Healthy diet for diabetes聽 Healthy eating is an important part of managing your diabetes, so you need to be aware of what, when and how much you eat every day. Eating a healthy diet helps to keep your blood glucose levels within your target range, which reduces the risk of developing diabetes-related complications. There is no such thing as a diabetic diet. People living with diabetes can enjoy the same foods as everybody else. As a starting point, we recommend people follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines鈥�Healthy Eating for Adults鈥痑苍诲鈥�Healthy Eating for Children. Where to find dietary advice What should I eat Eat a variety of vegetables and legumes/beans Eat 2 serves of fruit a day Grain foods such as breads, cereals, rice and pasta Lean meat, fish, poultry and nuts Milk, yoghurt, cheese or dairy alternatives Sugar Drink water Between-Meal Snacks Maintaining a healthy weight More information Where to find dietary advice 芒果直播 recommends that everyone with diabetes visit an accredited practising dietitian for individualised dietary advice. Talking to an accredited practising dietitian can help you learn how to make better food choices and improve your health. A dietitian can also help you put together a food plan that meets your individual dietary needs. If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes (or have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and are pregnant) your dietitian can help you develop a healthy eating plan to maintain healthy blood glucose levels and meet your special nutritional needs throughout your pregnancy. To find a dietitian in your area, contact: 鈥� look for the 鈥渇ind a dietitian鈥� search on or call 1800 812 942聽 our contact centre. Dietitians are accessible and are usually based in many local hospitals, diabetes centres and community health centres. You can consult a dietitian in-person, by telephone or by telehealth (a video call). Medicare may provide a rebate on dietitians鈥� fees if you have a chronic condition, like diabetes, and are referred by your doctor under a Chronic Disease Management Plan. If you have private health insurance you may also receive a rebate from your health fund, depending on the type of cover you have. What should I eat A healthy diet is the foundation of diabetes management and a healthier way of life for everyone. We believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to food and diabetes and that鈥檚 why people should talk to a qualified health professional to develop an approach that suits them. Healthy eating is all about enjoying a variety of foods from each of the five food groups:鈥� vegetables and legumes/beans鈥� 蹿谤耻颈迟鈥�&苍产蝉辫; wholegrain foods such as breads, cereals, rice and 辫补蝉迟补鈥�&苍产蝉辫; lean meat, fish, poultry, tofu, tempeh and nuts鈥� milk,鈥痽oghurt,鈥痗heese or鈥痭on-dairy, calcium fortified plant 鈥�补濒迟别谤苍补迟颈惫别蝉.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; To help manage your diabetes: Choose more whole, unprocessed foods and less processed or packaged foods Eat regular meals and spread them evenly throughout the day Get to know what type and how much carbohydrate foods to eat for you Look to follow a and reduce the GL of your meals Eat a diet lower in fat, particularly saturated fat If you take insulin or diabetes tablets, you may need to have between-meal snacks, check with your healthcare team if this is necessary for you Everyone鈥檚 needs are different 鈥� all people with diabetes should see an accredited practising dietitian in conjunction with their diabetes team for individualised advice. Low carb eating If you鈥檙e interested in following a low carb approach read our position statement鈥�Low carb eating for people with diabetes. Watch 芒果直播鈥檚 with Professor Grant Brinkworth from the CSIRO. Find out more about carbohydrate food and how they affect blood glucose levels. 