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From across the pond, the American Diabetes Association advises on the best fruit, milk and protein – and more – to choose from to control diabetes. Aside from diet, what else can be done?
All the foods recommended by the American Diabetes Association “are lower in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar and sodium” than their counterparts.
Fruits
To demonstrate, a person with type 2 diabetes is better off eating any fresh, frozen or canned fruits (without added sugars), such as:
- Apple
- Blueberries
- Orange
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Pear
- Plums
- Cherries
These would be a better choice than any other fruit, according to the American Diabetes Association.
It must be noted that if you use canned fruit in syrup, “drain and rinse the fruit with water to wash away the extra syrup”.
Milk
When it comes to milk – whether you’re putting a drop into a hot beverage, or pouring it over your cereal – choose “fat-free to low-fat milk (one percent)”.
Another option is unflavoured soy milk; when it comes to dairy products, “plain, non-fat yoghurt or light yoghurt” is recommended.
Proteins
“The best choices are plant-based protein foods, fish, chicken, and lean meats,” said the American Diabetes Association.
To give examples, they listed:
- Beans and lentils
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish and seafood
- Eggs and cheese
Chicken, turkey and duck are also included, but without the skin; lean cuts of: beef, lamb and pork are also acceptable.
This includes “chuck, rump roast, round, sirloin, T-bone steak and tenderloin”.
Non-starchy vegetables
Fresh, canned, froze and vegetable juice are all OK, as long as they don’t have added salt, fat or sugar.
The best choices are:
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Aubergine
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Onion
- Peppers
Any canned vegetables need to be drained and rinsed with water to wash away excess sodium.
Starchy vegetables
When it comes to starchy vegetables, the best choices are:
- Acorn squash
- Butternut squash
- Green peas
- Corn
- Parsnip
- Pumpkin
- Sweet potato
- Plantain
Whole grain foods
When it comes to choosing bread, cereal and grains, you need to look out for the following:
- Whole wheat flour
- Whole oats/oatmeal
- Whole-grain
- Corn/corn meal
- Popcorn
- Brown rice
- Whole-grain rye
- Whole-grain barley
- Wild rice
- Buckwheat/buckwheat flour
- Triticale
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Millet
- Quinoa
- Sorghum
“Choose cereals with at least three grams of fibre and less than six grams of sugar per serving,” recommended the American Diabetes Association.
Legumes and lentils
Moving on to legumes and lentils, “black, pinto and kidney” beans are great options.
In addition, so are “lentils and dried peas”, as well as “fat-free refried beans and vegetarian baked beans”.
Fats
You need to veer towards “good fats”, which are unsaturated fats like omega-3, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Examples include “avocado, olives and seeds such as flax, pumpkin or sesame” seeds.
Nuts are also included, such as: almonds, brazil, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.
Moreover, it’s best to cook with oils, such as: olive, canola, corn, flaxseed, safflower, soybean and sunflower.
In addition to diet, exercising can also help to manage blood sugar levels attested the charity Diabetes UK.
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