Diabetes Diet: A Comprehensive Guide to Food for People With Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects millions of Americans. Of the more than 30 million individuals who have diabetes, about 95% live with Type 2 diabetes, making it the most common type of diabetes.

Regardless of the type of diabetes you have, eating in a healthy way for diabetes will help keep your blood glucose (sugar) levels within target range. This will help you feel your best and lower your risk of diabetes-related health complications. Let’s dig in.

What is a diabetes diet?

A diabetes diet supports your unique health needs while helping you spend more time in your target glucose range. It also allows you to enjoy eating and feel good in your body and mind. 

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A diabetes diet shares many similarities with other healthy eating plans you know about. In fact, many of the principles of healthy eating are the same. This is true whether you’re eating simply to feel better or eating for your heart, your brain, or diabetes. 

A healthy diabetes diet prioritizes: 

• Complex carbohydrates and whole grains: like whole-grain bread or pasta, quinoa, brown or wild rice, oats, seeded crackers, and chia or flax seeds  

• Lean protein: like skinless turkey or chicken, fish, tofu, beans, tofu, eggs, and plain yogurt

• Fiber from fresh or frozen non-starchy vegetables: like broccoli, brussel sprouts, leafy greens (kale and spinach), green beans, asparagus, and berries 

• Healthy fats: like from nuts, avocados, plant and seed oils, and oily fish 

• Simple drinks: like water, unsweetened carbonated water, and unsweetened teas and coffee

Eating healthy for diabetes also means cutting down on: 

• Refined carbohydrates: like white bread, white rice or pasta, and pastries

• Starchy vegetables: like potatoes and corn

• Ultra-processed foods: like packaged snacks, store-bought baked goods, fast foods

• Processed meats: like deli meats, fried proteins, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs

• Foods high in salt: like chips and packaged foods

• Foods with added sugars: like cookies, baked goods, sweetened desserts 

• Saturated animal fats: like butter and red meat

• Unhealthy fats: such as those in many convenience foods and fried foods, like french fries, chicken nuggets, and wings  

• Sweetened drinks: like sodas, sports drinks, sugar-filled coffee drinks

The experts at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) also emphasize the importance of finding the right diabetes diet for you in their Nutrition Consensus Report. They recommend:

• Individualized eating plans: There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” diabetes diet. People should work with a registered dietitian to figure out the best serving sizes of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. 

• Choice: People need choice and variety. You should also be able to follow a pattern of eating that works best for you, whether you follow a vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean diet, or something else. 

• Realistic goals: Restrictive diets that don’t fit in with your lifestyle won’t work long term. To make lasting changes, set realistic goals.

What are the benefits of a diabetes diet?

Having a healthy, balanced plate will help with more than your diabetes. It can improve your cardiovascular (heart) health and help to improve your energy, desire to be active, and ability to get the most out of every day. By eating a variety of diabetes-friendly foods in the correct portions, you’ll be on your way to your healthiest self.

The more time you spend in your glucose target range, the better you’ll feel. Following a diabetes diet can help you to:

• Stabilize blood glucose levels

• Improve time spent in your glucose target range

• Meet your hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C or A1C) goal

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Boost your heart health

• Avoid complications of diabetes, like kidney disease (nephropathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and eye damage (retinopathy) 

Creating a Type 2 diabetes diet plan

Following a diabetes diet isn’t as tricky as you may think. To start, a registered dietitian from your care team will learn more about your eating habits, health goals, and activity levels. From there, you’ll decide together what will work best for you.

It will take some practice and tracking to understand how different foods affect your glucose levels, so be patient with yourself. While there’s a learning curve, you’ll find a way to balance enjoying food with healthy choices. Keeping an eye on your glucose with a glucometer or continuous glucose monitor (CGM) will help with your decision-making and medication adjustments.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about putting recommendations into action, that’s very normal. People with diabetes typically use one of two methods — carbohydrate counting or the plate method. Both are successful strategies for maintaining your health with diabetes.

Diabetes plate method

You may prefer the plate method because it’s an easy way to create nutritionally balanced meals without the calculations and measurements that other methods require. By keeping your portions in check, you’ll benefit from more stabilized blood glucose.

