Diabetic Diet Summary If you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. This leads to high blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. Healthy eating helps keep your blood sugar in your target range. It is a critical part of managing your diabetes, because controlling your blood sugar can prevent the complications of diabetes. A registered dietitian can help make an eating plan just for you. It should take into account your weight, medicines, lifestyle, and other health problems you have. Healthy diabetic eating includes Limiting foods that are high in sugar Eating smaller portions, spread out over the day Being careful about when and how many carbohydrates you eat Eating a variety of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables every day Eating less fat Limiting your use of alcohol Using less salt NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Specifics Alcohol American Diabetes Association All about Carbohydrate Counting American Diabetes Association Artificial Sweeteners and Other Sugar Substitutes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Best Food Choices American Diabetes Association Dairy American Diabetes Association Diabetes Nutrition: Including Sweets in Your Meal Plan Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Diabetes Superfoods American Diabetes Association Grains and Starchy Vegetables American Diabetes Association Managing Diabetes: Looking Beyond Carbs Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Non-Starchy Vegetables American Diabetes Association Protein Foods American Diabetes Association Understanding Carbohydrates American Diabetes Association What Can I Drink? American Diabetes Association What I Need to Know about Carbohydrate Counting and Diabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Find an Expert American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association Directory of Diabetes Organizations National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Find a Diabetes Educator American Association of Diabetes Educators Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Diabetes Education Program National Diabetes Education Program National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetic Diet National Institutes of Health Related Issues Could Switching to a Vegetarian Diet Cure My Diabetes? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Diabetes and Dietary Supplements National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Diabetes Nutrition: Eating Out When You Have Diabetes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Nutrient Content Claims American Diabetes Association Reading Food Labels: Tips If You Have Diabetes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Weight and Diabetes (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Array Counting carbohydrates Diabetes type 2 – meal planning Snacking when you have diabetes Sweeteners – sugar substitutes Start Here Create Your Plate American Diabetes Association Diabetes and Diet Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Diabetes and Nutrition American Academy of Family Physicians Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-Eating Plan Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Eat Right Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Glycemic Index and Diabetes American Diabetes Association Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Encyclopedia Diabetes diet – gestational NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Diabetes-Friendly Meal Everyone Can Enjoy Health Check Tools MyFoodAdvisor American Diabetes Association Statistics and Research Patient Access to Research American Diabetes Association Journal Articles Diabetic Diet