芒果直播 telehealth clinic With the convenience of virtual consultations, you can access expert 芒果直播 clinicians via our telehealth service. Our team of health professionals are fully qualified and have extensive experience supporting people living with diabetes. Find out more Energy balance Eating well is all about finding the right balance of food that works for you. Matching the amount of food you eat with the amount of energy you burn through activity and exercise is important. Putting too much fuel in your body can lead to weight gain. Limit foods high in energy such as take away foods, sweet biscuits, cakes, sugar sweetened drinks and fruit juice, lollies, chocolate and savoury snacks. You can also review your portion size and eat mindfully to manage the amount of energy you eat. Learn more about mindful eating. Along with healthy eating, regular physical activity can help you to manage your blood glucose levels, reduce your blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) and maintain a healthy weight. Learn more about鈥痚xercise and diabetes. Mindful eating Mindful eating is a technique you can use to help you to enjoy your food more as well as to help you to avoid overeating 鈥� no one likes to feel bloated and over-full. Overeating can cause weight gain or prevent weight loss, or increase blood glucose levels if the food contains carbohydrate. So, by eating mindfully you can enjoy your food, and manage your weight and your blood glucose. How do I mindfully eat? Focus on your food 鈥� reduce eating distractions by turning the television off and putting your phone, book or newspaper aside. Take your time to enjoy your food. Eat while using all your senses 鈥� savour all of the sensations: look at the food and enjoy its sight, smell the aroma, feel the sensation in your mouth, taste the flavours. If you are using cutlery, put your cutlery down once you put the food in your mouth. Take your time to chew. Then swallow the food. Most people will eat less, even of their favourite treat foods, if they eat them mindfully. Your body has time to tell your mind 鈥渢hat鈥檚 enough鈥�. As you eat, listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry or you have had enough of that food. Be curious and conscious – observe the signs that show that you鈥檙e comfortably full. Pause in the middle of eating and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what your current hunger level is. How hungry/full am I? You can use a rating system to help you become aware of your hunger and fullness cues 鈥� it may take some time to re-learn them 鈥� you might like to rate how hungry or full you are on a scale of one to ten where you think about how hungry you are before a meal and set an intention of how you would like to feel at the end of the meal. Hunger /fullness Physical sensation 1 Starvation, need to eat now, hunger pains, shaky, light headed 2 Slight pain in stomach, hard to concentrate, lack of energy 3 Beginning of physical signs of hunger, stomach growling sometimes 4 Could eat if it were suggested 5 Neutral 6 Satisfied 7 Can feel food in stomach 8 Stomach sticks out 9 Bloated, clothes feel tight, sleepy and drained 10 Definitely full, stomach uncomfortable, no energy, physically sick Trust your subtle feelings of hunger or fullness, honour your hunger 鈥� eat enough to be satisfied while remembering what your intention was to feel like at the end of eating. Stop eating when you feel satisfied or even when you feel neutral. Later, reflect on how you feel and if you have a higher hunger/fullness rating at the end of eating compared to your intention don鈥檛 beat yourself up about it but recall how you felt part way through your eating so you can how much you eat at the next similar meal. Why do I eat what I eat? Consider what prompts you to choose particular foods and portion sizes. Is it habit? Or convenience? Or stress and emotions? When you think about all factors which influence your eating you may be surprised. For example, the plate size you use can make you serve larger portions if it鈥檚 a large plate or smaller portions if it鈥檚 a smaller plate. Emotional eating Most people know what happens to their eating choices when they feel stressed, sad or emotional. We tend to eat 鈥渟ometimes鈥� or treat foods, often in larger portions than we would normally. Then you feel 鈥渂ad鈥� or like you have failed to achieve that healthy eating ideal which is promoted. When we feel 鈥渂ad鈥� we tend to eat more of that 鈥渟ometimes鈥� or treat food, so it becomes a poor eating cycle. Don鈥檛 judge yourself. Be kind. Say to yourself what you would say to another person. Tomorrow is a new day, you can 鈥済et back on the horse鈥�, so to speak, and keep working towards healthy eating. And remember, always enjoy your food! Eat a variety of vegetables and legumes/beans Eating a wide variety of vegetables every day is a great way to make sure that you are getting the nutrients you need to stay healthy. As well as providing important nutrients鈥痑nd loads of fibre, vegetables are very low in kilojoules meaning they are great food to fill up on without having to worry about your waistline.