The diabetes plate method encourages the following portions: 

• Proteins: ¼ of your plate  

• Carbohydrates: ¼ of your plate 

• Non-starchy vegetables: ½ of your plate

Carbohydrate counting method

Some people prefer carbohydrate counting. With this method, you keep track of (count) carbs in your diet. This is because all carbohydrates can affect your glucose. Reading nutrition labels for serving sizes and total carbohydrates helps guide your choices. 

Different carbs choices and amounts can affect your blood glucose in different ways. But don’t worry, you don’t need to figure out the best amounts. Your diabetes care team will provide carbohydrate targets for your meals and snacks — these vary between people.

Smartphone apps can help with carb counting and managing diabetes, too. There are many to choose from, including MyFitnessPal, mySugr, and Fooducate.

More support

After you learn the building blocks of your diet, the ADA’s Food Hub is a great resource. In one quick stop, you can find diabetes-friendly recipes, plan meals, and make a grocery list. 

Best foods for people with diabetes

Beyond the method you choose (carb counting or the plate method), it’s important to take a closer look at your food choices. The good news is that most foods are not off-limits for people with diabetes. 

You can still enjoy a variety of foods without giving up everything you love. That said, some food choices are smarter than others. In turn, they will make managing diabetes and glucose levels easier. 

The best foods for people with diabetes fall into four groups: 

• Complex carbohydrates 

• Fiber

• Lean protein

• Healthy fats

Let’s dig into each of these groups. 

Complex carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. The body breaks them down into glucose, which is then absorbed into cells and tissues to fuel the body’s functions. 

But here’s the thing: Not all carbs are the same. 

Some carbohydrates (simple carbohydrates) are digested fast and cause a spike in blood glucose levels. Simple carbohydrates include syrups, honey, sodas, and fruit-juice concentrates. These carbs are known as high glycemic index (GI) foods. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food causes blood glucose levels to rise.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and provide a more sustained energy source. These have a lower GI.   

And some carbs are healthier than others. For example, whole grains are multitasking carbs: They provide energy, but they’re also a good source of nutrients and fiber (more on the importance of fiber below). 

As part of a healthy diabetes diet, choose unprocessed, complex carbohydrates like: 

• Beans

• Whole-grain breads

• Oats

• Starchy vegetables (like peas, winter squash, and sweet potatoes)

If you need simple carbs, keep in mind that some are healthier than others.

Choose naturally occurring, simple carbs that are a source of nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This includes fruit and dairy products like milk. 

Guidelines generally recommend that women eat about 3 servings of carbs per meal and that men eat about 4 servings per meal. 

A single serving of carbohydrates is 15 g. This can be:

• ⅓ cup cooked rice

• 3 cups air-popped popcorn

• 1 small, whole fruit (like an apple or nectarine)

• ½ cup green peas

• ½ cup beans

For the best results, follow the recommendations from your diabetes care team. They will help to customize an eating plan that works best for you.

Fiber

Fiber is in fruit, vegetables, grains, and other plant-based foods. It’s good for digestion, cholesterol, and heart health. 

As fiber travels through your digestive tract, it helps to create a feeling of fullness without raising glucose levels. Fiber even helps to stabilize blood glucose levels. For all of these reasons, fiber is an essential part of your daily diet.

Foods that are naturally high in fiber include:

• Beans

• Fruits and vegetables

• Nuts

• Whole grains

Here are some examples of serving sizes of fiber-rich foods:

• 1 cup raspberries (8 g fiber)

• ½ cup cooked lentil beans (7.8 g fiber)

• 3 cups popcorn (5.8 g fiber)

• 1 cup raw carrots (3.6 g fiber)

• 1 oz almonds (3.5 g fiber)

Guidelines recommend 14 g of fiber in every 1,000 calories you consume. That works out to about 25 g to 38 g per day. If adding fiber to your diet is a new thing for you, you may experience some bloating and gas. If this is the case for you, be sure to slowly increase your fiber intake.

Lean protein

Protein is a key part of a healthy diet for everyone. And this is especially true when living with diabetes.

That’s because proteins take longer to digest than carbohydrates and have less effect on blood glucose levels, which makes them a smart choice in all meals and snacks.

As with carbs, choose proteins that multitask. Prioritize protein sources that are low in cholesterol and provide additional perks, like vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber.   

