Key takeaways:
Following a prediabetes meal plan should help to decrease your blood glucose levels and the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
There’s no single prediabetes diet that’s best for everyone. Most prediabetes meal plans will include lean meats, limited whole grains, and nonstarchy vegetables.
If you have prediabetes, it’s a good idea to meet with a dietitian specializing in diabetes. They can help create a meal plan that’s best for your dietary and health needs.
Prediabetes is a condition where your blood glucose levels are found to be higher than normal but are not yet in the diabetes range. You can think of it as early diabetes, or borderline diabetes. What you eat on a daily basis can affect whether prediabetes develops into Type 2 diabetes. Following a prediabetes eating plan can help you reduce your risk of health complications. Let’s take a closer look at some prediabetes nutrition recommendations.
There isn’t one single approach to a nutritious and balanced eating plan with prediabetes. But research has shown that the following eating plans all work to lower blood glucose levels and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes:
Reduced carbohydrate (less than 45% of calories coming from carbohydrates)
Reduced-calorie diet
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Beyond the type of eating approach you decide to choose, you’ll also want to look at the specific foods you’re including in your meals.
Here are some of the best foods for prediabetes that have been shown to be helpful in lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Berries have been shown to be a healthy part of a prediabetes diet. They provide healthy phytochemicals, vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients. As a bonus, they can satisfy a craving for unhealthy sweets. Berries are best eaten as a whole, fresh, or frozen fruit. Berries to include in a prediabetes diet are:
Raspberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Yogurt can be a healthy addition to a prediabetes diet. Some research shows that dairy found in yogurt can help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Yogurt also provides prebiotics to support a healthy gut.
Some yogurts can be high in sugar, so make sure you look for unsweetened yogurt.
Nonstarchy vegetables help to provide nutrients like iron and fiber to the diet. They also have a low glycemic index, so they won’t raise your blood sugar the way starchy vegetables do. Some important nonstarchy vegetables for a balanced prediabetes diet include:
Leafy greens like lettuce, kale, chard, and spinach
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Bell peppers
Onions
Asparagus
Brussels sprouts
Understanding prediabetes: This guide on prediabetes explains the signs, screening, diagnosis, and treatment for the condition.
Prediabetes next steps: Learn more about what to expect after a prediabetes diagnosis.
Reversing prediabetes: These lifestyle changes can help reverse prediabetes and decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Not only do nuts have a lot of protein, they also provide fiber and minerals needed for a balanced diet. They have been shown to help with glucose control and may help prevent or control diabetes. Choose nuts that have lower fat and calorie content like:
Almonds
Walnuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Whole grains contain more fiber than processed grains. Fiber helps blunt the spike in glucose after eating carbohydrates. Whole grains may cause a spike in blood glucose, too, so they should be eaten in limited amounts. Some healthful whole grains include:
Whole-grain wheat
Buckwheat
Whole oats
Legumes are a great source of lean protein. They also contain important minerals and fiber. Legumes have been shown to help with glucose control and lowering cholesterol. Legumes include:
Beans (like lima beans, broad beans, soybeans)
Peas (like English peas, sugar snap peas, and chickpeas)
Lentils (black, red, brown, and green are most commonly used)
Peanuts
Chicken and turkey provide protein without added fat calories or increased risk of diabetes like other meats. When you choose lean poultry, make sure it’s grilled, broiled, or roasted. Deep-fried or breaded options add extra fat and calories. Sauces can also be a sneaky source of fat and calories. So skip the chicken nuggets with ranch dressing and opt for grilled chicken on a bed of leafy greens.
Water is always the beverage choice for overall health. One study suggested that drinking more water can delay or prevent elevated blood glucose levels. Water is good for your health in many ways:
It helps the kidneys work at their best to flush out excess blood glucose through the urine.
It prevents constipation.
It helps deliver nutrients to your cells.
It helps support other organ and bodily functions.
If you aren’t sure how much water to drink, you can use your body weight in pounds to help. Take your weight, divide it in half, and aim to drink that number in ounces of water per day.
Other recommended beverage choices include:
Unsweetened almond milk
Herbal, green, or black tea
Coffee (without added sugar or high-fat creams)
Research has found that drinking moderate amounts of tea or coffee has been linked to a lower risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.
What are the worst foods for prediabetes? It’s equally important to consider the foods and drinks that you should avoid with prediabetes. Studies have found that processed red meat is linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes.