鈥疢ost Australians need more vegetables in their diet.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; For good health, we should all be eating at least鈥�5 serves of vegetables every day. A serve of vegetables is equal to 陆鈥痗up鈥痗ooked鈥痝reen or orange vegetables, beans, lentils or other鈥痩egumes;鈥�1鈥痗up of salad鈥痮r鈥� a medium potato.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Types of vegetables include:鈥� Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, zucchini鈥� Potato, sweet potato, pumpkin鈥� Lettuce, baby spinach leaves, kale, cucumber, tomato鈥� Chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils鈥� Frozen or鈥痗anned鈥痸egetables鈥痑re great alternatives for fresh vegetables and are just as nutritious. These are鈥痑lso鈥痮ften cheaper, easy to prepare and may be easier to access in remote areas. Just make sure鈥痶o鈥痗hoose鈥痗anned vegetables with鈥痭o added salt.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Finding it hard to reach your鈥痜ive鈥痵erves of vegetables? Try these tips to get more veggies into your day:鈥� Eat a variety of colours of vegetables every day including red, green, orange鈥痑nd white鈥痗hoices鈥� Cut up vegetables into sticks and store in the fridge for an easy and healthy snack鈥� Add vegetables to every meal. Add grated or chopped vegies into soups, casseroles or pasta dishes. Add beans to meat dishes such as鈥痓olognese鈥痵auce or taco mince. Buy vegetables in season or from local sources such as farmers markets for best value for money and long-lasting freshness. Check out our recipes. Eat 2 serves of fruit a day In Australia we are lucky to have a huge variety of delicious fruit all year round. Like vegetables, fruit provides鈥痬any鈥痠mportant nutrients and鈥痠s鈥痯acked with fibre. It is recommended to eat鈥�2 serves of fruit a day.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Canned and frozen fruit are also great choices for quick and healthy snacks or to add to your favourite meals. Make sure鈥痶o鈥痗hoose canned fruit in natural juice rather than syrup.鈥疶ip off the juice and syrup. Example serves of fruit include:鈥� 1 medium apple, pear, banana or orange鈥� 2 small apricots, plums or kiwi fruits鈥� 1 cup of canned fruit鈥�(no juice) 陆 cup of鈥�100% fruit鈥痡uice鈥�(no added sugar)鈥� 4鈥痙ried鈥痑pricots鈥痮r鈥�1 陆 tablespoons of sultanas鈥� Tips to enjoying鈥痜ruit every day:鈥� Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice鈥痮r dried fruit鈥� Top your breakfast cereal with your favourite鈥痜resh鈥痜ruit instead of sugar or honey鈥� Try fruit as a dessert with low fat yoghurt or custard鈥� Buy fruit in season or from local sources such as farmers markets for best value for money and long-lasting freshness.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Grain foods such as breads, cereals, rice and pasta鈥� Choose鈥痺holegrain varieties, such as multigrain bread, wherever possible to make sure you get long lasting energy and plenty of fibre and B group vitamins.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; The grain foods group includes food like:鈥� 产谤别补诲蝉鈥�&苍产蝉辫; breakfast cereal鈥� rolled oats鈥� 谤颈肠别鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 辫补蝉迟补鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 苍辞辞诲濒别蝉鈥�&苍产蝉辫; crisp产谤别补诲蝉鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 肠谤耻尘辫别迟蝉鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 辫辞濒别苍迟补鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 肠辞耻蝉鈥痗辞耻蝉鈥�&苍产蝉辫; 辩耻颈苍辞补鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Often people are concerned about eating too many foods from this food group, particularly if they are trying to manage their weight.鈥疕owever,鈥痶hese foods tend to be very low in fat and will keep you fuller for longer, particularly if you choose wholegrain options.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Keep an eye on your portion sizes and try to reduce the amount of butter, margarine or other high fat spreads that you add to these foods.