Examples of healthy, animal-based protein sources include:

• Salmon

• Eggs

• Cottage cheese

• Ground turkey

• Cheese

• Tuna

• Grass-fed beef

• Chicken breast

There are plant-based protein sources, too. Plant-based proteins have some extra perks. They contain fiber and have less cholesterol than a lot of animal proteins — making them a good choice for diabetes.

Examples of plant-based proteins include:

• Quinoa

• Walnuts

• Almonds

• Sunflower seeds

• Lentils

• Peanut butter

• Hummus

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Kidney beans

Try to choose a variety of protein sources throughout your day, as different proteins contain different nutrients.

Aim for at least 1 oz (7 g) of protein in each snack and 2 oz to 3 oz (14 g to 21 g) of protein at your meals.

Healthy fats

Dietary fats are an important part of a healthy diet, so you shouldn’t avoid them. You may be surprised to know that certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K) require fats to be absorbed and used by the body. 

Dietary fat is a source of energy and provides a sense of satisfaction and fullness for some time after meals — not to mention it tastes good. But it’s important to be mindful of the type and quantity of fat you choose.

Here’s how to navigate the different types of fats in your diet:

• Choose unsaturated fats. These are “good-for-you” fats that provide the most health benefits. They can either be polyunsaturated (essential nutrients the body can’t make) or monounsaturated. 

• Moderate saturated fats. These are less healthy than unsaturated fats. They’re typically solid at room temperature. Saturated fats are naturally present in animal products, including meat, butter, cheese, and plant sources like coconut oil. Keep the amount of saturated fats you eat below 10% of your total calories. 

• Avoid trans fats. Also called “partially hydrogenated oils,” these unhealthy fats are liquid at room temperature. They’re harmful for heart health, as they raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Check labels of processed, baked goods and other convenience foods like crackers, certain types of peanut butter, and coffee creamers. 

Dietary fats are high in calories. So it’s important to choose healthy fats while also watching portion sizes. A diabetes-healthy diet favors unsaturated fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. 

Polyunsaturated fats, specifically omega-3 PUFAs, help to lower levels of blood fats (triglycerides) in people with high levels. These types of fats are an important part of a balanced diet.

Good sources of polyunsaturated fats are: 

• Canola

• Soybean

• Flaxseeds

• Walnuts

• Wheat germ

• Chia

• Seafood, especially oily fish like salmon, herring, and mackerel

Monounsaturated fats, especially plant-based monounsaturated fats, protect against heart disease. 

So, whenever possible, try these plant sources of monounsaturated fats: 

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Nut butters

• Avocado

• Olive oil

Best drinks

Since beverages are liquid, they will be digested quickly and get into the bloodstream faster than foods you chew. So, unless your blood glucose is low, it’s best to completely avoid fruit juices, sodas, and other sweetened beverages. 

In terms of healthy drinks, nothing beats water. Tap, sparkling, and still water are all good choices.

Other low-carb beverages that will not raise blood sugar levels include:

• Unsweetened almond milk

• Unsweetened, flavored carbonated water (like La Croix and Spindrift)

• Unsweetened tea (like herbal, green, or black tea)

• Black coffee

• Infused water (like water with added fruit or herbs)

Can people with diabetes drink alcohol?

In general, yes. As long as your healthcare provider agrees — and you monitor your glucose regularly — you can have low-carbohydrate drinks in moderation. But keep in mind: Drinking alcohol with diabetes can make it tricky to manage sugar levels. Alcohol can raise or lower blood glucose. 

Here are some ways to stay safe if you have diabetes and want to drink alcohol:

• Check with your healthcare provider. Some diabetes medications are not compatible with alcohol. 

• Never drink on an empty stomach. This will increase the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

• Choose your drink wisely. If you want to drink alcohol, check what’s in your drink. Limit or avoid added syrups, sweeteners, fruit juices, and regular sodas.

• Know your serving sizes. A single drink is equal to 5 oz of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1.5 oz of liquor (such as vodka, rum, or gin).

Try to stick to the ADA’s guidelines for how much to drink. The ADA recommends that women should have no more than 1 drink a day, while men should have no more than 2 drinks. 

Timing your meals

In diabetes, the body has an insulin malfunction — either it isn’t making enough insulin, or the insulin it makes isn’t working efficiently. 

To help the body make the best of what it has and help diabetes medications work as well as possible:

• Eat at regular times throughout the day. 

• Have about the same amount of carbohydrates at meals.

