it’s well worth the effort! Try one of these healthy desserts as an alternative:
- Fruit salad made with berries and grapes (no bananas)
- Edamame sprinkled with sea salt or cinnamon-sugar (if you can find those things at a grocery store near you!)
- A small scoop of frozen yogurt topped with nuts or seeds (I like pistachios)
Dinner: The Perfect Pairing
Dinner is the perfect time to enjoy some of your favorite foods. After a long day, you deserve it! But don’t just eat anything; eating a balanced dinner will help keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the night and prevent cravings that lead to overeating or unhealthy snacking later on.
A good dinner should be high in protein, low in carbs and low in fat (or no fat at all). This combination will keep you feeling full longer and prevent spikes in your blood sugar levels–both important factors for managing diabetes or prediabetes.
It’s also important for diabetics to remember that eating too many carbs can raise their blood sugar levels quickly after eating them–especially if they haven’t eaten enough protein earlier in the day (for example: lunch) or eaten any protein during their midday snack time (if they skipped it).
Snacks: Sweet treats for snacks
Snacks should be limited to three per day.
Snacks should be healthy and low in sugar.
Snacks should be high in protein, fibre and fat.
If you’re not sure what to eat as a snack, try nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables!
This meal plan is designed to help you to control your blood sugar
This meal plan is designed to help you to control your blood sugar. If you have diabetes, it’s important that you eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise. The meals in this guide are designed to provide the right amount of carbohydrate for your body, as well as nutrients such as protein and fiber from different foods.
The meal plan includes three meals per day plus snacks between meals if needed.
Conclusion
We hope you find this meal plan helpful in your quest to control your blood sugar. It’s important to remember that these are just guidelines, not rules set in stone. You can tweak them as needed and still get great results!