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; A serve of grain foods is equal to:鈥� 1 slice of bread鈥�� 1/2 a bread roll鈥��� 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta 2/3 cup of breakfast cereal鈥� Great grain tips:鈥� For variety, experiment with different grain foods like cous鈥痗ous鈥痮r polenta. They are very quick to prepare and delicious served with casserole dishes鈥� Add pearl barley to soups for an extra burst of energy鈥� Try different types of breads for your lunch time sandwiches including鈥痵ourdough鈥痓read,鈥痺holemeal鈥痯ita bread or鈥痬ultigrain鈥痺raps.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Read more about carbohydrates. Lean meat, fish, poultry and nuts This food group is the main source of protein, iron and vitamin B12 for our bodies. Iron is particularly important for women and the iron in meat is more easily absorbed鈥痶han鈥痶he iron from other foods such as vegetables and legumes.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Meat is an important part of the Australian鈥痙iet鈥痓ut we tend to eat bigger servings than we require.鈥�� A鈥痯rotein鈥痵erve is equal to:鈥� 65g of鈥痗ooked lean red鈥痬eat such as beef, pork or lamb鈥�(about 90-100g raw)鈥� 80g of鈥痗ooked lean鈥痗hicken or turkey鈥�(100g raw)鈥� 100g of鈥痗ooked鈥痜ish鈥�(about 115g raw)鈥� 2 large eggs鈥� 1 cup of鈥痗ooked or canned鈥痩entils, chickpeas or other beans鈥� 170g tofu, or鈥� 30驳鈥痷苍蝉补濒迟别诲鈥痭耻迟蝉&苍产蝉辫; For those who don鈥檛 eat meat, alternatives such as lentils, chickpeas or other beans are important sources of protein. However,鈥痚veryone could benefit from eating these types of foods more often.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; The fat in meat tends to be saturated fat so be sure to choose lean cuts of meat wherever possible and remove all visible fat from your meat before you cook it.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; More tips鈥痶o lower the fat content:鈥� Try low fat cooking methods such as grilling or stir frying.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Flavour your meat with low fat marinades and herbs such as mixed herbs, garlic and lemon juice.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; When cooking casseroles and stews allow them to cool slightly and skim the fat off the top before serving.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Reduce the amount of meat you use in a鈥痳ecipe鈥痑苍诲鈥痳eplace with鈥痩egumes like鈥痥idney beans,鈥痗hickpeas鈥痮r lentils (this will save money and add more fibre too!).鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Try to eat more fish every week鈥痑苍诲鈥痝rill or bake your fish rather than deep frying.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Try to include 1-2 meat-free meals each week by swapping in other protein-rich foods like eggs, tofu or鈥痮ther鈥痩egumes.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Milk,鈥痽oghurt,鈥痗heese or鈥痙airy鈥痑lternatives Dairy foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese are an important source of calcium and protein. Most adults are recommended to eat at least鈥� 2 陆&苍产蝉辫; serves of dairy each day. For good health try to choose low fat or skim varieties of milk, yoghurt and cheese.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; An example serve from this food group is:鈥� 1 cup of milk鈥�(250ml)鈥�� 2 slices鈥痮f cheese鈥�� 200g tub of yoghurt鈥� 陆 cup evaporated milk鈥� If you don鈥檛 eat鈥痙airy鈥痜oods,鈥痗alcium fortified soy or plant-based milk or鈥痽oghurt鈥痑re great alternatives.鈥疧ther non-dairy sources of鈥痗alcium鈥痠nclude green leafy vegetables,鈥痗anned fish with bones like sardines or salmon and almonds.鈥�&苍产蝉辫; Dairy tips:鈥� Snack on low fat yogurt鈥痮r wholegrain crackers with cheese鈥� Try adding your favourite fruit to natural yoghurt to reduce added sugars鈥� Choose鈥痯lain milk鈥痮ver鈥痜lavoured鈥痸arieties鈥�� Add cheese to your sandwiches, pasta or vegetable dishes Sugar A healthy eating plan for diabetes can include some sugar. It is ok to have a sprinkle of sugar on porridge or a scrape of jam on some low GI high fibre bread. However, foods that are high in added sugars are low in nutrients should be eaten only sometimes and in small amounts. In particular, limit high energy (kilojoule or calorie) foods such as sweets, chocolates, lollies, cakes, biscuits, and standard soft drinks. Some sugar may also be used in cooking and many recipes can be modified to use less than the amount stated or substituted with