• Avoid skipping meals or not eating for long periods of time. It’s not quite clear if intermittent fasting is a good option for people living with diabetes.

Aim to:

• Eat breakfast within 90 minutes of waking.

• Eat at least every 4 to 5 hours throughout the rest of the day. 

• Stop eating at least 1 hour before you go to sleep, or earlier if gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) is a concern for you.

Sample menus

Below is an example of what the plate method looks like as a meal plan. It includes simple, balanced meals made of nutritious foods that will keep you feeling full after your meals.

Breakfast may include:

• 2 scrambled eggs

• 1 cup mushrooms and bell peppers sauteed in 1 tsp avocado oil

• 1 slice whole wheat bread topped with ¼ avocado

• ½ cup blueberries

• 1 to 2 cups of coffee or tea

A snack may include:

• 1 cup sliced veggies (like cucumbers, carrots, or snap peas)

• ¼ cup hummus

Lunch may include:

• Turkey wrap (3 oz sliced turkey, whole grain wrap, ½ avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes)

• 1 cup vegetarian chili

• Side salad topped with fresh vinaigrette dressing

Another snack may be:

• 1 serving whole-grain crackers

• 1 oz cheese

Dinner may include:

• 3 oz baked salmon

• 1 small, baked, sweet potato

• 1 cup sauteed green beans

• Small side salad with 1 tbsp dressing

Healthy snacks and treats

You may find that you’re frequently hungry between meals. This is normal and expected — and it’s why being prepared with healthy snacks is so important. Snacks provide necessary energy between meals, so they can help prevent overeating and keep your glucose within target range. 

Snack smart. If it has been less than 2 to 3 hours since your last meal, you may want to consider a lower-carb snack. If it has been more than 3 to 4 hours since your last meal, a higher-carb snack may be appropriate. This can help prevent your blood sugar from going too low.

Lower-carb snack options (15 g of carbs or less) may include:

• ½ cup edamame

• 1 cup sugar snap peas and ¼ cup hummus

• 15 grapes and a cheese stick

• 1 to 2 hard-boiled eggs

Higher-carb snacks that include a serving of carbs and a serving of protein may include:

• 1 cup blueberries with ½ cup cottage cheese

• 1 slice whole-wheat bread with 1 to 2 oz of turkey

• 1 oz natural cheese with a small fruit

Sweet treats

A diabetes diagnosis does not mean you can’t eat dessert or have something sweet. Occasional treats do have their place in a healthy diet, as they can help to prevent feelings of deprivation, which can lead to overeating.

At times you’ll need to eat fast-acting carbohydrates to correct low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). Keep a favorite sweet on hand for lows. Otherwise, fit desserts in by carbohydrate counting or using the diabetes plate method. By balancing your choices, you’ll find room to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

That said, it’s important to check your glucose to see how your choices affect your diabetes management. Knowing what works — and what doesn’t — can empower you to make better adjustments moving forward. Sometimes a simple after-meal walk can help to decrease glucose spikes. 

Getting customized help

You’re not alone on this journey. Consider finding a local expert if you want one-on-one help from someone outside of your care team to create a personal plan that keeps your budget, health conditions, and allergies in mind.

In general, insurance will cover a diabetes visit with a registered dietitian every year. Contact your insurance company and ask if it’s a covered benefit. This way, you can evaluate your dietary goals and make yearly adjustments with professional support. 

Here are a few resources to get started:

• Registered dietitian

• Diabetes educator

• Endocrinologist

It’s important to note that while there’s plenty of information on various ways to eat with diabetes, not all are from reputable sources or professionals. With all of the fads and diet trends out there, it’s important to check each source of information. When possible, look for resources that are backed by scientific evidence and written by qualified healthcare professionals or credible organizations.

The goal with diabetes is to create long-term, sustainable changes, as these will improve the time you spend in your glucose target range and your overall health. It’s never too late to make changes. And small, consistent improvements will make a difference.

If you need more information or resources, these are some good places to start:

• American Diabetes Association

• CDC

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Jewels Doskicz, RN, BA

Jewels Doskicz, RN, BA, is an Arizona-based registered nurse with 22 years of hospital-wide clinical nursing experience and 11 years of medical writing and editing experience. She was a former healthcare content creator for a digital health tool at HealthLoop and director of clinical content operations at GetWellNetwork.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

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