Nutrition: Eating Healthfully
Eating healthfully is a key part of diabetes management. A well-designed diet can help you regulate blood sugar, maintain or move toward a healthy weight, and meet your treatment goals. And no, it doesn't mean you'll have to eat bland, boring food for the rest of your life. In fact, one of the primary goals of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is to maintain the pleasures of eating.
Your dietician should work with you to create a personal plan that is manageable, helps you meet your targets, and takes your personal food preferences into account. If a registered dietician is not part of your healthcare team, talk to your nurse-educator or doctor about enlisting the help of a nutrition specialist.
Dietary advice should be tailored to each individual, but general guidelines for diabetes management include the following recommendations:
Dietary Recommendations for Diabetes
| Nutrient | Recommended Daily Amount |
| Carbohydrates | Monitoring your carbohydrates is a key part of diabetes nutrition therapy and glucose control. Aim to get about 50%–60% of your total calories from carbohydrates, and opt for mostly complex carbs such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. They lead to a slow release of glucose into the bloodstream. |
| Protein | Aim to get 15%–20% of your calories from protein. |
| Fat | Dietary fat should make up less than 30% of your daily calories. Unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, fish, avocados, etc.) are good for you and can help you meet your diabetes goals, but saturated fats (butter, cream, beef, etc.) should be limited to less than 10% of total calories. And trans fats (check food labels) should be avoided. |
| Fiber | Fiber recommendations for people with diabetes are the same as those for the general population. Aim to get at least 25 grams of fiber a day from a variety of sources (whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes). |
