Type 2 Diabetes Menu Meal Plan
When planning meals to manage Type 2 diabetes, it's important to make your selection from healthy foods that will keep blood sugar stable and within a healthy range. Quantity is also an important consideration, according to the American Diabetes Association 124. Half your plate at each meal should be filled with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with whole grains or starchy foods, and the remaining quarter should be filled with protein 5.
Breakfast Boosts
To get your day off to a good start, poach two eggs. Sautee two cups of spinach and mushrooms, then follow it up with a small piece of fruit. Add a small tub of yogurt if you need a little extra to feel full -- the American Diabetes Association recommends choosing fat-free or low-fat options 124. If you need to take your breakfast with you, or prepare it at the office, take a couple of hard-boiled eggs with half an avocado to serve on a slice of whole grain bread.
- To get your day off to a good start, poach two eggs.
- If you need to take your breakfast with you, or prepare it at the office, take a couple of hard-boiled eggs with half an avocado to serve on a slice of whole grain bread.
Scrumptious Lunches
Healthy, One-Person Meal Plans
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For lunch, marinate a chicken breast in lemon juice and thyme, then grill it under medium heat. Grill up your favorite vegetables, and serve with half a cup of whole grain pasta. The USDA recommends eating 8 ounces of cooked seafood per week, so lunchtime is also an opportunity to meet this intake. Try grilling a salmon fillet, then sauteeing some collard greens in garlic and olive oil. Serve it up with a low-GI carbohydrate source like bulgur. Low-GI foods don't spike your blood sugar, and are satisfying additions to many meals.
- For lunch, marinate a chicken breast in lemon juice and thyme, then grill it under medium heat.
Delicious Dinners
Dinner might be a piece of steak, cooked to your liking, with a large serving of salad greens, baby tomatoes and a small sprinkling of feta cheese. Add one-half cup of sweet potato or 1 cup of pumpkin. Another option is to skewer some shrimp with diced peppers, onions and pineapple, then grill them on the barbecue. You can serve these up with one-third cup of brown rice or one-half cup of lentils.
- Dinner might be a piece of steak, cooked to your liking, with a large serving of salad greens, baby tomatoes and a small sprinkling of feta cheese.
Simple Snacks
Diabetic Breakfast Menu
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Eat meals that are sufficiently satisfying, so that you don't need to snack between meals. If, however, you really need a bump, the American Diabetes Association recommends eating a piece of fruit, some nuts or seeds, vegetable sticks with some nut butter, a small serving of dairy, a handful of crackers or a small serving of whole grains 124.
Related Articles
References
- American Diabetes Association: Create Your Plate
- American Diabetes Association: Dairy
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: What Foods Are In The Protein Foods Group?
- American Diabetes Association: Glycemic Index and Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Grains and Starchy Vegetables
- American Diabetes Association: Snacks
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Writer Bio
Lau Hanly runs Fierce For Life, a nutrition and fitness company that helps young women start with healthy eating and smart training without overwhelming them. She has a certificate of nutrition, and provide individual coaching, standard fitness and nutrition programs, and group training.