Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes

When you have diabetes, your food choices are extremely important. Some are superior to others.

Nothing is entirely off-limits. Even items you might consider "the worst" could be occasional treats if consumed in small quantities. However, they will not help you with your nutrition, and it is easier to manage your diabetes if you stick to the "best" options.

Starches

Your body requires carbohydrates. But you must make an informed decision. Use this list as a guide.

Best Choices

• Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, millet, or amaranth
• Baked sweet potato
• Items made with whole grains and no (or very little) added sugar

Worst Choices

• Processed grains, such as white rice or white flour
• Cereals with little whole grains and lots of sugar
• White bread
• French fries
• Fried white-flour tortillas

Vegetables

Fill up! You'll get fiber with little fat or salt (unless you add them). Remember that potatoes and corn are carbs.

Best Choices

• Fresh veggies, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled
• Plain frozen vegetables, lightly steamed
• Greens such as kale, spinach, and arugula. Iceberg lettuce is not as great because it’s low in nutrients.
• Low sodium or unsalted canned vegetables

Consider dark greens, red or orange (think carrots or red peppers), whites (onions), and even purple (eggplants). The 2015 United States Dietary Guidelines recommend 2.5 cups of vegetables per day.

Worst Choices

• Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium
• Veggies cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce
• Pickles, if you need to limit sodium. Otherwise, pickles are OK.
• Sauerkraut, for the same reason as pickles. Limit them if you have high blood pressure.

Fruits

They provide carbs, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The majority of them are naturally low in fat and sodium. However, they contain more carbohydrates than vegetables.

Best Choices

• Fresh fruit
• Plain frozen fruit or fruit canned without added sugar
• Sugar-free or low-sugar jam or preserves
• No-sugar-added applesauce

Worst Choices

• Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup
• Chewy fruit rolls
• Regular jam, jelly, and preserves (unless you have a very small portion)
• Sweetened applesauce
• Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks

Protein

There are lots of options, including beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, seafood, beans, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu.

Best Choices

According to the American Diabetes Association, the following are the best options:

• Plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts, seeds, or tofu
• Fish and seafood
• Chicken and other poultry (Choose the breast meat if possible.)
• Eggs and low-fat dairy

If you eat meat, choose lean cuts. Remove the skin from the poultry.

Even if you're not a vegetarian or vegan, try to include some plant-based protein in the form of beans, nuts, or tofu. You'll get nutrients and fiber that animal products don't have.

Worst Choices

• Fried meats
• Higher-fat cuts of meat, such as ribs
• Pork bacon
• Regular cheeses
• Poultry with skin
• Deep-fried fish
• Deep-fried tofu
• Beans prepared with lard

Dairy

Maintain a low fat content. If you must splurge, keep your portion size small.

Best Choices

• 1% or skim milk
• Low-fat yogurt
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Low-fat or nonfat sour cream

Worst Choices

• Whole milk
• Regular yogurt
• Regular cottage cheese
• Regular sour cream
• Regular ice cream

Fats, Oils, and Sweets

They're difficult to resist. However, it is easy to overeat and gain weight, making diabetes management more difficult.

Best Choices

• Natural sources of vegetable fats, such as nuts, seeds, or avocados (high in calories, so keep portions small)
• Foods that give you omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel
• Plant-based oils, such as canola, grapeseed, or olive oils

Worst Choices

• Anything with trans fat in it. It's bad for your heart. Check the ingredient list for anything that’s “partially hydrogenated,” even if the label says it has 0 grams of trans fat.
• Big portions of saturated fats, which mainly come from animal products but also are in coconut oil and palm oil. Ask your doctor what your limit should be, especially if you have heart disease as well as diabetes.

Drinks

When you consume a favorite drink, you may consume more calories, sugar, salt, or fat than you anticipated. Read the labels to find out what's in each serving.

Best Choices

• Unflavored water or flavored sparkling water
• Unsweetened tea with or without a slice of lemon
• Light beer, small amounts of wine, or non-fruity mixed drinks
• Coffee, black or with added low-fat milk and sugar substitute

Worst Choices

• Regular sodas
• Regular beer, fruity mixed drinks, dessert wines
• Sweetened tea
• Coffee with sugar and cream
• Flavored coffees and chocolate drinks
• Energy drinks