Other foods you should avoid with prediabetes are:
Packaged snacks and baked goods
Packaged meat
Chips
Granola bars
Sweets
Fast foods
Margarine
Fried foods
Sweetened beverages digest the fastest and raise blood glucose more quickly than eating (and chewing) food. You should try to limit sweetened drinks, or avoid them completely. Examples of sweetened beverages you should avoid include:
Fruit juice
Sweet tea
Flavored coffee drinks
Lemonade
Fruit-based smoothies
When making a prediabetes meal plan to prevent Type 2 diabetes, it’s a good idea to meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes. They’ll be able to create a meal plan for you that will meet your personal needs. You can find a local registered dietitian in your area.
One area of meal planning that can improve the health choices around you is snack foods. Some healthy snacks to have on hand if you have prediabetes include:
Chopped fresh vegetables (like celery, carrots, and cucumbers)
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products (like milk, low-sugar yogurt, and low-fat cheese)
Whole-grain crackers and breads
High-protein snacks (like nuts and seeds)
There’s overwhelming evidence that following a balanced diet like those in prediabetes meal plans has health benefits. It can significantly lower the risk of conditions like:
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Stroke
Cardiovascular death
These benefits can be seen in all people, not just those with diabetes or prediabetes.
Other factors can play a role in prediabetes developing into Type 2 diabetes. Let’s take a closer look at other lifestyle changes that have an impact on prediabetes.
Research shows that if you are overweight or have obesity, losing just under 10% of your body weight can decrease insulin resistance and help prevent Type 2 diabetes. Increasing your physical activity and making minor diet changes can help achieve this kind of weight loss.
Cigarette smoking has also been found to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Smoking causes inflammation in the body. This can lead to both Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems (like heart disease and stroke). Whether you have prediabetes or not, it’s always recommended that you cut back on smoking.
If you don’t currently drink alcohol, it’s best to keep it that way. That’s because there’s mixed research when it comes to exactly how much alcohol is safe before leading to health risks.
The best advice is to limit your drinking to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men.
If you do decide to drink alcohol, choose wisely. Avoid mixers that contain added sugars, syrups, or fruit juices. Those ingredients will increase the amount of easily digested carbohydrates you’re consuming and will quickly raise your blood glucose levels.
Stress can cause the body to release stress hormones into the bloodstream. When this happens, it causes an increase in blood glucose levels.
If you have prediabetes, you’ll want to prioritize stress management to prevent those blood glucose spikes caused by stress. Science-based ways to reduce stress include:
Support groups for mental health
Sleep (aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night)
A lifestyle strategies program can help you make all of these changes — and make them stick. National Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPP) is a partnership of both public and private organizations that aims to help people prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes. This evidence-based program has been shown to help lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by almost 60% (over 70% if you’re over age 60).
Highlights include:
Working with a trained coach to make realistic, lasting lifestyle changes
Discovering how to eat nutritious foods and add more physical activity to your day
Finding out how to manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can slow your progress
Getting support from people with similar goals and challenges
Ask a healthcare professional if there’s a DPP offered in your community or find one online. The best time to prevent Type 2 diabetes is now.
The fastest way to reverse the effects of prediabetes is to follow a lifestyle that promotes health. This includes:
Getting 150 minutes of physical activity a week
Decreasing excess body weight
Eating lots of healthful fruits and vegetables
Drinking water and avoiding sugary drinks
Quitting smoking, if you smoke
Bananas can be OK for prediabetes. But they should be eaten in very limited quantities since they have a high glycemic load and may raise your blood glucose. Less ripe bananas have a lower glycemic index than fully ripe bananas.
Potatoes, especially when fried, have been linked to prediabetes and diabetes. Potatoes also have a high glycemic index and can cause your blood sugar to spike. If you have prediabetes and choose to eat potatoes, avoid those that have been prepared with added ingredients. This includes avoiding potatoes prepared with:
Oil (french fries)
Butter or cream
High-fat cheese
Salt
If you have prediabetes, it’s important to take a look at the food and drinks you consume, and how they affect your blood glucose levels. There’s no single prediabetes diet that’s best. However, it can be helpful to choose healthful foods, including plant-based foods, vegetables, and lean proteins. Talk with a dietitian about the best foods to decrease your risk of diabetes.
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