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

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

No matter which type of diabetes you have, eating a balanced, nutritious diet can help keep your blood glucose (sugar) levels within your target range. This helps you feel your best and lowers your risk of diabetes-related health complications. Let’s dig in.

What is a diabetes diet?

A diabetes diet supports your 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.

A diabetes diet is similar to other healthy eating plans you may know. In fact, many of the principles of healthy eating are the same.

A healthy diabetes diet prioritizes: 

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

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

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

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

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

How to find the right diabetes diet for you

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

• Individualized eating plans: There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” diabetes diet. Work with a registered dietitian to figure out the best amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for you.

• Choice: You need choice and variety. Your eating plan should fit your lifestyle, whether you follow a vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean, or other type of diet.

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

After you learn the building blocks of your diet, the ADA’s Food Hub is a great resource. You can find diabetes-friendly recipes, plan meals, and make a grocery list all in one place. You can also check with a registered dietitian or diabetes educator for help.

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• Diabetes plate method: Learn this simple method for building diabetes-friendly meals that help manage your glucose levels and meet your nutritional needs. 

• Is it safe to drink alcohol with diabetes? Drinking alcohol comes with unique risks if you have diabetes. See these tips for how to stay safe if you decide to drink.

• What are the best drinks for diabetes? Take a look at some drinks that won’t raise your blood sugar levels and learn which ones to avoid.

Best foods for people with diabetes

If you have 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’ll make it easier to manage your diabetes and glucose levels.

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

• Complex carbohydrates 

• Fiber

• Lean protein

• Healthy fats

Complex carbohydrates

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

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

Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and give you a sustained energy source. They have a lower glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly a food raises blood glucose.

Choose unprocessed, complex carbohydrates like: 

• Beans

• Whole-grain breads

• Oats

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

On the other hand, simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and cause a spike in blood glucose levels. They have a higher GI. Examples include syrups, honey, sodas, and fruit-juice concentrates. If you consume simple carbs, choose naturally occurring ones that also provide nutrients, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Examples include fruit and some dairy products like milk.

What is a serving size of carbohydrates?

A single serving of carbohydrates equals 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 carb recommendations from your diabetes care team. They’ll help to customize an eating plan that works best for you.

Fiber

Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods. It’s good for digestion, colon cancer prevention, 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 and seeds

• 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)

How much fiber should you have per day?

Guidelines recommend at least 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 is new to your diet, increase it gradually to avoid bloating and gas.

Lean protein

Protein is important for everyone. And this is especially true if you have diabetes.

That’s because proteins take longer to digest than carbohydrates and they have less of an effect on blood glucose levels. This makes them a smart choice for meals and snacks.

As with carbs, choose proteins that multitask. Prioritize protein sources that are low in cholesterol and provide additional perks, like vitamins and 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

Plant-based protein sources contain fiber and have less cholesterol than a lot of animal proteins. This makes them a good choice if you have diabetes.

Examples of plant-based proteins include:

• Quinoa

• Walnuts

• Almonds

• Sunflower seeds

• Lentils

• Peanut butter

• Hummus

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Kidney beans

How much protein should you have per day?

For snacks, aim for at least 1 oz (7 g) of protein. In each meal, try to get 2 oz to 3 oz (14 g to 21 g) of protein.

Healthy fats

Dietary fats are an important part of a nutritious diet, so you shouldn’t avoid them. Your body needs fat to absorb and use certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K).

Dietary fat is also a source of energy and provides a sense of satisfaction and fullness after meals. Plus, 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 benefits. They can be polyunsaturated or monounsaturated.

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

• Avoid trans fats. These unhealthy fats are harmful for heart health, as they raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Trans fats can be found in fast food and processed, baked, or packaged foods. Check the label for “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils as an ingredient.

A diabetes-friendly diet favors polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Good sources of polyunsaturated fats are: 

• Canola oil

• Soybean oil

• Flaxseeds

• Walnuts

• Wheat germ

• Chia

• Oily fish (like salmon, herring, and mackerel)

Monounsaturated fats are found in: 

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Nut butters

• Avocado

• Olive oil

Best drinks for a diabetes-friendly diet

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

Other low-carb beverages that won’t raise blood sugar levels include:

• Unsweetened almond milk

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

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

• Black coffee

• Infused water (like water with fruit or herbs)

Can people with diabetes drink alcohol?

Yes, in general. As long as your diabetes care team 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 blood 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 team first. Some diabetes medications aren’t compatible with alcohol.

• Never drink on an empty stomach. This will increase your 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 per day.

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, increase your energy, and make you want to be active. It can help you get the most out of every day. By eating a variety of diabetes-friendly foods in the right portions, you’ll be on your way to your healthiest self.

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 weight that’s in a healthy range

• 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. Together, you’ll decide what will work best for you.

Be patient. It takes some practice and tracking to understand how different foods affect your glucose levels. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first. Using a glucometer or continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help you make decisions about food and medication adjustments.

People with diabetes typically use one of two methods to manage their meals: carbohydrate counting or the plate method. Both are successful strategies for maintaining your health with diabetes.

Diabetes plate method

The plate method is an easy way to create nutritionally balanced meals without a lot of calculations and measurements. By keeping your portions in check, you can stabilize your 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 carbohydrates can affect your glucose in different ways.

Reading nutrition labels for serving sizes and total carbohydrates helps guide your choices. Smartphone apps can also help with carb counting. There are many to choose from, including MyFitnessPal, mySugr, and Fooducate.

Timing your meals

To help your body make the most of the food you eat and help diabetes medications work as well as possible:

• Eat at regular times throughout the day. 

• Have roughly the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal.

• Avoid skipping meals or going long periods without eating. 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 you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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Written by:

Jewels Doskicz, RN, BA

Jewels Doskicz, RN, is an Arizona-based registered nurse with more than 20 years of hospital-wide clinical nursing experience. She has spent over a decade in medical writing and editing, with a focus on diabetes and autoimmune disease.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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