an alternative sweetener. Select recipes that are low in fat (particularly saturated fat) and contain some fibre. Alternative sweeteners As mentioned above small amounts of sugar as part of a balanced meal plan shouldn鈥檛 have a large effect on blood glucose levels. However, sweeteners such as Equal, Stevia, Sugarine and Splenda can be used in place of sugar, especially if they are replacing large amounts of sugar. Foods and drinks that have been sweetened with an alternative sweetener, such as diet soft drinks and cordials, sugar-free lollies etc., are also best enjoyed occasionally, as they do not have any nutritional benefit and may often take the place of more nutritious foods and drinks, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, nuts and water. Drink water Water is needed for most of the body鈥檚 functions and the body needs to be kept hydrated every day. Water is the best drink to have because it contains no extra kilojoules and won鈥檛 have an effect on your blood glucose levels and it鈥檚 great for your kidneys. Other good choices are tea, coffee, herbal tea, water, soda water, plain mineral water. If you want a sweet drink occasionally, try products labelled 鈥榙iet鈥� or 鈥榣ow joule鈥�. If you choose to drink alcohol limit your intake to no more than ten standard drinks per week, no more than four standard drinks on any one day and include some alcohol-free days each week. Between-Meal Snacks People with diabetes on certain types of tablets or insulin may require a snack between each meal and for supper. However, most people aiming to manage their body weight are advised not to have snacks between meals. For specific advice, discuss this with your doctor, dietitian or credentialled diabetes educator. There are lots of healthy choices that can be used as snack foods. Select fruit that is in season (e.g. an apple, a banana, a peach, a pear, 3 small apricots, 1/2 a cup of grapes, and 1 cup of strawberries or a slice of rockmelon or watermelon). Other suggestions are listed below: Fresh or tinned fruit (e.g. 1 peach, 3 apricots, 1 pear, 2 mandarins, grapes, 1/2 a mango, 3 plums, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 circle of pineapple) 鈥� drain the juice off Vegetable sticks (e.g. celery, carrot, capsicum, snow peas) with 1 tablespoon of low fat dip. Celery boats filled with 2 tbsp of cottage cheese and chopped tomato 30 grams of mixed, unsalted nuts 1 slice of raisin toast (sliced thinly or 陆 a slice of caf茅 thickness raisin toast) or multigrain bread 1 tub of low-fat, unflavoured yoghurt 1 cup or 250 mL reduced fat milk 30 grams of salt reduced pretzels Vitawheat biscuits topped with cottage cheese, tomato and chives 1 cup of plain popcorn 1/2 wholegrain English muffin with tomato slices and 1 slice of reduced-fat cheese. 2 toasted wholemeal or grain pita bread triangles with 1 tbsp low fat tomato salsa dip. 2 small sushi rolls (avoid using soy sauce) 1 small can of baked beans Read more about . Maintaining a healthy weight Diabetes and body weight A healthy body weight is important for everyone. If you are above your most healthy weight, then small weight loss (5-10% of body weight) can make a big difference to your diabetes management. You may find measuring your waistline to be a better way of monitoring your weight rather than scales. In general: women should aim for a waistline of less than 80 cm men should aim for a waistline of less than 94 cm. Appropriate measurements for different cultural groups should be discussed with your GP. Some positive steps you can take to reduce your waistline are: eating a healthy balanced diet. This may include decreasing your kilojoule and total fat intake, often by reducing your discretionary (sometimes) food and drink intake. Read more about healthy eating here (link) participate in regular physical activity ask for individualised advice from your doctor, dietitian or diabetes educator. Weight is a sensitive topic for many people and achieving weight loss and maintaining weight loss can be difficult. If you would like additional support with weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight speak with your doctor, dietitian or diabetes educator. More information Recipes Cholesterol Carbohydrates, protein and fats Should I drink alcohol? Reading food labels Coeliac disease & diabetes
